Show us your grain storage system

[45_70sharps]

Yes, but I don't think they brew fine beer with silo grain. That's what they use to make Wonderbread, Twinkies, and othe animal feed.

All grain goes from combine to truck to silo and so on.
There is nothing special about beer grain.
If anything it needs less special of treatment prior to malting than grains consumed in a more original state.

Grain stored in outdoor temperature and kept dry is fine.

 

[passedpawn]

I've seen inside a malt distribution warehouse. Giant 2000# super-sacks sitting in a hot metal Florida warehouse. This is malt for breweries, not homebrewers.

 

[jbaysurfer]

True, but they store the grain in a silo, then it goes into train cars, then into other silo's, then onto a ship and gets transported around the world where it goes into a silo until they are ready to ship it to the end user or someone who distributes to a supply chain that sells smaller amounts.

Storing in a shed is fine is the point. Keep it dry and the temperature is not an issue.

No argument from me. I wasn't trying to refute any point you may have been making either. Just that showing a silo in the PNW doesn't really infer that storing your brewing grain in a fridge or freezer won't help it stay fresh.

I keep my grain in the freezer because a very reputable professional brewer told me that's what he does with his homebrew grain as well. It's just a case where it's not impractical for him (or me) to do so, so we do. If you only have space in your shed, more power to ya. Whatever keeps ya brewing!

 

[45_70sharps]

No argument from me. I wasn't trying to refute any point you may have been making either. Just that showing a silo in the PNW doesn't really infer that storing your brewing grain in a fridge or freezer won't help it stay fresh.

I keep my grain in the freezer because a very reputable professional brewer told me that's what he does with his homebrew grain as well. It's just a case where it's not impractical for him (or me) to do so, so we do. If you only have space in your shed, more power to ya. Whatever keeps ya brewing!

We agree.
What grain goes through before you buy it is beyond your control.
If it's actually a harvest that's over a year old and it's been stored in bulk somewhere, that's what it is.
That doesn't mean that it's not good insurance to make sure you store it in an air tight container, maybe in a freezer or not, maybe in vacuum bags if it's small amounts.
You can try and stop time for the grain in essence by sealing it. I'm not sure if freezing it helps, but if it's in an air tight container it certainly isn't going to hurt anything.

The point of my post was going back to someone asking if it was OK to store their grain in a shed where it's subject to temperature swings. That is what the grain gets most of the time up until it reaches small distribution ( a full sack of grain is small distribution). I would keep it in air tight containers though.
The freezer gets less practical for most people if they have more than a couple full sacks of grain worth of stock. The best air tight container you can get is good though.
I don't stockpile any grain right now because I'm waiting on the brew store to get my mill. I will stockpile a quantity of some base malts and smaller amounts of specialty grains when I get the mill though.
I was hoping to see some amazing and cheap storage in this thread. The why didn't I think of that kind. I'm not sure what I'm going to use. I'm not even sure how much I'm going to store yet. I've got to check out how much savings there is through the brew store I go to before I decide on the amount I stockpile. I will have a fair stockpile of my favorites since it's a 3 1/2 or 4 hour round trip to the brew store for me.

 

[TNGabe]

Go overboard much? What's wrong with the bag grain comes in?

 

[AnOldUR]

mice?

 

[TNGabe]

mice?

Oh, I go should spend a bunch of money on buckets and tubs! Oh wait, what's this little wooden thing with a spring on it? To each their own, I guess.

 

[AnOldUR]

Two Homer buckets w/ lids, $10.
Knowing 50lbs of grain is safe, priceless!

 

[Huaco]

I don't have a mill yet and I live over an hour away from my LHBS. I have been buying a few crushed grain bills at a time and keeping them in the freezer of my beer fridge. I have an English Strong grain bill in there right now. It has been almost a month since it was crushed. Should be fine.

On another note...

Those with CO2 bottles. Have you thought about purging the bucket prior to filling with grain? Just a thought. When I get my mill, I will start keeping base malts on hand and plan to store in buckets with Gamma Lids. I was planning to give a short purge with CO2 then fill and close up the bucket. This is how 'Preppers' store grain LONG TERM.

 

[user 83772]

Those of y'all who freeze crushed grain before brewing it - are you bringing it back up to room temp before mashing in, or do you just kick your strike water up a few degrees to compensate for the grain coming straight from the freezer?

 

[NuclearRich]

I don't have a mill yet and I live over an hour away from my LHBS. I have been buying a few crushed grain bills at a time and keeping them in the freezer of my beer fridge. I have an English Strong grain bill in there right now. It has been almost a month since it was crushed. Should be fine.

On another note...

Those with CO2 bottles. Have you thought about purging the bucket prior to filling with grain? Just a thought. When I get my mill, I will start keeping base malts on hand and plan to store in buckets with Gamma Lids. I was planning to give a short purge with CO2 then fill and close up the bucket. This is how 'Preppers' store grain LONG TERM.

Im sorry but I literally lol'ed. Its not that serious to store grain. If you are buying in bulk, chances are you are brewing a lot. If it lasts a year or two, stored in reasonable conditions, you will be totally fine.

If you purge your containers with CO2 and then vacuum seal them, I would think it would be something you could ship to the moon and leave it there until civilization moves there. Then you could wait for the moon civilization to collapse and ship it to mars and wait for THAT to become habitable and have your 25th generation decendants thank you for storing it properly.

But I think its overboard for a normal homebrewer's use.

I put 2 row sacks in a brand new garbage-type bin, lined with a plastic bag and the bag the grain comes in. When I open it, I just push the bag down to push out air and then wrap the bags around it. Put the top on and voila: no moisture, no bugs, no mice. Simple.

