Looks like Hops and Grain price increase again

[ChrisG]

Was just taking a look at Brupaks site and it seems the hop and grain prices are due to increase again.

[Stonechat]

The link to Brupaks on Jims is saying the hop harvests were better for 2008, although due to a wet weather some hops are going to be brown.
The winter barley harvest is good but there are concerns over the spring barley harvest.

From that I was not expecting any price decreases, but prices staying the same to encourage more growers to invest in planting.
Certainly not increases

[delboy]

Seems a bit strange, there was a lot of worry about the spring grown barley because of the problems getting it in, what with the weather. But as far as i know people did get it harvested and while there was speculation that seed barley (the same sort of standard that is required for malting) was going to rise that hasn't happened and the prices are actually down a bit on last year

[Andy]

Prices going up eh, whatever next!

[sparky Paul]

delboy's right - I've was told locally that seed barley is down on last year's prices, as are most grains.

[delboy]

I was going to say i wonder when brupaks put up that price increase notice on there website ie in the early autumn when people were fretting about getting the harvest in and the quality of the barley or was it just in the last few days?

I seem to recall that barley brewer also posted something about a grain price increase lately, if the prices are falling but we and the shopkeepers are paying more somebodys doing well out of it. Maybe its the malting houses have seen what the market can bare and are chancing their arm for a tad more. Either that or while the price of grain is itself down the energy costs involved in malting could still be high in comparision to a year earlier and that could be behind the rise Although im not sure i buy that because the price of grain reflects the energy costs involved in harvesting, drying shipping etc.

[brupaks]

Just to put you all in the picture, I can now confirm that UK malt prices have risen by 6%. I haven't yet received new prices for European grains, but with the persistent weakening of the pound against the euro, prices will inevitably rise. With regard to hops, Supplies of 2008 New Zealand varieties have almost dried up already. In fact the were no Pacific Gem and Green Bullet at all. I had thought we may see small price reductions for European hops but the strong euro will put paid to that. Since the message on our website warning of possible price rises for US hops, the value of the pound against the dollar has fallen by 25%!
We will of course continue to offer the widest range possible of all ingredients at the best prices we can.

Clive

Brupaks

[delboy]

Just to put you all in the picture, I can now confirm that UK malt prices have risen by 6%. I haven't yet received new prices for European grains, but with the persistent weakening of the pound against the euro, prices will inevitably rise. With regard to hops, Supplies of 2008 New Zealand varieties have almost dried up already. In fact the were no Pacific Gem and Green Bullet at all. I had thought we may see small price reductions for European hops but the strong euro will put paid to that. Since the message on our website warning of possible price rises for US hops, the value of the pound against the dollar has fallen by 25%!
We will of course continue to offer the widest range possible of all ingredients at the best prices we can.

Clive

Brupaks

Thanks for the update clive, what about british hops like EKGs etc, any price reductions?

[steve_flack]

Most farmers had to harvest while the hops were still wet, making the drying process difficult and resulting with rather poor looking cones with brown tinged leaves.

I had this confirmed to me by at the weekend by a commercial brewer who's had some of the aforementioned brown hops.

[Bru4u]

It's the same story over here, I was talking to the malting company last week and they said the malting barley harvest was very poor, the heads had so much moisture in them that they were falling over and begining to sprout, a lot had to be rejected as it was not up to par and the window for harvesting dry was tiny, they had their end of year last week for accounts but gave it to me for the same as last year, just as well i got 280Kg of it, 140kg for me and the other half for a friend. It cost me 0.64 Euro per Kg. It may be up to 70 cent the next time.

[delboy]

I cant understand why the malt prices are going up, i keep seeing price reductions of 20 % being bandied about.