grain storage containers

[passedpawn]

Mine aren't vacuum-tight, but I've got malts that have been in there for years without any perceptable change (I bought 5# of black patent malt once - derp - that will last a while ).

Even people that use airtight containers can have a problem. Grain weevil eggs come with the grain - a trojan horse present for you. So, it's possible to open a sealed container to find these guys. Ironically, while slightly disturbing, had no effect on the malt (wife was a different story).

For those that are vacuum sealing and gamma locking I would think almost forever. I'm a roll the sack closed type and don't have issues lol.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Good point pp, many years ago in a shared bachelor house we had an unexpected persistent onslaught of small moths in the house in January. A few weeks later we found a small bag of grain hidden in the pantry loaded with bugs riddled with small holes they chewed to free themselves. Bad experience, knock on wood haven't had any grain bugs since.

Maybe cold storage would keep bugs at bay.

 

[specharka]

Mine aren't vacuum-tight, but I've got malts that have been in there for years without any perceptable change (I bought 5# of black patent malt once - derp - that will last a while ).



Even people that use airtight containers can have a problem. Grain weevil eggs come with the grain - a trojan horse present for you. So, it's possible to open a sealed container to find these guys. Ironically, while slightly disturbing, had no effect on the malt (wife was a different story).

Pretty sure if I ever found weevils in my malt I would probably forego brewing altogether.

Incidentally, it looks like the storage containers you use are some of the cheapest available. Have you ever noticed any off flavors or aromas from the malt?

 

[MaxStout]

Put the grain in the deep freeze for a few days. That should kill any weevil eggs lurking in there.

 

[beerclone]

Where do you all store the grains? I brew outside, so was thinking garage. This would result in some extreme temperature swings through the year, so curious if anyone does this.

 

[MaxStout]

Where do you all store the grains? I brew outside, so was thinking garage. This would result in some extreme temperature swings through the year, so curious if anyone does this.

That would work, as long as you don't leave it out there during hot weather.

 

[IslandLizard]

I am sure storage buckets are helpful, but I store my bulk grain in the sacks they some in, stacked in a dry part of my basement. My basement is bone dry and cool.

I store specially grain in zip lock bags in a large tote.

Been doing this for years, storing grain up to a year with no bugs and no ill effect.

I keep planning on getting separate totes or bins, but the simple use of the original bags has worked this far and I see no sense spending the money on bins.

No doubt they won't hurt, but if you have a dry cool place you may not need them.

The storing in the "basement" may work for you, but not every basement is that dry. I would at least wrap them in large plastic bags to prevent potential dampness from ruining them or adding mildew aromatics. I store them in a cool dry area on the first floor, in the original sacks.

I do the same as you with all malts under 25#. It works great and is efficient with space. The Glad gallon freezer bags (those with the Zippers) hold 5# of malt. All those are stored inside plastic rectangular totes. I like to squeeze all the air out of the bags when zipping them, at least as much as possible, as I am convinced O2 causes staling over time. I have grain that's 3 years old and is still as fresh as the day I bought it. I even found some grain that's 7 years old. I tasted it lately and is still fine too. I'll make it a point to use that up soon though.

I just tossed a 55 lb. sack of 2-row I had stored this way for ~6 months. I don't think it got wet, but when I opened it, there was mold everywhere. It was in a paper sack as opposed to the nice plastic ones they use in Europe. I trust those a lot more.

I use pet food containers for my bulk grain. I use 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids and zip lock bags for my loose grain.

Damn! Sorry to hear that. A Briess (paper) sack?

Agreed, the woven poly sacks are the best, and Weyermann even goes the extra mile by providing an impervious inner plastic bag as well.

 

[brew703]

Go to your local grocery store and ask the bakery dept for icing buckets. They are free. Buy some Gamma Seal Lips from either Home Depot or Lowes and you are set.

 

[passedpawn]

Pretty sure if I ever found weevils in my malt I would probably forego brewing altogether.

Incidentally, it looks like the storage containers you use are some of the cheapest available. Have you ever noticed any off flavors or aromas from the malt?

I think a lot of grain, especially wheat, contains weevil eggs. They hatch when the temperatures are high, and will become a nuisance if not handled immediately. MaxStout is correct, freezing will kill the bugs and eggs.

Nope, no off flavors.

 

[IslandLizard]

Pretty sure if I ever found weevils in my malt I would probably forego brewing altogether....

I think a lot of grain, especially wheat, contains weevil eggs. They hatch when the temperatures are high, and will become a nuisance if not handled immediately. MaxStout is correct, freezing will kill the bugs and eggs.

A few years ago I bought a couple pounds of bulk Buckwheat and Triticale from Wholefoods, but didn't get to brew with them right away and sort of forgot about them. One brew day I open one of the specialty malt totes and I see weevils crawling all inside it. Hundreds of them! Some were starting to venture out looking for another food source... The good thing is they are very slow, lethargic movers, not like ants or most other bugs.

Obviously, brew day needed to be delayed by the few hours it took me to clean them out. When I lifted the 2 brown paper bags that grain had come in, you could hear the rustling, pretty loud. It suddenly made sense why the dog had been showing heightened interest in those totes lately... Looking inside the paper bags, the grain was literally moving, crawling. Every grain had a little perfect round hole in them.

Fortunately only the 2 small paper bags were affected, none of the other grain, most stored in Ziplock and Glad zipper bags, was invaded. Some smaller bags had a twisty and they hadn't been able to get into those either. Systematically I eradicated all of them, double checking every grain and flour bag in the house. Nope they hadn't spread beyond that one tote yet. I later informed the wife about my little adventure with the weevil colony. She never saw one of them. Definitely a lucky day, and very timely!

Phew!

 

[chisena]

How long does increased grain last? I never really considered storing a library of grain. Usually don't keep mine for more than a few months.

 

[fnbrew]

I store 100+lbs of grain in my garage all year long w/ no issues.

 

[bigken462]

One brew day I open one of the specialty malt totes and I see weevils crawling all inside it. Hundreds of them! Some were starting to venture out looking for another food source...

When I lifted the 2 brown paper bags that grain had come in, you could hear the rustling, pretty loud.

Looking inside the paper bags, the grain was literally moving, crawling. Every grain had a little perfect round hole in them.


Phew!

Talking about a show stopper......Just when I was thinking about collecting and storing base grains, I see this post as if it was taken from a Alfred Hitchcock show. lol

 

[B29]

A baker told me to put bay leaves in with stored flour or grains to keep weevils away. Not sure if it works but I haven't had a weevil problem since I started following his advice.

 

[IslandLizard]

A baker told me to put bay leaves in with stored flour or grains to keep weevils away. Not sure if it works but I haven't had a weevil problem since I started following his advice.

That's an idea!

They can still ride in with newly bought grain. I doubt the bay is killing them. I've read to freeze the grain, it kills the eggs. It can be kept unfrozen after that. Should be manageable for (small) bags of specialty malt. But I'm not looking forward to freeze 3 sacks of base malt after next group buy...

The kicker is, those grains were coming from Whole Foods... which to me means they undoubtedly know they have a weevil problem and it's probably throughout their whole supply and dispensers. I am 100% sure if I ever buy special grain there, it's gonna get frozen or used within a week or less.