Brewers In Remote Areas - Where Do You Buy Your Ingredients?

[slash22000]

G'day all,

I'm hoping there are a few brewers around this forum who live outside of major metros. I live in Darwin, NT, and up until now have brewed pretty exclusively with whatever you can buy at Big W. We do have one brew shop here but they never have the ingredients I want/need. For example, when I tried to get some crystal grain for the first time, I was told that "Nobody wastes their time with that in Darwin" and that even though they technically sell it, they almost never have any in stock.

I've had a look at different webstores but I'm looking at paying more for freight to Darwin than I would actually pay for the grain itself. <_< $20-something in grain is going to cost $30-something in freight. Originally I was going for an even larger order to build up a stockpile but freight for that was going to be $60+ ...

Is it just a cost I have to swallow, or is there some kind of ultra-cheap courier service in existence that I don't know about? It seems crazy that I can send packages overseas cheaper than I can get them sent interstate.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Malted]

Check out some of the site sponsors. I have had grain shipped half way across the country for what appeared to be reasonable freight prices.

 

[TasChris]

The secret is to buy multiple brews worth of ingredients in one hit rather than paying freight on one brew and if it is going in a 3kg satchel then make sure that there is 2999.99 grams in the satchel

Cheers
Chris

 

[1975sandman]

Freight costs to Darwin is the biggest killer when it comes to getting ingredients. You can shop around and try some of the smaller trucking companies that come to Darwin and get prices. I have heard that you can get a fairly good price on freight with Greyhound buses but have yet to try it.

If you know of anyone flying up soon, try to get them to bring it in their luggage!

 

[mwd]

The secret is to buy multiple brews worth of ingredients in one hit rather than paying freight on one brew and if it is going in a 3kg satchel then make sure that there is 2999.99 grams in the satchel

Cheers
Chris

That is what I do when ordering from the site sponsors either a full 3Kg or 5Kg satchel. The main problem is grain as it is low cost but relatively heavy.

 

[booargy]

I have heard that you can get a fairly good price on freight with Greyhound buses but have yet to try it.

In the past I was freighting handmade pinch bars from sydney to brisbane. courier companies wanted a stupid figure then I found out mcaffrys (I think) buses did it for about 80% cheaper. but it was pick up from depot.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Good thread. We'll be moving away from the same city as the site sponsor and way down south in about 6 months' time.

I'm starting to organise sacks of grain, and I'll take some spec malt sealed up for future brews. Hops, I'm sorted, and yeast, I'll re-use or buy more local.

But after I run the sacks out, then it'll be a matter of what do I do.

Goomba

 

[fraser_john]

In the past I was freighting handmade pinch bars from sydney to brisbane. courier companies wanted a stupid figure then I found out mcaffrys (I think) buses did it for about 80% cheaper. but it was pick up from depot.

Now that is a great tip!

 

[mr_tyreman]

Im down south VIC and i buy all my stuff form QLD (see site sponsor), purely based on GREAT customer service.

I'd give every shop a chance, and choose the most reliable and friendly service.

cheers

 

[bignath]

I'm 450km's from either Melbourne or Adelaide. But, with a daughter in need of regular health check ups we go to Adelaide quarterly. I make sure I go to brew shop whilst there if I need anything and buy in bulk.

 

[mark0]

i was using craftbrewer when i was in weipa. had a few boxes with 2 or 3 5kg grain bill in there. it wasn't particularly expense. maybe $30 for the box through Aus Post?

 

[adniels3n]

Living in Mt Isa, my LHBS is Craftbrewer. I buy spec grains in 4.999kg lots. Combos of hops, yeast, other bits in 4.999kg lots.
Base malts we got in bulk (about 8 sacks) plus around 6 fresh wort kits, a kegerator, bags of extra stuff sent up on a pallet. Was about $400 for freight but got us set up at least.
Now we keep an ear out for anyone driving back from Brisbane to throw a sack or 2 in the boot for us.
Planning brews around common ingredients has helped out a lot, as does learning to harvest & store yeast.

 

[vic45]

In the past I was freighting handmade pinch bars from sydney to brisbane. courier companies wanted a stupid figure then I found out mcaffrys (I think) buses did it for about 80% cheaper. but it was pick up from depot.

We used to freight from Adelaide to Katherine by bus quite often when I was working there and I have freighted 4 wheel drive diff centers from Ballarat to Cairns
and it was far cheaper that courier freight. You will need to organise delivery to their depot and then pick up at your end as booargy said, but it is well worth the effort.

 

[TasChris]

Now we keep an ear out for anyone driving back from Brisbane to throw a sack or 2 in the boot for us.

Hijacking anyone going to population center with a good HBS is always the go.
The only problem we have bugger all good suppliers in the state so have to rely on trips to Melbourne, Bulk buys or mail order...
Cheers
Chris

 

[humulus]

Give MHB a call think I remember him saying something about a $15 parcel to anywhere in Oz,not sure about the weights!!!!

 

[humulus]

Give MHB a call think I remember him saying something about a $15 parcel to anywhere in Oz,not sure about the weights!!!!

 

[Batz]

When I lived in Dampier/Karratha the local Coke (the drink) guy did a couple of runs to Perth each week. He would pick up several bags of grain and drop them to my door for a carton of mega. Before this I could not afford to buy grain by the sack.

Scout around for someone like this.

batz

 

[rotten]

We send stuff to the territory and vice versa all the time. Greyhound is the best for those larger items unless it will fit in a post pack.

 

[woodwormm]

+ 1 for bus freight... we used to get and send fresh fish around South Oz bus freight...

had to be packed legal (not quite as hardcore as air freight) but it was cheap (about 6 bucks per 20kg pretty much across the state... (now that was 10 years ago - but it's still gotta be the cheapest option... just gotta find a supplier willing to pack it and deliver to the bus freight depot..

 

[pk.sax]

Nev @ gryphon does a flat rate 3 kilo or 5 kilo (I think 5) deal for 10 dollars by fastaway around the country. Not too shabby for spec grain. I think CB are about the same.