Storing Grain

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Seabee John

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My wife is picking up some 70 lbs of grain for me this week in honor of our 5th wedding anniversary (5th year is supposed to be a gift of wood (traditional) or Stainless Steel (modern)... since the Blichmann Conical fermenter is a little out of range, I'm in for 50# of 2row us. 10# of amber 5# of carapils & 5# of caramel 40.

So what's the best way to store this stuff?
 
BeerCanuck said:
Im no pro but id suggest bucket
5 gallon or bigger maybe a liner too eg;

Cheers
BeerCanuck

I kind of assumed a bucket/bin/bag/box.... I should have clarified... What temps and or humidity level do you keep the moldy nasties out?
 
I would suggest something air tight if possible.
I use these recycled containers for grain storage and for 10 gallon fermenters.
They hold about 14 gallons of liquid and abour 60-65 lbs of grain.

2009293590101759406S600x600Q85.jpg

bug.gif

11999-15gal001.jpg
 
Seabee John said:
My wife is picking up some 70 lbs of grain for me this week in honor of our 5th wedding anniversary (5th year is supposed to be a gift of wood (traditional) or Stainless Steel (modern)... since the Blichmann Conical fermenter is a little out of range, I'm in for 50# of 2row us. 10# of amber 5# of carapils & 5# of caramel 40.

So what's the best way to store this stuff?

Congrats on the 5 years, we just celebrated our 5 on the 11th Jan. My wife got me 100Lbs of grain...tell your wife to up her standards and buy you some wheat, some chocolate, and maybe some aramatic too. Congrats to you guys!

PS, mine is in the garage in rubbermaids.
 
VermVerm said:
Congrats on the 5 years, we just celebrated our 5 on the 11th Jan. My wife got me 100Lbs of grain...tell your wife to up her standards and buy you some wheat, some chocolate, and maybe some aramatic too. Congrats to you guys!

PS, mine is in the garage in rubbermaids.

Congrats to you as well! One question... were you married before you were brewing? or the other way around?
 
s7_660305_imageset_01


I got mine at PetSmart. I went in looking for the 60 pound Vittles Vault but they were out and I already had my sack of Maris Otter at home and needed somethign for it. So I bought the above pictured Blitz/Bergen Stack-N-Stor 100. It works great, I think. I store my grain indoor, so water isn't that big of an issue and I've had no bugs. :)
 
SuperiorBrew said:
I would suggest something air tight if possible.
I use these recycled containers for grain storage and for 10 gallon fermenters.
They hold about 14 gallons of liquid and abour 60-65 lbs of grain.

2009293590101759406S600x600Q85.jpg

bug.gif

11999-15gal001.jpg

:off: Sorry to change the subject a bit but where did you find those containers Superior?! They're awesome!
 
fermenator said:
:off: Sorry to change the subject a bit but where did you find those containers Superior?! They're awesome!

They are about $22 with shipping, email Doug at DBGRAMMLLC at aol dot com
 
Grain storage should be in a cool, dry place and away from hungry rodents and insect access. "Cool" can be cold like in your garage over winter and in some sore of bin to protect it from the critters. I use large Rubbermaid plastic trash can, Home Depot about $10. The containers shown here are premo!! I am just cheap I guess.:cross:

Dr Malt:mug:
 
I use a 40 gallon Brute Rubbermaid trash barrel from Lowes/HD. I still keep my grain in the bags and everything, just pop the top, unroll the top of the bag, and scoop out. I think I paid $25 for the 40 gallon so if you needed smaller you could always have less cost. They stack perfectly too, I keep my grain mill and other stuff in another trash barrel on top of my grain barrel.
 
I made it up to Midwest yesterday for my first bulk grain purchase and on the way home it hit me that I didn't have any place to keep the grain. So I stopped by walmart and hit up the pet section. I found a 50qt pet food saver which is air tight for $14 and it says right on the label that it holds approx 50 lbs of horse feed or bird seed, so I figured it would hold 50lbs of grain as well.

Well, I dumped both of these
IMG_8562.JPG


And ended up with these
IMG_8560.JPG


Here's a close-up of the label
IMG_8561.JPG


And they even have wheels which makes it really easy to move around the brewshop. There is about 3 inches of head space after dumping the 50lb sacks in, so I'm guessing they will hold closer to 55-60lbs. And there is a rubber seal around the lid to keep it air tight.
 
drunkatuw said:
I made it up to Midwest yesterday for my first bulk grain purchase and on the way home it hit me that I didn't have any place to keep the grain. So I stopped by walmart and hit up the pet section. I found a 50qt pet food saver which is air tight for $14 and it says right on the label that it holds approx 50 lbs of horse feed or bird seed, so I figured it would hold 50lbs of grain as well.

