Ordering hops, grain and malt extract in bulk and storing it.

Now I'm out of hops and steeping grains. Yest that's right, I finally used all this stuff up. It took over a year, but, I did it. You know what? All of it kept well too. I kept the grain in plastic bags in an old wooden dresser down in the basement. The pounds of hops were kept in their original bags clipped or tied shut gathered together in a bigger plastic bag and stored in the fridge.

Now I have no scientific way of proving the hops alpha acid didn't decrease or the flavor of the steeping grains didn't change, but, my beer still tastes good. I imagine that a cool dry place for grains and the fridge for the hops is what did it.

I've also ordered and used up 3 or 4 big cans of liquid malt extract since then. Just store those in the fridge too. I've been able to keep it for 6 months at a time with no signs of spoilage.

So now I need more ingredients. Keeping the stuff in the house is what allows me to brew when I get the urge. If you can afford the investment up front, its worth it. Of course I don't think you can even buy hops by the pound now from homebrew stores. I ordered mine just before the hop shortage. I guess my price per batch will be going up a bit.