How much??

[froggi]

Not sure if this is the right place for this thread but I'm sure it'll be moved if not

The other day I was on my way through a town to the North of my home location and I passed a brewshop I'd been meaning to visit for a while. I pulled over and went in as I wanted to enquire about buying a sack of malt in preparation for the start of my AG brewing.

After admiring the shop(it was well stocked and laid out) and had a good look around, asked the question "How much for 25kg of Marris Otter?".... After a few seconds the response came back "About £80 mate, that's what I get it at but I can't be certain it'll be MO, probably Pearl"..... After I picked myself up off the floor and mopped up the major accident I had after laughing so hard, I said "You have got to be kidding, I can pick it from my local HBS in Sheffield at £36-ish"..... He said "Well you best get it there then, as I can't do it any better than that"..... I asked who were his suppliers and got the answer, "Youngs"..... Needless to say I walked out chucking to myself and thought he either doesn't want to sell in those quantities or he robs all his customers like this.

I enquired today at my local HBS at what price Youngs sell MO at..... Surprise, suprise... the price was RRP about £60 so trade has got to be a decent amount less than that.... I know people have to make a living and that you get a certain amount of unscrupulous business people out there but that takes the biscuit....

Needless to say, I'll not be frequenting the said HBS ever again and will be advising everyone else not to buy from this crook!!!

[Dennis King]

Received my sack of Crisp's pale malt from Rob the malt miller today, £21 + delivery but as I bought a few more bits delivery cost is not a problem. Last time I asked my LHBS he wanted about £45, been buying my pale malt off Rob ever since. I still get bits and pieces from the shop and feel sorry for them, they buy from the likes of Youngs and Brewpaks and need a margin to make a living. I lay the blame more with the suppliers.

[keith1664]

I can't see how you can blame the suppliers, the Malt Miller can source cheaper malt, my LHBS buys his from a local maltster and sells a sack for £29 (not cheap, but reasonable considering no P+P), surely any homebrew shop can do a bit of research and source their own grain and hop supplies, indeed if they want to remain viable against the online shops I can't see that they have any choice.

[Spud395]

A few of us club together and get malt delivered from an English maltster to Republic of Ireland for €17-€20 for 25kg.
Depending on the malt, for example 25kg of Munich cost me €18.
I make that £15.05 at todays exchange rate

[Dennis King]

I can't see how you can blame the suppliers, the Malt Miller can source cheaper malt, my LHBS buys his from a local maltster and sells a sack for £29 (not cheap, but reasonable considering no P+P), surely any homebrew shop can do a bit of research and source their own grain and hop supplies, indeed if they want to remain viable against the online shops I can't see that they have any choice.

I know my local shop can only buy sacks from Brewpaks, don't think he can turnover enough to meet the minimum amount they will supply. He has tried to buy it cheaper but is tied by his suppiers.

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Received my sack of Crisp's pale malt from Rob the malt miller today, £21 + delivery but as I bought a few more bits delivery cost is not a problem. Last time I asked my LHBS he wanted about £45, been buying my pale malt off Rob ever since. I still get bits and pieces from the shop and feel sorry for them, they buy from the likes of Youngs and Brewpaks and need a margin to make a living. I lay the blame more with the suppliers.

I'm the same Dennis with my local suppliers, would love to support but the stuff they sell is stale overpriced Young's malt and hops.
They should buy direct like Rob and co do then split and sell..

Mr.BB

[froggi]

@ Dennis King - I agree re the suppliers mate.... The larger homebrew suppliers (ie Brupaks, Youngs et al) must think they have the right to sell at those extortionate prices as they've been supplying the HB market for a good number of years but that still doesn't give them the right to sell a commodity like milled malt at those sorts of prices surely and after all, they get the stuff from the same sources IMO!!!!!

As I stated in my OP my local HBS offered me a 25kg sack of Fawcetts MO @ £36-ish and at that you get free advice and a smile/laugh too. I'll continue to support my LHBS for those things I need that they stock/offer and the web for those nice little (or big) shiny-type purchases.

@BB - Do you use the guy in the Market BB??? He's got a unit at Goldthorpe I think that he sells out of too.... Maybe he can offer a better deal there??

[BarnsleyBrewer]

@BB - Do you use the guy in the Market BB??? He's got a unit at Goldthorpe I think that he sells out of too.... Maybe he can offer a better deal there??

I went to his Goldthorpe unit, tizz closer to me..
Cracking bloke, great for beer & wine kits and all the other stuff but he doesn't move enough AG stuff to make it worth his while splitting hops and malts so all his ingredients are Young's or Brupaks..

BB