Grain to Glass

Grain to Glass is clean and neatly organized with an array of homebrew products. I stopped into grab a couple specialty grains and some yeast for an upcoming brew. The guy working was friendly and quick to help (though I was the only person in there). I noticed they do a few classes for homebrewing beginners as well as all-​grain classes for people taking the next step. I like that they are about educating and advancing the homebrewing hobby. The prices were the highest I have seen in town though. That matched with there location being out of the way for me means I may not be back.

I am not a home brewer, but I am a beer drinker. So, I was of course delighted to know that I could grab a cold Nebraska Brewing Co. Pale Ale and belly up at the bar on site. The core business is selling home brew supplies, but it’s also a very casual place to put a few back. They have a small, but hand picked selection of craft brews available, and plan to rotate it frequently. It’s a great way to come across new beers that aren’t easy to find.
If you are in the market for making your own beer, this is a great place to go. They have complete starter kits for rookies, as well as the other tools of the trade. They also sell beer kits (with all the ingredients) in 2.5 gallon sizes, which is great for a small commitment to a particular style, and even better for rookies that are afraid of ruining a large batch of beer.

Grain to Glass is a new homebrew supply on the north side of downtown. I had high hopes for this place because of it’s proximity to my work, but unfortunately their space is just too small to really be effective. I cannot comment on their recipe kits or startup equipment kits, as I am a seasoned all grain brewer that creates my own recipe and has all the necessary equipment.
I have been here twice during the times stated on their website that they have knowledgeable staff on hand, and both times I did not find what I was looking for, and the «knowledgeable staff on hand» clearly had never brewed in their life (both times it was the same lady working). I needed some wheat malt for a hefeweizen, not only did they only have 1 lb of red wheat in stock (I was looking for white wheat, and about 5 lbs of it), the lady working had no idea what wheat malt even was, I have yet to meet the microbiologist that another reviewer talked about. The other time I just went to get basic american ale yeast, but all the yeast packs I looked through were close to or past their expiration, I ended up buying as new of one as possible (2.5 months old), which means I had to change the yeast I was originally planning on buying and made a starter ahead of time, so no real harm done other than having to plan ahead.
Needless to say, unless they start carrying more variety of grain and moving their yeast quicker, along with actually having a staff members that know about brewing, I probably will not be frequenting this place very often. Unless you need a small amount of something very basic, say 1 oz of centennial pellets, then I would make the extra drive to Bacchus and Barleycorn to ensure you get what you’re looking for.

I wanted to learn how to brew beer and saw that Grain to Glass was offering classes so I signed up.
The class was a hands-​on experience that demonstrated and explained every step of the brewing process. I learned the importance of each step and what could make or break a good beer. And we were given tips and shortcuts that I would not have otherwise learned on my own.
I left with a step-​by-​step outline and the confidence that I could do it on my own. The first batch of beer that I made at home by myself turned out great — a yummy porter.
If you want to learn to brew this is a great way to do it. It’s fun too — as we shared stories and brewed beer we also sampled a few.

Grain to Glass is a new startup home brew store in the Rivermarket. It opened just as I moved to Kansas City so the closest store would have been about 30 minutes away. Now I can walk to one!
GTG has more than you will need to get brewing and just a little more if you decide to get serious about it. They have kits from Brewers Best and also started making their own branded Grain to Glass kits. They have kegging equipment and lots of different yeast to choose from.
Another great perk is the owner is a microbiologist and worked at Boulevard for a few years, what better experience can you ask for from a home brew shop?
Also you can sign up for classes and GTG does events, which I unfortunately have not been able to attend yet but I plan to soon. Check it out! The prices are righ too, I bought a full kit that includes yeast and caps plus another pack of yeast and 4 lbs of sugar for 45 bucks.
Also, it is currently located in the back of Market 3. So for directions, travel to Market 3 deli/​store.