 

[Huaco]

Those of y'all who freeze crushed grain before brewing it - are you bringing it back up to room temp before mashing in, or do you just kick your strike water up a few degrees to compensate for the grain coming straight from the freezer?

I set my grain out the day before. Let it come back to room temp. I forgot to do this on my last brew... had to heat strike water WAY hotter and still started my mash a little lower than expected. It is dificult to get a good temp on grain in a bag. I just had to average several temp samples of my grain and calculate strike temp from there. Obviously, under-shooting is better than over-shooting on strike. It didn't take long to raise the temp of the mash to where it needed to be. I was only under by 8 or 10 degrees.

 

[Huaco]

Im sorry but I literally lol'ed. Its not that serious to store grain. If you are buying in bulk, chances are you are brewing a lot. If it lasts a year or two, stored in reasonable conditions, you will be totally fine.

If you purge your containers with CO2 and then vacuum seal them, I would think it would be something you could ship to the moon and leave it there until civilization moves there. Then you could wait for the moon civilization to collapse and ship it to mars and wait for THAT to become habitable and have your 25th generation decendants thank you for storing it properly.

But I think its overboard for a normal homebrewer's use.

I put 2 row sacks in a brand new garbage-type bin, lined with a plastic bag and the bag the grain comes in. When I open it, I just push the bag down to push out air and then wrap the bags around it. Put the top on and voila: no moisture, no bugs, no mice. Simple.

Good point... I'm probably over-complicating it.
That is just a method I had fabricated in my mind from watching some 'prepper' stuff online.

So... who will be the first to brew on the Moon... Mars??? :rockin:

 

[NuclearRich]

I plan to hand down techniques and equipment for 25 generations of my family, and write in my will that these methods and materials are verboten unless the goal is to be the first to brew on the moon and (obviously) subsequently: mars.

I'm not storing grain for them, though. (Even though I think you thought of a good way to do it!)

Hmmm... makes me wonder what the water profiles will be like on mars... pH? Calcium Mars-inate?

 

[VonMessa]

I usually get about 10 sacks at a time (every 6 months or so)

I brew in my basement. I have a pallet to keep it off the floor, a string to tie the sacks closed when finished with them, my wife's cat to control the mice (which I have never had a problem with anyhow) and my dog to keep the cat in line.

Has worked for me for 7 years.

 

[Huaco]

I usually get about 10 sacks at a time (every 6 months or so)

I brew in my basement. I have a pallet to keep it off the floor, a string to tie the sacks closed when finished with them, my wife's cat to control the mice (which I have never had a problem with anyhow) and my dog to keep the cat in line.

Has worked for me for 7 years.

And they said my idea was too complicated. :cross:
At least I wouldn't have to feed and pick up after my method.

Oh, basements. You guys are so lucky to have basements. Must be nice!!!

 

[VonMessa]

And they said my idea was too complicated. :cross:
At least I wouldn't have to feed and pick up after my method.

Oh, basements. You guys are so lucky to have basements. Must be nice!!!

Oh, I forgot. That's what the kids are for.

Must be nice to have the option to withdraw from the union and still maintain your own, independent power grid. :rockin:

 

[Huaco]

Must be nice to have the option to withdraw from the union and still maintain your own, independent power grid. :rockin:

Yep... there is A LOT of that talk going on down here. But that is for another forum...

 

[NuclearRich]

Oh, I forgot. That's what the kids are for.

Must be nice to have the option to withdraw from the union and still maintain your own, independent power grid. :rockin:

I'd rather keep my basement.

 

[VonMessa]

I'd rather keep my basement.

I would still trade mine for a garage (2 story, of course with the brew house on the 2nd floor.

 

[Huaco]

Greener grass, boys... Greener grass.

 

[mistercameron]

I keep my grains in buckets in a closet. That's probably the most temp stable place in the house. I'd keep them in the garage but it can be well over 100-110 in there during the summer. At least inside we have the benefit of ventilation (but no AC)

 

[zmad2000]

Just out of curiosity has anybody thought of putting the grain sacks in a garbage bag with some moisture absorbers???

 

[LouBrew13]

Lookin to buy bulk. I'll probably use home depot buckets. How much do they hold? Neat and tidy keeps swmbo happy.

 

[barrooze]

Lookin to buy bulk. I'll probably use home depot buckets. How much do they hold? Neat and tidy keeps swmbo happy.

1 Homer bucket will hold about 25# of typical grain (2-row, pilsner, munich, etc.). I was able to get 27.5# of wheat in 1 bucket with some room to spare. Huskless grain will take up less space. FYI, if you are looking for Gamma lids, I found them at my local HD next to the orange Homer lids. I personally had no idea HD carried them.

 

[Berniep]

I found a small bakery that gets some kind of mix in buckets that are about 4 gallons in size and they sell them for 2 bucks a piece with lids. They smell very faintly of vanilla.

 

[barrooze]

I found a small bakery that gets some kind of mix in buckets that are about 4 gallons in size and they sell them for 2 bucks a piece with lids. They smell very faintly of vanilla.

My local Kroger (my grocery store) has a bakery and they have lots of empty frosting buckets that are about 3gallons. They are happy to give me as many as I need for free. They're great for specialty malts where you might not get a full 55# sack.

 

[kegtoe]

Bump!

Let's see some more of those homer buckets, dog food containers, storage racks, organized closets for you bulk grain or specialty additions!

 

[danimalt]

Gamma lids from Home Depot or Lowes.

 

[Slow_Day]

Coffee containers work well for specialty grains, but I do have to let them sit with some crushed charcoal and baking soda for a while to remove the coffee aroma. This room is normally dark, so I don't worry about the clear containers.
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