Grain Storage

[prieff]

I should not read forums on NB. Came across a big thread about how if you "store grain for more than 6 months the bugs will wake up in the grain and infest it all!". All sorts of remedies. Freeze it for a week when you get it, put it in a container and purge it with CO2 to suffocate the bugs.... and on.

What I love about homebrewing is that if everything is kept clean and directions are relatively followed, you wind up with drinkable beer.

What I hate about homebrewing is the voodoo, myth and legend that exists in some of the communities.

Anyways, I like real world examples and experience... so... how do you guys store this large grain order we are getting? And has anyone had bugs?

Paul

[brownbeard]

I have had a grain bug infestation. It was awful. I had to dump 150lb of grain. And they got into everything. I was finding those little bags of priming sugar (the sealed ones that come in the kits) with bugs in them. I have no idea how they got in there.
I had my grain in rubbermaid tubs. Best I can tell, one of the sacks had the bugs in it. It sat pretty much over the winter, untouched. And when I came back in the spring, every tub was infested with bugs.
Now I store my grain in 5gal buckets, with tight sealing lids, in the garage. The lids keep anything out. It freezes in the winter, to kill anything that might get in there. They stack nice. And, if something did infest, they are not in the brewing room.
The buckets at ACE hardware, and Theisen's both have rubber seals in the lids. A sack of grain fills 2 buckets.

[prieff]

Oh no!! Thanks for the advice. Keeping each bag totally separate at minimum sounds like a plan. I was going to put each bag into a heavy clear plastic bag sealed with twisty. Not sure now.

Thanks again.

Paul

[JimPotts]

I think the plastic buckets (with airtight seals) or the bins from US Plastics are the way to go.
Jim

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[Matt F]

I think the buckets are a great way to go. I have a huge platic tub I can fit 4-5 sacks of grain in. I take the sacks as is and toss them in the plastic tub. This is mainly to keep out the mice. It would not keep out bugs. I have stored bags of grain over two years. Uncrushed grain keeps a long time as long as you keep it dry and cool. Warm temperatures increase spoilage and I believe lead to bug hatches. My grain is stored in my basement in the brewery which rarely gets above 70 F. I think the low max temp is why I have not had bugs.

While I did not stay at a Holiday Inn last night, I have had a lot of experience with all kinds of life and its reproduction (kids born at home, chickens, cats, etc...). A common factor for all is warm temperature to create a hatch or to maintain a young life.

[carrisr]

This is what I do. The ones I get are called Vittle Vault II, they're less expensive the ones you normally see and they hold a full sack of grain. I think Matt may be right about the temperature. I also keep mine in the basement which never gets above 70 and (knock on wood) have not seen any bugs in my grain.

On 03/29/12 10:40, JimPotts wrote:

I think the plastic buckets (with airtight seals) or the bins from US Plastics are the way to go.
Jim

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[JimPotts]

I have had a lot of experience with all kinds of life and its reproduction (kids born at home, chickens, cats, etc...). A common factor for all is warm temperature to create a hatch or to maintain a young life.

You left out alcohol. I thought alcohol (beer, cosmos, etc) played a large role in reproduction....

[JimPotts]

This is what I do. The ones I get are called Vittle Vault II, they're less expensive the ones you normally see and they hold a full sack of grain.

I know I've asked you this before, but I can't remember your answer. Which size Vittles Vault do you use? 40lb?

[carrisr]

Yeah, it's the 40#. A 55# bag of grain fits nicely in them.

On 03/29/12 11:20, JimPotts wrote:

carrisr wrote: This is what I do. The ones I get are called Vittle Vault II, they're less expensive the ones you normally see and they hold a full sack of grain.

I know I've asked you this before, but I can't remember your answer. Which size Vittles Vault do you use? 40lb?

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[Matt F]

Where have you found the best price and are those the clear ones with the white lid?

[JimPotts]

Where have you found the best price and are those the clear ones with the white lid?

US Plastics has the best price, but they're currently out of the 40#. Amazon has them for $7 more, but they're prime-eligible (if you have Prime).

With shipping, US Plastics is still a couple bucks cheaper, but that's all.

I'm going with Amazon and the free two-day shipping.

-Jim

[JimPotts]

I just ordered 3 40-pounders. Two for grain, and one for dogfood.

I also ordered a 30# one for charcoal.

-Jim

[-MG-]

Call up some of the Hy-Vee's around here. They have 3.5gal and 5 gal buckets with great sealing lids that are used from their Bakery.

They use these to bring in glazing for donuts and frosting from their distributors. They are food grade and on top of that every single one of the ones I've bought were completely clean with practically no odor of the glaze. Although, I wouldn't mind the glaze odor as its delicious.

I have bought 9 to date from the Mt. Vernon one, and every week they seem to have more and more. Last time I was there I got 6 of them. They sell them for a $1 each. While they mostly have the 3.5 gal version. I'm ok with this as I won't be mixing same types of grain and the chances of dumping a lot of grain at once from bugs will be cut way down.

I highly recommend them.

[tony b]

Not a grain horror story, but similar. I had a bad infestation of meal bugs in my pantry. I suspect the origin to be chipotle peppers that I bought at a Farmers Market (not here). Like Tim said, I was shocked at all the things that they got into - ziplock bags, glass jars with metal lids!! Ruined a ton of spices and other things in my pantry. Had to strip everything out and sanitize the bejesus out of the panty shelfs, walls. You NEVER want to get one of these infestations!!