Well, I dumped both of these
IMG_8562.JPG


And ended up with these
IMG_8560.JPG


Here's a close-up of the label
IMG_8561.JPG


And they even have wheels which makes it really easy to move around the brewshop. There is about 3 inches of head space after dumping the 50lb sacks in, so I'm guessing they will hold closer to 55-60lbs. And there is a rubber seal around the lid to keep it air tight.
+1 on these they even make smaller versions for specialty grains. i add a small bowl with some dessicant in it to help control moisture inside.
 
I store all of my grain in FoodSaver bags. It's a bit of a pain to get packaged up initially, but it makes storage easier (you can put the bags pretty much anywhere) and they're vacuum sealed so the grain stays fresh for a long time.

5923-grainpile.jpg
 
Buford said:
I store all of my grain in FoodSaver bags. It's a bit of a pain to get packaged up initially, but it makes storage easier (you can put the bags pretty much anywhere) and they're vacuum sealed so the grain stays fresh for a long time.

5923-grainpile.jpg

That looks very unorganized, you should help your system by sending me half of what you have, therefore creating less clutter.

Looks awesome man!!:rockin:
 
Seabee John said:
That looks very unorganized, you should help your system by sending me half of what you have, therefore creating less clutter.

Heh, that's what BeerSmith's inventory tool is for!

After careful consideration of your offer, I must respectfully decline. :p
 
I've ordered 3 of these. Heavy Duty Plastic Open Head Drums

74151p.jpg


They are air tight with a gasket and food safe. I ordered 1 for Pale, Pils, & Wheat (my base grains). I'll flush with CO2, and pour my bags in, add more CO2, and seal the lid. Each 55 gallon drum should handle at least a couple hundred pounds of grain.
 
EdWort said:
I've ordered 3 of these. Heavy Duty Plastic Open Head Drums

74151p.jpg


They are air tight with a gasket and food safe. I ordered 1 for Pale, Pils, & Wheat (my base grains). I'll flush with CO2, and pour my bags in, add more CO2, and seal the lid. Each 55 gallon drum should handle at least a couple hundred pounds of grain.

Wow Ed!

That's some serious brewing... I think I'd have to do some major "honey-do" work to get that level of permission from the SWMBO.
 
SuperiorBrew said:
I would suggest something air tight if possible.
I use these recycled containers for grain storage and for 10 gallon fermenters.
They hold about 14 gallons of liquid and abour 60-65 lbs of grain.

2009293590101759406S600x600Q85.jpg

bug.gif

11999-15gal001.jpg

Is that a better bottle racking port? Nice!
 
OK, so storing grains...

These are obviously un-crushed grains. How long is the shelf life on storing grains?

Other than the fact that i usually dont know what im brewing from one batch to the next or at least not 2-3 months out and therefore dont NEED to have purchased in bulk, do all of you that buy in bulk know ahead of time what you will be brewing?

Or do you just buy the more common grains to have on hand in case you decide to brew one weekend?
 
MNBugeater said:
OK, so storing grains...

These are obviously un-crushed grains. How long is the shelf life on storing grains?

Other than the fact that i usually dont know what im brewing from one batch to the next or at least not 2-3 months out and therefore dont NEED to have purchased in bulk, do all of you that buy in bulk know ahead of time what you will be brewing?

Or do you just buy the more common grains to have on hand in case you decide to brew one weekend?
I order mostly bulk Pils malt and use that for most of my beers. Use the speicalty grains to make almost any style of beer you want.
 
MNBugeater said:
Do all of you that buy in bulk know ahead of time what you will be brewing? Or do you just buy the more common grains to have on hand in case you decide to brew one weekend?

I'm a big fan of British and West Coast-style ales. I'm always brewing Pale Ales, Bitters, IPAs, Porters and Stouts which can all be made using the same base malt. The cost savings is significant when you purchase a 50lb sack instead of 5-10lbs at a time, and I brew regularly every 2-3 weeks so there's no reason to not stock up.

