storing grains

[walker111]

Made the jump...... bought a barley crusher and a assortment of 4 lb bags of grains and a 50 lb of 2 row. This will cover a few of my favorite brews.
I bought a few clear totes to put the smaller bags in and I already own a vacuum sealer.
Was thinking of sealing the smaller bags after each use and putting in the see through totes and storing in with the fermenting beers in basement room that sits around 66-72.
The 50 lb 2 row is where I am unsure. The sack is obviously not air tight but I take that this is ok?
Do I need all the grains airtight? What are some of you doing for storage?
Thanks

Brewing today after work and looking forward to the CRUSH!!!

 

[petemoss]

Made the jump...... bought a barley crusher and a assortment of 4 lb bags of grains and a 50 lb of 2 row. This will cover a few of my favorite brews.
I bought a few clear totes to put the smaller bags in and I already own a vacuum sealer.
Was thinking of sealing the smaller bags after each use and putting in the see through totes and storing in with the fermenting beers in basement room that sits around 66-72.
The 50 lb 2 row is where I am unsure. The sack is obviously not air tight but I take that this is ok?
Do I need all the grains airtight? What are some of you doing for storage?
Thanks

Brewing today after work and looking forward to the CRUSH!!!

I'm not suggesting this is the best way to do this. For me, my bulk bags of whole grain just get stored in the bag in the basement. I roll the tops down and tape it shut, mainly to keep bugs out. I've never noticed any problems.

 

[balrog]

Whole lotta folks swear by 5 gal pails with those Gamma screw lids; but I prefer the Ziploc or other brand totes that have gaskets like this.

 

[specharka]

Whole lotta folks swear by 5 gal pails with those Gamma screw lids; but I prefer the Ziploc or other brand totes that have gaskets like this.

This.

I got an assortment of Sterilite containers on sale with a vapor barrier and gasket for $5-10 apiece. I keep my mashable grains in those and leave adjunct in mason jars. The capacity is roughly 1 qt/lb so one of the 60 qt containers will easily accommodate a standard 50-55 lb sack.

 

[Blackdirt_cowboy]

Yep. I use those exact ziploc containers. Haven’t had any issues with them.

 

[JohnSand]

I use an assortment of buckets and vittles vaults. Grain keeps a long time.

 

[RM-MN]

I raise grain on my farm. My grain bins are never airtight. Neither is my grain storage for brewing. As long as the storage area is dry and can keep out rodents it will be fine. I have kept pale malt in the bag for up to 2 years and it does the same then as it did fresh.

 

[brewbama]

Mind you I do not store 55 lb sacks but inevitably I end up with portions of a pound of this, that, or the other left over. I store them in zip lock bags in an old cooler which was my old mash tun. Just couldn’t bring myself to throw it out after years of dedication. But everything has to have a purpose in the brewery so excess grain bin it is.

 

[Soulshine2]

I keep my tobacco leaf in gasketed clear totes, been in storage over 2 years and hasn't lost any of the moisture necessary to age it . I'm sure grain should be as dry as possible and sealed away from mice,bugs ,etc. I would buy vapor proof bags ,suck out as much air as I could ,seal and store in a gasketed tote and keep as cool as possible. Should last indefinitely.

 

[walker111]

Thanks all for replies. Seems I am on the right track.

 

[Murphys_Law]

I use the ziplock container and buckets/gamma lids.

I was at Costco the other day and they had the 60G vittle vault for $28. Seems like a good price (more expensive than buckets and lids but people swear by them!)

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

I vacuum seal all of my grains in 10lb bags. That way there is very little air and critter exposure.

 

[Hobby brewer]

Bags store well in a metal trash can with a lid. Have stored flour and sugar this way for years. Speciality grains and crushed grains I would seal for freshness though