What Grains To Keep In Stock?

[devo]

I'm sure with all the recent malt bulk buys across the country everyone is pretty clear on what base malts to stock up on. In my case it's usually a bag or 2 of Ale, Lager, Pilsner malt and a single bag of Wheat malt.

The only thing now that I'm still trying to settle on is the type and quantity of secondary malts that we always seem to need on hand but buying a whole 25kg bag worth is just note quite justified.

So far I tend to try and keep a healthy supply of the following.

Caramalt 2-4kg
Crystal 1-2kg
Vienna 1-2kg
Munich 1-2kg
Melanoidin 1-2kg
Roast Barley 500gm
Choc malt 500gm
Flaked Barley 1kg

I'd be interested to read what fellow AHBers stock as essential secondary malts?

devo

 

[drsmurto]

Munich is NOT a secondary malt!

I keep as much munich on hand as i do wheat!

But the rest of your list looks similar altho being a pommy ale brewer i also have amber, brown and black on hand plus some carafa spec II

 

[devo]

It is when I'm not using it as base malt but rather a supplement to my base malt. I'm well aware that it can be used as a single malt.

 

[bconnery]

I've only been AG for a bit over a year so I am still finding my way around the range of what is out there.
A few years of extract brewing gave me a fair insight into a lot of the specialty malts though.

I'm a real impulse shopper/browser. I go to where I buy all my grains and have a look at what is there, if I have a beer or style in mind etc.
I tend to think, haven't tried that, and suddenly it's another order for a site sponsor

Having said that, I do have several I seem to keep coming back to...
Mainly, Carafa Special II, or sometimes I and III, but mostly II. CaraRed
Munich, sometimes in larger amounts, plus I have recently got some in a bulk buy, elevating it up from secondary status I gues

Fairly frequently...
Pale Chocolate
Flaked Maize
Dark Crystal
Caramunich of some sort

 

[drsmurto]

It is when I'm not using it as base malt but rather a supplement to my base malt. I'm well aware that it can be used as a single malt.

Fair enough mate, i up my ale malt with 10% munich for most pommy beers. But thats cos i have run out of MO and am using JW trad

 

[Pumpy]

Bag of Pilsner/Ale /Munich/Wheat

Caramunich
Carared
CaraAroma
Crystal
Vienna
Pale Choc
Roasted Barley
Carapil
Melanoidin
Polenta
Oats


pumpy

 

[browndog]

light crystal
medium crystal
munich 1
carapils
wheat
carared
melanoidin
choc
pale choc
black
amber
brown
peat smoked
flaked wheat
maize


cheers

Browndog

 

[crozdog]

Specialty grains:
light crystal
dark crystal
munich
carapils
wheat
roast barley
Carafa special III
choc

base grains:
Ale
Pilsner
Vienna

 

[T.D.]

I used to be a bit of a secialty grain whore - had around a dozen different types on hand. I have since realised that to make 99.9% of styles you only need a few specialties. Even within crystals, I have pretty much come to the conclusion that dark crystal is the one for me, with the lighter versions seeming too cloying and overly "sweet" for me. Now I have 4 or 5 different specialties that I doubt I will ever get through, and am running out of others that I use in almost every brew.

My ultimate grain list:

1 bag Ale
1 bag Pils
1/2 bag Munich
5kg Wheat
2kg Dark Crystal
1kg Melanoidin
0.5kg Choc

That'll do pretty much everything I'm after.

Cheers,

TD
Reformed Grain Whore

 

[Cortez The Killer]

Here is my current grain cache

Base Malt

19,240g JW Wheat Malt
22,360g JW Pilsner
8,000g JW Vienna
41,700g Bairds MO Ale Malt
5,200g Weyermann Munich II (Dark)
25,000g Weyermann Vienna

Specialty Malt

150g Bairds Roast Barley
2,480g JW Crystal
900g Wey Melandonian Malt
1,430g Wey Carapils
1,100g Bairds Chocolate Malt
650g Bairds Black Patent
1,000g Bairds Roast Barley
1,000g JW Chocolate

I think it'll see me through for a long while

Yeah I know it makes me look like an anal grain measurer

Cheers

 

[devo]

Melanoidin looks to be popping up as staple for most folks!

 

[white.grant]

Here is my current grain cache

Base Malt

19,240g JW Wheat Malt
22,360g JW Pilsner
8,000g JW Vienna
41,700g Bairds MO Ale Malt
5,200g Weyermann Munich II (Dark)
25,000g Weyermann Vienna

Specialty Malt

150g Bairds Roast Barley
2,480g JW Crystal
900g Wey Melandonian Malt
1,430g Wey Carapils
1,100g Bairds Chocolate Malt
650g Bairds Black Patent
1,000g Bairds Roast Barley
1,000g JW Chocolate

I think it'll see me through for a long while

Yeah I know it makes me look like an anal grain measurer

Cheers

Nice stash. Do you have recurring nightmares about mice?

Grant

 

[bugwan]

Nice stash. Do you have recurring nightmares about mice?

Grant

Note the use of grams as units though! Nice one Cortez.

Devo, I use about 200g of Melanoidin in my APAs (for a 26L batch) - the recipe is a bit of a mish-mash but is structured around Jayse's Skunk Fart and your Hop Fantastic...!

 

[Jerry]

Current supply -

Bulk-ish

Ale
Pilsner
Wheat

Varying (smaller) amounts

Munich
Maris Otter
Vienna
Chocolate
Medium Crystal
Amber
Melanoiden
Carapils
Peat smoked


Its nice to have a range on hand but I find I end up forcing myself to brew certain beers just to use up some them.

Scott

 

[T.D.]

Note the use of grams as units though! Nice one Cortez.

Also slipped in Bairds Roast Barley twice!

 

[Cortez The Killer]

Also slipped in Bairds Roast Barley twice!

I stocked up on lots of dark malts for some reason which escapes me at the moment

I don't mind the odd dark beer - but heaven knows how i'm gonna get through it all

Don't have an issue with mice - as grain is stored inside

Cheers

 

[RobW]

Don't have an issue with mice - as grain is stored inside

Cheers

Are your mice house trained then? :lol:

Here's what I keep:

Crystal 1-2kg
Vienna 2-4 kg
Munich 2-4 kg
Roast Barley 1-2kg
Choc malt 1-2kg
Flaked Barley 1kg
Amber 1-2 kg

 

[lokpikn]

My grain on hand now is

25 kgs ale

25 kgs pilsner

25 kgs marris otter

25 kgs vienna

25 kgs munich

12.5 kgs wheat

12.5 kgs smoked

5 to 10 kgs melanoidn

5 to 10 kgs cara aroma

5 to 10 kgs carafa III

5kgs crystal wheat

5 to 10 kgs amber malt

5 to 10 kgs chocolate malt

2kgs roast barley



Should keep me going till xmas