Also, I live in the boonies and it's a haul to the nearest LHBS. I always keep some 2-row (pale ale malt, Maris Otter, etc.) on hand and a decent stock of Vienna and Munich for a bit of complexity. I try to have a couple shades of Crystal, Biscuit, Cara-whatever, Roasted, Black Patent, and Chocolate malts. Those, with some hops, and a handful of dry yeasts allow me to brew any of my 'usual suspects' without needing to make a trip to the store. The brewday is long enough without a 2 hour errand to run before you can start!


FWIW, I store my grain in metal garbage cans. Squirrels chewed holes through a plastic bin we used to keep bird seed in, so the metal is a necessity. :rockin: = metal!
 
MNBugeater said:
These are obviously un-crushed grains. How long is the shelf life on storing grains?

I buy my base grains in bulk and have brewed great beer using grain over a year old. There were stored in a dry and sealed environment. No problems with weevils or rodents. I just finished using the last of my 200# of pale ale from over a year ago.
 
Brewing Clamper said:
Is that a better bottle racking port? Nice!

Yea they work great, if I tip the fermenter a little I can get all but a cup or so of the goodness out if I am using a highly Flocculating yeast strain.
 
I don't have a cool place to store grain for the warmer weather. The best I can do is room temp and I don't have any AC. Would it be better to freeze my specialty grains? I have more freezer space than fridge. The grains are not crushed and I plan on using most of them by the end of July.
 
Your grains will be fine at room temperature in a house. Hops and yeast you need to keep cold, grain can handle higher temperatures. The main thing on grain is keeping it dry so it doesn't mold or go bad. Also, the time clock starts when you crack it for freshness. You don't want years old grain either, but a little time is ok for whole grain freshness.
 
I brew too much to make my storage overly organized.

Plus I'm too disorganized to be overly...er...uh...organized.

This pic is 45 days old and the large sacks you see are gone.

Bulk_Order_1.jpg
 
I hear that BM, my sack of pale is absent now. I love having a plethora of beer. I simply store in a Rubbermaid trash can in the garage, that's how worried about it I am.
 
BierMuncher said:
I brew too much to make my storage overly organized.

Plus I'm too disorganized to be overly...er...uh...organized.

This pic is 45 days old and the large sacks you see are gone.

View attachment 5142

BM, ever get the urge to go in on a bulk buy .... like a whole truck load? I was looking at my back yard the other day (bout the size of a postage stamp, in the city to boot) and my wife asked me what I was looking at... I told her I was wondering what a small grain silo would look like back there...she "didn't" respond. funny thing is, less than 25 feet away is the foundation of a large grain silo from the farm that used to be here...
 
thanks for the replies I was just worried about the few days it gets hot. My house will sometimes hit the upper 80s. I do have some extra cornies laying around.
 
Finally found some decently priced storage bins after checking WalMart for the other ones on here. I went to Tractor Supply and got a couple of their airtight dog food storage bins. I was able to fit a 55# bag of grain in each one with plenty of room to spare. I could probably fit 7-10lbs more in each container.

Here they are, on sale for $20, down from $30.

2439598.jpg


http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...10551_10001_43608_-1______?rFlag=true&cFlag=1
 
freyguy said:
Finally found some decently priced storage bins after checking WalMart for the other ones on here. I went to Tractor Supply and got a couple of their airtight dog food storage bins. I was able to fit a 55# bag of grain in each one with plenty of room to spare. I could probably fit 7-10lbs more in each container.

Here they are, on sale for $20, down from $30.

2439598.jpg


http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_10551_10001_43608_-1______?rFlag=true&cFlag=1

Awesome Idea!!!

Guess What? If your order is $75 or more, you get another 15% off and FREE SHIPPING.

I just ordered some and they came to $16.99 each with free shipping. SWEET!
 
I am now working on getting 5 gal pails from walmart and sams. I think it was this forum that mentioned them. They have had buttercream frosting in them and they just throw them away. Will oxyclean get the sweet smell out enough for me to put my bulk grain in them without a bag? I picked up one today and will try again tomorrow.
 
jfish63 said:
I am now working on getting 5 gal pails from walmart and sams. I think it was this forum that mentioned them. They have had buttercream frosting in them and they just throw them away. Will oxyclean get the sweet smell out enough for me to put my bulk grain in them without a bag? I picked up one today and will try again tomorrow.

Yep. An overnight soak should take all of the frosting aroma away. Get a Gamma Seal Lid and you are good to go. I keep my specialty grains in marked bags in one of these frosting buckets. Works like a champ.
 
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