I didn't know that this buy was on (would have bought a BB Pils and an Ale but I'll leave for next time) but just a bit of grandstanding:
Personally I wouldn't even consider half a sack of something - most spec grains are only 5 or 10 % of the grain bill typically, so even half a sack of Carapils or Crystal is going to risk freshness problems, especially in SEQ. I if you are a dedicated 30% Munich or 50% wheat hefe fan then get a whole sack, surely. If you want to do some horse trading then do it well outside the buy, swapping at BABBs meetings or visiting each others houses whatever.
I can guarantee that in future buys I won't be frgn around with half a sack of anything. The bulk buy should be sacks only.
Brad was dead right about the Gateway being a carpark at peak hours - it's really unfair to expect a full time person who travels away a lot, especially Northside, bearing the full burden. Being semi retired I'll put my hand up for next buy - I would guess looking at maybe July when guys are looking for fresh stocks for the comps - I've experienced bulk buys such as the Chinee hops and it's interesting work, quite happy to do so next time.
However as the hops exercise taught me, there should be a very firm cutoff point and this revolves around the "lets go for another pallet" thing. Previous Brisbane buys have failed on this point. I feel personally that a buy should be one pallet. Get in, do the job then get out like a bank job. That second pallet can break the deal and can cause three times more hassle than just one. If the buys go one pallet at a time, then turnover is quicker and the buy can be offered again sooner so that anyone who missed out or just didn't need grain can look forward to another stab in a fairly short time span.
2c
