Grain bill.

[Ozzy]

Hi there,
Have been thinking of buying grain/malt in 5 or 10 kg for extract brewing. I'm still getting to grips with it.
It would need to be pre crushed as I haven't got a grinder,and I'm guessing that'll effect the shelf life.
Is there an generic grain bill mix or individual separate grains/malts I should buy for ales/stouts/beer?
I appreciate that there's many recipes for the 3 drinks above.
I also need to get decent scales.
Thanks

 

[The Baron]

Hi the shelf life of crushed grain is longer than said by many. You must store it correctly though ideally vacuum pack but dryness and temp are the critical ideals.
I store mine in tubs in a cool dry environment so it also excludes light as well i.e a garage.
I have used mine after a year with no seriously noticeable effects and the the efficiency does not seem to waiver too much either.
Right now the choice of grains, I would get Pale Ale Malt, a middle Crystal as a base then the odd grain that is more specific to your beer choices i.e maybe a small amount of chocolate for stout as you have mentioned them, you may also want a small amount of Acid Malt to adjust PH.
You can go on and end up with loads of different grains (they grow) but to start with stick to a base and crystal for the beers you suggest

 

[nickjdavis]

Surely for "extract brewing" the OP does not need to buy base malts, as it will be the "extract" that is providing the vast majority of the fermentables?

The only malts required would perhaps be some speciality/crystal/dark malts which can be steeped.

Have I missed something?

 

[Tommo 2]

Surely for "extract brewing" the OP does not need to buy base malts, as it will be the "extract" that is providing the vast majority of the fermentables?

The only malts required would perhaps be some speciality/crystal/dark malts which can be steeped.

Have I missed something?

Think it’s called partial mash use some base malts and some dme improves quality of beer no end and gets you accustomed to doing a mash as in all grain brewing

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I would get Pale Ale Malt, a middle Crystal as a base then the odd grain that is more specific to your beer choices i.e maybe a small amount of chocolate for stout as you have mentioned them, you may also want a small amount of Acid Malt to adjust PH.
You can go on and end up with loads of different grains (they grow) but to start with stick to a base and crystal for the beers you suggest

I agree with this - I buy base malt (typically Maris Otter) in 5kg bags and medium crystal in 1kg bags - but other malts I buy just the quantity I need on a per-recipe basis. It's a bit more pricey that way, but it simplifies the weighing out and saves me from ending up with 100g of this and that hanging around.
The supplier I use (The Malt Miller) has a great selection of malts and will supply in whatever quantities you like - there is a small extra charge for amounts under 1kg I think but it really doesn't amount to much :-)

 

[MrRook]

Hi there,
Have been thinking of buying grain/malt in 5 or 10 kg for extract brewing. I'm still getting to grips with it.
It would need to be pre crushed as I haven't got a grinder,and I'm guessing that'll effect the shelf life.
Is there an generic grain bill mix or individual separate grains/malts I should buy for ales/stouts/beer?
I appreciate that there's many recipes for the 3 drinks above.
I also need to get decent scales.
Thanks

How much grain do you plan to use with each batch?

 

[Ozzy]

How much grain do you plan to use with each batch?

I not actually sure,I've done a few extract/partial mash(get er brewed kits)which kinda spoils you. But they are all measured out and are simple to follow.
Haven't got my head around grains and Crystal Malt yet.
I'm hoping to save some money and experiment a bit.

 

[MrRook]

I not actually sure,I've done a few extract/partial mash(get er brewed kits)which kinda spoils you. But they are all measured out and are simple to follow.
Haven't got my head around grains and Crystal Malt yet.
I'm hoping to save some money and experiment a bit.

When I do extract with specialty grain batches (3 U S gallons) I use anywhere from a couple ounces to a pound. I use a spice grinder to mill the grains.

 

[Loonytoone]

I agree with the The Baron regarding grain shelf life.
I buy my base pale malt in 25kg bags, Crystal in 3-5kgs and everything else in 1kg or 500g depending on what I have in mind or have left.
I only brew in 23litre batches but have been known to do two in one day.