Dumb grains questions

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Yooper

Ale's What Cures You!
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Since I live in the middle of nowhere, I'd like to buy grains and store them. I don't have my own mill- so, can I freeze crushed grains and use in 3 months or so? I'd have to crush them at the LHBS (3 hours each way) and then keep them until I need them. It would save time and money, if I could.

Lorena
 
Similar question here, how long can uncrushed grains stay fresh for (If kept in a cool dark place, 5 gal bucket perhaps in the closet.
 
The search engine is your friend, this question gets asked at least 1-2 times a month.:mug:
 
Mikey said:
The search engine is your friend, this question gets asked at least 1-2 times a month.:mug:

Really? When I did a search for grains and storage, there was NOTHING about keeping crushed grains in the freezer, or storing for a length of time after they've been crushed. I only went back to Feb. 06 though, so maybe I missed it.

EdWort said:
"Crushed grain will stay fresh for about two weeks if kept cool and dry."

John Palmer, How to Brew

That's what I was thinking- a few weeks max. But maybe in the freezer, it could last a bit longer? I would hate to either order online and pay shipping each time I brew, or worse, drive 300 miles roundtrip to pick them up. My basement is just too damp to keep them- that's why I was thinking the freezer with the hops.



Lorena
 
From http://www.northcountrymalt.com

"Malt Storage
All grain suppliers do their utmost to provide a product that is insect free. However, once the product leaves their plant or warehouse, it is beyond their control. We recommend the following preventive measures:

Inspect the malt area at regularly scheduled intervals. This is of particular importance when the room temperature is above 64° F.
Malt should be stored in a clean, cool, dry area.
To reduce the likelihood of insect activity, you may choose to fumigate periodically.
For best results, we recommend using all milled products within 3 months and all whole kernel products within 6 months of receipt. "

I'm not going to say if it's right or wrong because I really don't know. I only buy whole grain, and it all gets used in less than 6 months.

What I will say, is that I buy my base malt (Maris Otter) at $35.00 for 55 lbs and grind it myself. (64c per pound). If I buy it by the pound it costs me about $1.60 per lb.
As I average about 4 lbs per week this results in a weekly savings of $3.84.
I bought my malt mill on sale for about $80.00 plus tax. By my calculations it had paid for itself within 5 months. Your mileage may vary.

I do have a Corona lookalike mill gathering dust in the basement that I will never use again. If anybody wants it, send me a PM or rmail with your address, and I'll mail it to you. If you are happy with it, you can refund the shipping costs. If not, try and find it a good home somewhere else. I've made this offer to someone before, but they never bothered to respond.

-a.

Edit: The mill has now gone.
 
lorenae said:
That's what I was thinking- a few weeks max. But maybe in the freezer, it could last a bit longer?

Sounds like a neat experiment. Put some crushed grains in a food saver bag, vacume pack it, freeze it for 3 months and then brew a batch. See what happens.
 
lorenae,
I think that if you have a vacuum sealer like a food saver, You could store grains in the freezer for quite some time. (I'm thinking at least a year.) If not, get as much air out of the bag as possible and maybe even double bag the grains before freezing.
You know what you might think about doing is buying in bulk and then purchase a decent grain mill. The savings on grain would eventually offset the cost of the mill. Just a thought. :mug:
 
Thanks for all the hints- I appreciate it. I'm going to figure out what I'm going to brew the next three times or so, and order it all at once. I don't really have a "cool, dry" place but I can stick the ingredients for the last batch in the freezer and see what happens.

Lorena
 
EdWort said:
Sounds like a neat experiment. Put some crushed grains in a food saver bag, vacume pack it, freeze it for 3 months and then brew a batch. See what happens.

One of the many times this question was asked, a respondent stated that he had used grains that were several YEARS old and had noticed no variations from brewing another batch with freshly crushed grains.

In the same post, another person suggested that pre-crushed would be good for a year or so

The idea that they would go stale in two weeks is a little over the top.

I'll see if I can find the thread.
 
Three hours...dang. Seems to me with the price of gas you could pick up a mill for about the cost of one or two trips to your LHBS. $.02
 
I feel a grain mill comin on.....:D

lorenae, the freezer will prolong the life of your grains character. Just be certain that you use the vacuum seals. Grains in general are highly susceptable to pulling in off flavors from the freezer. Oh one more thing, you will get condensation on your grains if you open the bag before it comes to room temperature so be sure to take them out about 2 hours before you plan to use them if you are going to repackage part of the grain.
 
:off: Kindof off topic...

Lorena,

Having grown up in Michigan and spent a fair amount of time in the UP as a kid, I've always wondered about life up there. Do I remember correctly that you live in the western UP? (like Iron Mountain or something?)

