Another grain storage question

[OH-Brew]

Looking for some feedback from the bulk grain buyers. I was able to get a good deal on some bulk grain recently and have been contemplating how I am going to store it. I have enough 2-row right now that it will probably take a little over a year to use and I've decided that I will store my opened grain in either vittles vaults or buckets with gamma seal lids. My question is, what about unopened 50 lbs sacks of grain? Am I better off to leave these unopened and just store them in a plastic tote (not air tight), or would it be better to open them and dump the grain into the air tight gamma seal buckets/vittles vaults since it could be stored for a year or more? I'm not against investing in more buckets/vittles vaults if it will keep my ingredients fresher, longer but if there is no benefit over leaving them in the sacks I'll just stick with that route and not buy any more containers.

Thanks in advance.

 

[enkamania]

I vacuum seal into smaller portions. That airtight method sounds like the way to go

 

[ryanryates]

2nd on vacuum sealing.

 

[RM-MN]

I set my 50 lb sack of grain into a plastic tub with no lid, then set the next 50 lb sack on top of that. I opened one and just rolled the top closed when I finished taking out the grain for that batch. I kept doing that until the first bag was empty, then opened the second. It was more than a year before I had them used up with no problem and no stale taste. High humidity is the killer.

 

[OH-Brew]

I vacuum seal into smaller portions. That airtight method sounds like the way to go

Thanks for the input that sounds like the best option for specialty malts and I'll probably do that but I can't see myself vacuum sealing 150+ lbs of base grain personally.

I set my 50 lb sack of grain into a plastic tub with no lid, then set the next 50 lb sack on top of that. I opened one and just rolled the top closed when I finished taking out the grain for that batch. I kept doing that until the first bag was empty, then opened the second. It was more than a year before I had them used up with no problem and no stale taste. High humidity is the killer.

Glad to hear this worked out well for you. I didn't have much doubt that storing the grains in a fairly controlled environment would would work fine for a year (or more) whether they were stored air tight or not. It's great to hear what works well for others so that I can decide what I am going to do to store all of this.

 

[kh54s10]

It depends on the temperature and humidity where you are going to store the grain. Hot and damp = bad.

I would get buckets and Gamma Lids since you are going to keep the grain for so long.

I keep my grains in buckets with Gamma Lids and smaller quantities in lock and lock type boxes. They have a seal in the lid and clamp shut tightly. Much of my grain is more that a year old.

 

[JohnSand]

The homebrew store keeps the bags stacked in the basement, you probably can too. I put mine into a tote to avoid vermin, though I have no sign of them.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I just store open sacks in my laundry room closet, it is temp controlled and air conditioned. I opt not to store grain in my basement as it is more humid down there. If your storage area is cool and dry, i don't think you really need special storage methods....all bets off if your storing in a garage or basement...ymmv

 

[matt2778]

Ive learned not to store even unopened bags in the basement. I do still keep my grain in the basement but it is immediately put into 5 gallon buckets with gasket seals. I also don't hoard nearly as much grain in the summer as I do in the winter. After having to throw out an unopened 50 pound sack from it going slack I've learned to take better care of my grain.

 

[CGVT]

Homer buckets and lids in my hot as Hades garage. It stays fresh. Cheap and effective.

 

[OH-Brew]

I just store open sacks in my laundry room closet, it is temp controlled and air conditioned. I opt not to store grain in my basement as it is more humid down there. If your storage area is cool and dry, i don't think you really need special storage methods....all bets off if your storing in a garage or basement...ymmv

Ive learned not to store even unopened bags in the basement. I do still keep my grain in the basement but it is immediately put into 5 gallon buckets with gasket seals. I also don't hoard nearly as much grain in the summer as I do in the winter. After having to throw out an unopened 50 pound sack from it going slack I've learned to take better care of my grain.

Homer buckets and lids in my hot as Hades garage. It stays fresh. Cheap and effective.

Thanks for all of the input. My brew room is in the basement and the grain will most likely end up in a storage room down there. The temperature in the storage room stays fairly constant but it does get a little humid. I think I will opt to get this grain opened and into buckets with gamma seal lids ASAP.

Thanks again to everyone for the input.