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Message |
    
Paul Hayslett
Senior Member
Username: Paulhayslett
Post Number: 2795
Registered: 02-2002
Posted From: 71.234.45.166
| | Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2011 - 01:15 pm: | 
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Anyone else notice that North Country Malt doesn't seem to be selling direct to homebrewers anymore? Their old web site seems to be gone and the new one for the Country Malting Group doesn't seem to have any homebrewer links.
I know that there is now a retailer called 50 Pound Sack which sells bulk grains and hops and has a more enlightened shipping charge policy. Maybe they pushed NCM to abandon that end of the business? Anyone know for sure?
I enjoyed buying from NCM in the past. Shipping charges aside, I thought their customer service was excellent. Anyone know if 50PS offers the same level of customer service? |
Paul Edwards
Senior Member
Username: Pedwards
Post Number: 2082
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 76.252.15.142
| | Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2011 - 01:36 pm: |
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I think the move to drop retail sales to homebrewers happened when North Country Malt got bought out.
That's from what I recall from something I saw on another forum , if I remember correctly.
New corporate owners were the ones to decide to drop HB sales.
Yup, they stopped selling direct last Sept 1st, unless you were a customer that had done business with them in the preceding 12 months
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/north-country-malt-group-stop-selling-homebrewers-191682/
here's the page with the contact info, in case anyone wants to call or e-mail them to ask why they dropped HB'ers
http://countrymaltgroup.com/contact.asp
(Message edited by pedwards on March 31, 2011) |
Vance Barnes
Senior Member
Username: Vancebarnes
Post Number: 4130
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 12.200.127.44
| | Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2011 - 03:44 pm: |
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50 lb sack's prices seem steep to me even when taking into consideration they're building in the shipping. I can get bags for much less at my lhbs.
Their hop prices are steep too. Just got in hops from Hops Direct and they're still doing their brewers pounds. Ranged from 1.5-2.6 oz over a lb. |
Paul Edwards
Senior Member
Username: Pedwards
Post Number: 2084
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 76.252.15.142
| | Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2011 - 04:33 pm: |
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I, too, can get 50 or 55 lb sacks from my LHBS better than I can get anywhere else. What they don't have, that I've gotten from NCM, is Hugh Baird Carastan.
I"ll bug the LHBS again... |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 12773
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.150.49.181
| | Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2011 - 05:48 pm: |
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North Country Malt's parent company bought a homebrew wholesaler (Brewcraft), and discontinued selling directly homebrewers so as not to undercut the wholesale business and anger homebrew shops who felt they were losing sales to their supplier's owners. Yes, it was a marketing decision. Homebrewers who want to be creative about bulk orders have been forced to enter into arrangements with craft breweries.
The only area where I enjoy paying less than most US homebrewers is in terms of grain. I can buy directly from Canada's largest independent malt distributor, although I have to drive 45 miles to pick up my order. The single bag price is quite decent, but just recently a collective of area all-grain brewers arranged a group buy of 400 bags at what a medium size craft brewery would pay. The result was domestic two-row malt at $24 per 55 lb. bag, for example.
The price of many commodity items has gone up considerably in the past several years. This is true worldwide. I recall when a brewpub where I worked was paying $14.50 per 50 lb. bag of two-row malt. Even the single bag price I was paying was $22 (for 55 lbs.) four years ago. |
Paul Hayslett
Senior Member
Username: Paulhayslett
Post Number: 2797
Registered: 02-2002
Posted From: 71.234.45.166
| | Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2011 - 07:42 pm: |
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You guys are way more lucky than you know. No LHBS near me sells full sacks for less than $1.50/lb, even domestic 2-row. The prices on 50PS are the same as I'd pay locally or from my regular supplier in Ohio after you include shipping. NCM used to be cheaper but only if we could batch up an order for 10 sacks or so.
I have gone to every local craft brewery and brewpub, both as an individual and representing my club, asking to piggyback on their grain order. None will even entertain the idea. We managed to coerce one brewer to do it just once, but he made it clear that he was not happy and would never do it again. That was years ago.
So I'll probably end up at 50PS the next time I need grain. Maybe I'll be able to batch up an order with some other club members and we'll qualify for a discount.
Thanks for the info everyone. Glad to see I wasn't just being stupid when I could no longer find the homebrewer link on NCM's site. |
Josh Vogel
Junior Member
Username: Loopie_beer
Post Number: 33
Registered: 02-2011
Posted From: 65.60.138.116
| | Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2011 - 11:58 pm: |
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check out midwest supplies. They seem to have the best 50lb prices I have found on the net... They also offer all kinds of grain and adjuncts at 1/2 lbs to 50 lbs which makes it nice if you want to buy a little bit of something. |
James
New Member
Username: Jnmayer
Post Number: 4
Registered: 07-2007
Posted From: 67.162.119.209
| | Posted on Friday, April 01, 2011 - 11:14 am: |
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If you have an active account with them, you can still make purchases as a homebrewer. They are not accepting new homebrewer accounts, though. Give them a call. |
Scott Morales
Member
Username: Smutty
Post Number: 179
Registered: 09-2005
Posted From: 75.68.50.10
| | Posted on Friday, April 01, 2011 - 08:23 pm: |
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The hb club to which I belong still buys from NCM as recently as February. The club usually buys at least a pallet of grain plus some buy bulk extract. I concur, give them a call. |
Paul Edwards
Senior Member
Username: Pedwards
Post Number: 2085
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 76.252.33.157
| | Posted on Saturday, April 02, 2011 - 03:56 pm: |
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I emailed them and they told me if you last order was over 1 year ago, your account was deleted from their system. |
Brews and Views Archive 2011 
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