brewyourown4life
Well-Known Member
just wondering what people use to store there grains. going to start buying base malts in #50 bags
Bulk grain storage
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iijakii
Well-Known Member
Basically anything that seals. Home Depot buckets with the gasketed lid. Store it somewhere cool and dry.
gcdowd
Well-Known Member
Would those plastic storage totes work? They are certainly larger but probably don't seal as well.
Demon
Well-Known Member
Home Depot buckets
KitB
Well-Known Member
Hopper bins, lined with XXL Ziplocks:
http://www.homedepot.com/Storage-Or...splay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051
http://www.homedepot.com/Storage-Or...splay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051
I have been using dog food containers for a while now and they do the job. They are a bit pricy but I just bought the large ones (forget what size they are) and they will hold a sack of grain and a bit more in them. I leave my grain in the sack inside of them. If I were to do it again I would probably use buckets like others have posted for a more cost effective stackable method.
logdrum
Well-Known Member
Home depot also sells charcoal bins similar to the pet food bin. I leave the grain (or flour, or birdseed) in the original sack, about $12
What part of your house or apt are you going to keep these containers?
How do you store small quantities of grain now (i.e., 5#)?
How do you store small quantities of grain now (i.e., 5#)?
Try this. Read this not too long ago.
http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2012/0...tml?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&m=1
http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2012/0...tml?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&m=1
Brew-boy
Well-Known Member
5 gallon buckets with the gasket lid, I got mine from Tractor supply company.
KitB
Well-Known Member
I have 6 of them in my basement bar area.
Contents are currently:
1) 2-Row
2) Munich
3) Pilsner
4) C-75
5) Assorted small bags
6) Assorted small bags
OP
OP
brewyourown4life
Well-Known Member
small amounts of grain i vacum seal and store in a tote. i will be storing everything in the basement
One of those fit an entire 50lb sack?
BrewThruYou
Well-Known Member
I use a combo of Vittle Vaults and Home Depot buckets. I like the vittle vaults because they hold an entire sack and the seal is better than the HD buckets...I've had some problems with the lids cracking on the HD buckets.
Downside is cost...those homer buckets are like $2.97 with $0.97 lids. I have two vittle vaults for my two main base grains (2-Row and Pilsen) and then have homers for any other bulk grain (wheat, maris otter).
Downside is cost...those homer buckets are like $2.97 with $0.97 lids. I have two vittle vaults for my two main base grains (2-Row and Pilsen) and then have homers for any other bulk grain (wheat, maris otter).
lpdjshaw
Well-Known Member
I bought two of these when they were on sale. Still a little expensive but I figured I'd never have to worry about anything breaking on them and would have them for the rest of my life. They're food safe, BPA free, have a super heavy duty large O ring in the lid and fit a whole bag of malt as well.
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/foodStorage/bulk?productId=10004271&N=68995
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/foodStorage/bulk?productId=10004271&N=68995
Brute 32 gallon can, holds 3x50 pound sacks. Works great, grain lasts a long time. Mice don't get in it.
Here's a pic with 2 bags but you can get more in there. Problem is its hard to lift with a 3rd sack in there.
Here's a pic with 2 bags but you can get more in there. Problem is its hard to lift with a 3rd sack in there.
Brute 32 gallon can, holds 3x50 pound sacks. Works great, grain lasts a long time. Mice don't get in it.
Here's a pic with 2 bags but you can get more in there. Problem is its hard to lift with a 3rd sack in there.
That's alot of grain...
They sell the Vittles Vaults lids, called Gamma seal lids, by themselves for use on standard buckets with a 12" top diameter. I use cheap food-grade buckets (actually got them free from a winemaking friend - they initially held grape juice) with the Gamma Seal Lids for the best of both worlds. I believe the lids cost me about $6 each off Amazon.BrewThruYou said:
Wreck99 said:
That's actually not that much for somebody that mills their own grain and buys in bulk. I have the equivalent of 7 sacks (over 8 with the assorted specialty malts), and I don't even brew that much. 2-row, pilsner (floor-malted Bohemian), Marris Otter, pale wheat, Vienna, and Munich all get bought by the sack.
Is the trash can airtight though? Or does that matter?
I'm just getting into AG (2 batches under my belt now), after 6 months of extract brewing. I'm looking into buying grain in bulk and a mill. Just need to figure out what I'm storing it in and what I should buy in bulk. I figured I'll map out a few recipes for the rest of the year and go off that. I was considering using Homer buckets for the grains...
I'm just getting into AG (2 batches under my belt now), after 6 months of extract brewing. I'm looking into buying grain in bulk and a mill. Just need to figure out what I'm storing it in and what I should buy in bulk. I figured I'll map out a few recipes for the rest of the year and go off that. I was considering using Homer buckets for the grains...
I use the cheap 5 gallon buckets and lids from Menards, and have had no problems with them in 2 years of brewing. I stack them in my basement. Specialty grain I keep in ziplock bags in the freezer with my hops.
Been doing this for years without issue. However, I live in a dry climate. If you live in humidity, you may want a better seal. I've been through 10's of 50 pound bags without even a bug in there as far as I can tell and grain hasn't gotten stale, bug infested or mice eating it (I have a lot of mice in my garage as evidenced by all the traps I get filled). That said, I brew alot. Usually every Saturday. So I go through grain fairly fast.
Cool thanks for the feedback. I love in a less than dry climate, but my basement is always dry as a bone. I'll probably use homer buckets. Seems to be a practical way to go.
Wreck99 said:
Look into Gamma seal lids for your homer buckets if you want something good and cheap. They're stronger (more durable AND allow for better stacking than the regular foam-gasket lids), and *totally* airtight.
