cheap ways to store grain

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HH60gunner

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What do you guys use to store bulk grain?? I'm looking into maybe doing some bulk storage of stuff like 2-row and wheat. Any others you'd recommend keeping on hand at all times? Also any ideas of places to get cheap storage material for grain?
 
I found some 15 gallon food grade buckets on craigslist for about 12 bucks. They held soft drink syrup in them at one point apparently. Think these would be fine for storing grain? Also I have no idea how big a 50lb bag of grain is... would 1 15 gallon barrel per bag be enough?
 
I put mine in buckets from Lowes/HD.

2 5-gallon buckets will fit 1 sack, and they're about $3.50 with a lid.
 
Buckets with lids work, a 15 gallon bucket would store a 55lb sack plus about 25 more lbs. I use 13 gallon drums with a sealing lid.
 
I put mine in buckets from Lowes/HD.

2 5-gallon buckets will fit 1 sack, and they're about $3.50 with a lid.

+1 I use the 5 gallon buckets as well. However I find that it takes just slightly more then 2 buckets per sack. Especially for the larger 55 lb European sacks.
 
I have mine in air tight pet food containers from Tractor Supply. I bought the 80lb container (holds 80# doesn't weigh 80#). Comes with caster wheels too in case you need to move it around.
 
Buckets with lids work, a 15 gallon bucket would store a 55lb sack plus about 25 more lbs. I use 13 gallon drums with a sealing lid.

i have 6 18 gal rubber maid tots (all full) and i don't think i am getting 25 pounds more in there. there is room but not much

i used to use the 5 gal homer buckets. it took about 2 and 3/4 buckets for 55 lb of grain
 
I have been using pet food containers for about a year that I picked up from Sam's Club for $20. They have o-ringed lids and wheels. They hold at or very close to 100 lbs of grain. In the photos there is about 45 lbs. of grain in each.



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Container Lable.jpg


Grain Containers Full.jpg
 
lol... Why didn't I think of the pet food container. I use that exact same one for my dog food.
 
Home Depot has lids with rubber gaskets for their buckets. 2 buckets hold a sack of grain and stack nicely. I believe I paid less than 10 bucks for 2 buckets and lids.
 
I use empty commercial hard ice cream pails. I have a free supply from my inlaws, but I suspect they would be easy to acquire. It takes 5 containers to hold a 55lb bag, but they're easy to lift, and stackable.
 
I just use the big rubbermaid totes. They aren't airtight, but rarely does a sack of grain last more than a few months (for me at least) and I don't have bugs in my basement to worry about.
 
I use HDPE buckets that used to hold 25-30 lbs. of cat litter. Free from my kids, easy to clean, highly stackable, and each bucket will hold 15 pounds of milled grain. They are as heavily built as a regular plastic bucket, with an equally sturdy metal handle. A 50 lb sack of malt goes easily into 3 buckets; I'm thinking two sacks would go into 5 buckets. They're not cheap, but FREE!
 
I just leave the grain in the bag that it came in and roll the top closed. works fine. I go through a 50# sack of 2-row in about 4 months.
 
I have not yet stored brewing grains, but I store rice and wheat as well as other grains, beans and peas, sugar, and misc stuff in heat seal-able Mylar bags (from Amazon) with oxygen absorbers that are place inside 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot. I imagine that brewing grains would do well in them also. I like the 5 gallon buckets because they are easy to move and store - not too large or heavy.
 
I use my non working chest freezer to store my grains. It was my fermentation chamber until it went "TU". It is air tight and keeps the pests out. It is easy to reach in and scoop out what I need. It is big enough for 2... 55lbs sacks...with plenty of room left over for the various small bags of specialty malts.

I was pissed when it quit working and I almost threw it away.....I'm glad I didn't, it turns out to be a great grain store.
 
I use 5 gallon buckets for 2-row, two gallon buckets for specialty malts I use most (C40, CaraPils, etc.), and one-gallon plastic containers for lesser-used specialty malts.
 
Frosting buckets free from the bakery at WalMart. They came with oring lids. It takes just over two buckets to fit a 50 lb bag of grain in.
 
Plus 1 above, I have also found that the grain sack, tied tight kept in a cool dry place works fine.
Yeah that will work fine in a climate controlled space. Like inside your house. In the garage you'd need something air tight to protect from humidity.
 
I use 2 homeer buckets lined with the Big XL Glad Bag. Never had a bug problem. For specialty grain I use mason jars that I keep in the door of the fridge that I use as my fermentation chamber in the garage.

living in vegas, i have not had to worry about humidity.

mike
 
the lowes 5 gallon buckets with lids. 2 will fit a 55 sack of grain filled to the tip top even the German pils I have. specialty malts stay in the small plastic bag I get them in, in a 15 gallon party bucket thingy i got for a swamp cooler.

I like the icing buckets for grain.
 
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