Finding Suppliers

One of the challenges I faced this week was something I had been mildly aware of, but had dismissed as trivial when I started this venture; sourcing ingredients. As a homebrewer, I had been spoiled, being able to order any ingredient I wanted on a whim from an online supplier or from my local homebrew store. That outlook was further complicated by the fact that all of my recipes are designed with that same attitude of endless supply diversity. Well, I had a rude awakening this week when securing my sources for grains and especially hops.

The frustration with sourcing malt came in the discovery that you can’t get all the base and specialty grains from a single supplier. Sure I had used multiple malsters in the past, but my favorite store carried all the brands I loved, so I never thought about it. But at a commercial scale (albeit relatively small), I had to open accounts with multiple suppliers just to make sure I could get the best grains for the recipe, be they domestic or European varieties. That’s ok though… not a big hurdle, and not much more than nuisance.

Hops on the other hand… are another story altogether! Clearly America is a land filled with amber waves of grain, but there might be a reason why they don’t sing of the majestic towers of hops! Hops I found are truly in short supply. Unlike malted barley, hops are not just sold out this year… they are sold out through 2015 in some cases! Brewers purchase hop contracts, essentially committing to gobble up a certain amount of hops for up to 5 years into the future. This is great, and I am almost done with my contract… but what does a starting brewery like Belly Love do to secure hops UNTIL the contract kicks in?

Needless to say, I lost a lot of sleep and drank a lot of beer, commiserating the fact that I would have to open a brewery making beer only with gruit or the left over hops that nobody else wanted. Thankfully, persistence is paramount and all obstacles can be overcome. After many hours online and on the phone, I found a few secondary suppliers that have the type and amount of hops I will need… and yes I bought enough for at least a year! But I must admit, this week was a huge eye opener!

So, as of today, we are set with supply, and I will be able to brew the beers that I love… which hopefully you all will love as well.

Cheers!