Dome hepot carry those?
My HD does. I think they are about $6/each for the Gamma lids. . .
My HD doesn't, but it's in Canada. I bought mine off Amazon. Your HD probably does though, since this guy says his does...Wreck99 said:
EternalHoppiness said:
That's what I paid for mine. Compared to the non-standalone Gamma seal lid (ie Vittles Vault), $6 each is peanuts, though I think most places sell them for twice that (~$12). But hell, I'd pay $15-20, easy, if that's the only option I had. I just don't want people thinking they're getting ripped off paying more than $6, though they should be aware that they might be able to find them that cheap.
The lids come in 2 pieces:
1) An outer ring which gets affixed (rather permanently) and seals to the rim of the bucket... you need something like a rubber mallet to install it, unless you do like I did and JUMP on the upside-down bucket and let the ground do the mallets job.
2) The inner "lid" which seals to the outer ring. It closes with a screwing motion, twisting it clockwise into the ring. And obviously, the lid is taken off by "unscrewing" it. This also makes it a heck of a lot easier to open than a typical bucket lid... not killing my hands every time I want to take the lid off is worth the price alone!
I've been paying about $10 each for the Gamma lids. That includes shipping. They are fantastic. There are places that will sell them for less if you buy in bulk.
A somewhat related question:
I have a garage and a basement to store my grain in. I use the gamma lids and lowes buckets.
The finished basement is cool and somewhat damp. I run a dehumidifier down there.
The garage is dryer, but has large tempurature swings.
Which is better?
A somewhat related question:
I have a garage and a basement to store my grain in. I use the gamma lids and lowes buckets.
The finished basement is cool and somewhat damp. I run a dehumidifier down there.
The garage is dryer, but has large tempurature swings.
Which is better?
I would say more dry is better. If you have to run a dehumidifier, then you know it's humid. Temp swings don't seem to affect unmilled grain in my experience as my garage is not well insulated so it swings quite a bit.
b-boy said:
If you use the Gamma seal lids, humidity isn't much of an issue... unlike the standard bucket lids, they actually ARE airtight. I'm not sure how hot it has to get before temps become an issue, but I think it should be fine as long as it doesn't denature the enzymes, and that happens at 160-170°. So really, just choose whatever is most convenient for you.
SnidelyWhiplash
Well-Known Member
any reco on how long you can keep crushed grain in bulk for if it's in a big sealed container? maybe put it in a vacuum sealed bag?
i can order a 50lb bag from LHBS and crush it there but not sure if I can crush half then go back later with the rest.
i can order a 50lb bag from LHBS and crush it there but not sure if I can crush half then go back later with the rest.
BrewandWineSupply
Well-Known Member
Its funny, when we get grain in, Breiss and Grain Millers come in giant paper bags and leak grain every now and then. Crisp and Weyermann's come in a rip stop nylon bag with a plastic liner. Most grains have a shelf life of 1 to 2 1/2 years. The whole grains last longer, the crushed are the shorter lived.
If you are keeping grain around longer than one year, that means you are not brewing enough!!!
If you are keeping grain around longer than one year, that means you are not brewing enough!!!
SnidelyWhiplash said:
Don't know. Uncrushed is good for a very long time, though. If you want to buy in bulk I'd really recommend you invest in a mill. Especially if you can take part in group buys for grain, something like a BC or Rebel mill will pay for itself pretty quickly.
This is what I am going with for my first bulk grain experience. I had one for dog food and just noticed today that it isn't airtight at all, so I ordered some of those ziploc bags along with some more bins.
I found the ziplocs fairly cheap at drugstore.com. ~$6.80 / box, $2 off if you buy 4 boxes, $5 off $30 order, and 10% cash back from mrrebates.com
I would have gone with the stackable vittle vaults, but at $42 on amazon, they are a bit too expensive.
adamant said:
As already mentioned, you can get standalone vittles vault lids, called gamma seal lids, which fit on standard 5, 5.5, and 6 gallon buckets, as well as any other bucket that has a diameter of 12" at the rim.
They can be bought, even with shipping, for $8 to $12 each - cheaper, if you're lucky (I got mine for $6 each).
You get all the benefits of vittles vaults (eg airtight and stackable with standard buckets) without the HIGH cost. And because they're just lids (and stackable), they don't weigh much and take up very little space, meaning shipping is next to nothing if you buy them online. You can instead get the buckets you need from Home Depot, or even for free if you or anybody you know has buckets left over from anything. I got mine from a winemaking friend; they used to contain grape must.
If you really wanted the vittles vaults but thought they were too expensive (I agree), I HIGHLY recommend these "gamma seal lids". The lid is really the only special part of those things anyways, so using it with a bucket is *just as good* - the only meaningful difference is the price.
millstone
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I use the 4 1/4 (16 liters) and 5 gallon containers from my local grocery store. i go to the bakery section and ask for any of the empty frosting buckets. I also make sure that the lid has the rubber "O" ring for a tighter seal. They are white, they are number 2 HDPE plastic and they have a comfortable large plastic handle. AND they are free.
tom
tom
Nice! I'll have to try that.
I have found the Gamma Lids in the Paint Department at Home Depot for about $6. I put them on More Beer buckets for a total cost of about $12 each.
JasonToews
Well-Known Member
you know i just keep my bags of grain in a dark area in my basement. Haven't had any problems at all with flavor or efficiency lost. I generally use more then 4 sacks of grain in under a year though, sooo depending on how much you are ordering
chemman14
Well-Known Member
Does anyone know how much grain fits in a 5 gallon bucket? I have heard I will need 2 per 50 lb sack
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