How do you store 25kg of Malt extract?

My Local online home brew shop has 25kg bags of light DME for the same price as 4 3kg bags. While this is a huge cost savings, how does one actually store the stuff without getting 25kg of toffee...?

Also, does the beer taste less fresh if the extract gets stale?

I'd love to shave 15 euros off the cost of a brew day, but not if I'm going to have a giant lump of DME and stale tasting beer.

Any thoughts? I'm probably leaving Ireland in about 18 months or so I'm sticking to extract brewing to keep my equipment level light, but extract's expensive!

 

I hear a lot of people use the vacuum sealers but past that I do not know.

 

I bagged it into gallon zip locks. Each zip was exactly 4 pounds. The ones I wasn't going to use soon I double bagged.

B

 

DME has a pretty long shelf life. Bagged, sealed and stored cool it should last a long time. At least a year would be my guess?

 

Ahem, *store* it in three additional fermenters?

 

I bought DME in a 50lb box and it took about 6 months to use. I kept it in an airtight dogfood container with a bowl of silica. It didn't clump or get sticky and no bugs either. Sat in my garage during the summer so it wasn't exactly climate controlled and I didn't get any stale flavor from it.

 

Hmm Silica is a very good idea I'll try to find some.

 

It's what diapers are made of, if you have a kid in them or a friend with a kid in them. Just don't use a dirty one...