Where do you drive to for big-city things like the HBS, etc? And how often do you do that?

I guess it's a lot easier now that one can order virtually anything online.
 
I brewed a batch that had been stored in our fridge for almost 4 months. It was my only beer that turned out bad - so bad that I had to pour almost all of it out! That should say a lot. I can't say for sure that it was the grain, but it was a recipe I'd brewed a few times before and it had always been great. That was a lot of work for undrinkable beer, so I don't think I'll ever bother brewing grain again that's been sitting in the fridge for more a month.

That said, vacuum sealing and storing in the freezer may be an option, but sealing 10+ pounds of grain may be a challenge!
 
I've brewed with pre-crushed grains that were vacuum sealed and kept in the freezer for over nine months. No problems whatsoever.
 
I took a 6 month sabbatical from brewing. The third of a bag of crushed grain I had left and used made good beer.

I know it's different but flour can last years with no problems.

If you have the capacity the best way to store it is by heating it in water, draining it(throe it away), adding hops, boiling it, add yeast then store in suitable containers. :D
 
cweston said:
:off: Kindof off topic...

Lorena,

Having grown up in Michigan and spent a fair amount of time in the UP as a kid, I've always wondered about life up there. Do I remember correctly that you live in the western UP? (like Iron Mountain or something?)

Where do you drive to for big-city things like the HBS, etc? And how often do you do that?

I guess it's a lot easier now that one can order virtually anything online.

Yes, I'm in the central/western UP. The nearest city of any size is Appleton, Wisconsin. It's about 160 miles from here on two lane roads- no highway. There is a place only about 40 miles away that is trying to be a LHBS. I have picked up some hops there, but recently she told me that she only orders once a year or so, since she has to have a $5000 order each time. She doesn't have bulk grains or a mill anyway, but I'm only getting priming sugar, etc, there now. I go to Appleton maybe 4 time a year, and order most things online. I have tons of freezer space with two freezers and only 3 deer this year- that's why I was thinking about freezing it. Maybe a mill is what I need (and a wort chiller, and a new pot, and a new thermometer and bottling tree and a carboy washer, and _______)

Thanks for all the input, I appreciate it.

Lorena
 
lorenae said:
Yes, I'm in the central/western UP. The nearest city of any size is Appleton, Wisconsin. It's about 160 miles from here on two lane roads- no highway. There is a place only about 40 miles away that is trying to be a LHBS. I have picked up some hops there, but recently she told me that she only orders once a year or so, since she has to have a $5000 order each time. She doesn't have bulk grains or a mill anyway, but I'm only getting priming sugar, etc, there now. I go to Appleton maybe 4 time a year, and order most things online. I have tons of freezer space with two freezers and only 3 deer this year- that's why I was thinking about freezing it. Maybe a mill is what I need (and a wort chiller, and a new pot, and a new thermometer and bottling tree and a carboy washer, and _______)

Thanks for all the input, I appreciate it.

Lorena

I noticed somebody last night was offering a free Corona mill that they had kicking around, but I can't find the thread quickly. Might be worth taking them up on it, see if it works for you. I think they were only looking for shipping. I would have been over it, but I'm putting one together with some roller mills from Yuri.
 
the_bird said:
I noticed somebody last night was offering a free Corona mill that they had kicking around, but I can't find the thread quickly. Might be worth taking them up on it, see if it works for you. I think they were only looking for shipping. I would have been over it, but I'm putting one together with some roller mills from Yuri.

It's on the previous page in this same thread, by ajf;)

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=19893

:mug:
 
My father in law is a farmer/rancher in Kansas. They store corn,wheat, milo,soybeans in grainj bins outside with i don't think any ill effect on most of it. I would think storing your gains inside your house would be like storing it in the
Taj Ma Hal? Whats the big deal? Most grains we use on the planet and used in all manner of ways are just stored in big piles on the ground outside, or inside a grain car. i have driven past grain elevators or farm steads where the grains are just in huge piles outside, I'm sure there is some "loss' but geez arn't we splitting some hairs here with the gain storage thing? Why isn't 5 gallon pails with lids good enough? Inside no less??? I am just asking?

Gregg,
 
Yooper Brewmistress said:
I PM'd him, but haven't heard back yet. That might work for me!

Lorena

If you aren't lucky enough to get it, watch eBay. I got a brand new one for under $20.
 
Keep in mind, Barley is a living seed and can remain viable in dormancy for quite a long time. Malt has been partially germinated and then heat treated. These are two completely different things with completely different storage characteristics. Also, these are crushed grains which makes a big difference as more of the surface area is exposed.
 
You could always unplug one of the freezers and put some closet dehumidifiers in there. Cool, dry grain storage bin. Saves energy too.
 
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