# Storage Of Grain And Hops



## mobrien (30/10/07)

Hi guys,

I've been tossing around the idea of getting a grain mill and buying grain in bulk - I brew about every two to three weeks (42L batches) so it would pay for itself very quickly. Given the current warnings about grain and hops shortages, I think I might be getting very close to doing it.

The question is that of storage - how do you guys store your grain so it stays good and mice etc don't get into it? We live near bush and we get a mice infestation in the house about 1 or 2 times a year.... so its a very real issue. Also, how does heat go with the grain - my shed gets hot - really hot.

Likewise for hops - currently I buy the 90g bags as I need them, freezing them in between. How much do people store? Is freezing the way to go?

Thanks in advance,

Matt


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## Ross (30/10/07)

mobrien said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> I've been tossing around the idea of getting a grain mill and buying grain in bulk - I brew about every two to three weeks (42L batches) so it would pay for itself very quickly. Given the current warnings about grain and hops shortages, I think I might be getting very close to doing it.
> 
> ...



Grain needs to be kept cool for long storage, don't leave in a QLD shed, they will get far too warm. Fill a couple of plastic bins from "Auto Cheap" for full sacks & get some of the empty liquid malt containers from your local HBS for your specialties, they work great. Find somewhere in the house to store your few bins, they don't take up much room. Hops, you are doing fine, just make sure they are sealed in an airtight container, otherwise the fridge/freezer will dehydrate them very quickly.

cheers Ross


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## mobrien (30/10/07)

Thank Ross - unfortunatley for my wife, what I read from your reply is "Matt, build a cool room"



Looks like I'll have to take my chances with the grain - no cool places here. Hops I'll stock up on though.

M


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## Ross (30/10/07)

mobrien said:


> Thank Ross - unfortunatley for my wife, what I read from your reply is "Matt, build a cool room"



Bring her over for a look at mine (cold room  )... I'm sure we can win her over.... B) 

cheers Ross


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## Tony M (30/10/07)

If you can get hold of the 40KG chlorine pails, they are perfect for grain as they hold a 25KG sackful and they have a mouseproof screw on lid.


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## big d (31/10/07)

Currently storing my grain in those large plastic containers as mentioned by Ross.Kmart/autocheap/bunnings etc all have them at various cheap prices and sizes.Just have to have a scout around for the best price and size to suit. No mice probs since going this way.Interesting point on the cool keeping of grain Ross.Looking like i may have to move mine to a cooler locale during summer and out of the shed.

Same again with the hops.Once opened store in a sealed container.Fridge/freezer is debatable.Some of mine are in the freezer whilst others seem to end up in the fridge section.All seem good on brewday.

Cheers
Big D


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## philipwebb (31/10/07)

Looks like i will need to find a cool place inside for my grain.

On the hops side of things, I followed Dicko's lead and convinced SWMBO that we needed a vacuum sealer to "save money and buy in bulk". 

Great for hop storage, seal them up and throw them in the freezer.

Cheers

Phil


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## lokpikn (31/10/07)

I store my grain in metal bins as i was told that it is possible for mice and rats to eat through the plastic. It cost quite a bit extra but i feel safer knowing it would be big mice to lift the lid off the metal bin.

Im south nsw so the heat is not a problem for me.


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## bonj (31/10/07)

Hey Matt,

I've recently done the same, and I'm using the "Ross method"  supercheap plastic bins. Kept in my computer room, the temp is fairly stable. 
I'm just starting to get the larger hop packs, and I'm keeping them in the freezer section of my fermenting fridge. It's not quite cold enough to keep meat in there if I'm fermenting an ale, but it's colder than the house fridge, which is a good compromise. I just picked up another sack of galaxy yesterday. You start feeling like a real brewery when you're carting 25kg sacks around


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## altstart (31/10/07)

Gooday People

I use food grade plastic drums that are used to import Spanish Olives. These hold 3 X 25 kg sacks each. I got them from a yard in south Sydney some time ago for $5.00 each. The guy advertsises in Country Life Magazine and believe me hes got shit loads of these in his yard they hold 200 ltrs of fluid and are ideal for a large fermenter if you have lots of Water to purify. B) 

Cheers Altstart


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## bonj (31/10/07)

How do those go with the olive smell? There's a place on Brisbane's southside that sells them too, but I was concerned about trying the get the olive smell out. Did you use anything special to clean them before use?


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## browndog (31/10/07)

There is a bloke at Corinda that sells 44G drums with a clamp on lid that are perfect for storing grain. $12 each. They were originally used to ship apple juice here in a plastic bladder so they don't smell of apples. They are airtight and the vermin has no chance of getting to your precious grain.

cheers

Browndog


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## bonj (31/10/07)

You're a legend, Browndog. Do you have contact details for him?


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## winkle (31/10/07)

Cheers Browndog, I could be up for a couple as well :icon_cheers: (I doubt that they'll fit in the Winkle-mobile, I'll have to borrow a sensible sized vehicle).


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## browndog (31/10/07)

I don't have his number, he advertises every week in the weekend shopper. I have a copy at home and will post his details when i get a chance.

cheers

Browndog


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## dicko (31/10/07)

Phil74 said:


> Looks like i will need to find a cool place inside for my grain.
> 
> On the hops side of things, I followed Dicko's lead and convinced SWMBO that we needed a vacuum sealer to "save money and buy in bulk".
> 
> ...



Hi Phil

You may have to move to Port Lincoln. It is much cooler for grain storage down here :lol: 

The food saver is great for hops.
I also use those cheap plastic bins for grain.

Cheers


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## Breezy (1/11/07)

I also use the cheap plastic bins without any problems. Unfortunately I didn't store a bag of Joe White Pilsener for a few days and noticed a small hole in the top. Upon opening I found lots of cracked grain, mouse poo and that horrible stench those little fellas give off. Lesson learned.......store your grain immediately.


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## reVoxAHB (11/4/08)

Digging up an old thread here...

I'm wanting to properly store my 100kg of grains from the recent BB. Was at Bunnings- they have 60L heavy-duty black rubbish bins with a locking top that looked the goods @$9.98 on sale. Figured I'd grab 4 of them. 

Question is, as these bins are not food-grade, would the grains pick up any "plastic" aroma or otherwise from contact? Wanted to dump the grains from bags into the bins themselves, to maximise storage space. 

Also, would a 60L bin hold 25kg of grain, approx? I drink way too much beer to know what this conversion is called or even how to google it :icon_drunk: 

Cheers, 
reVox


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## razz (11/4/08)

Morning reVox. It will fit okay, I get half a bag of most malts into a 20 lt pale with lid. Can't comment on the food grade question. If you'r worried about off flavours why not keep the malt in the bag inside the bin ?


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## newguy (11/4/08)

You know the trick for getting rid of odours in the fridge? An open box of baking soda. It works wonders for plastic containers too. Keep the container sealed with the baking soda in it for a few days until the odour seems to subside, then pour in your malt. I did this my rubbermaid containers when I bought them.


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## oldbugman (11/4/08)

I use these bins..

I leave my grain in the sacks. Cable tied shut.

I just keep adding sacks and half sacks till the bin is full, then on goes the lid.


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## reVoxAHB (11/4/08)

Thanks guys. Some good tips there. 
Cheers, 
reVox


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## justsomeguy (11/4/08)

reVox said:


> Digging up an old thread here...
> 
> I'm wanting to properly store my 100kg of grains from the recent BB. Was at Bunnings- they have 60L heavy-duty black rubbish bins with a locking top that looked the goods @$9.98 on sale. Figured I'd grab 4 of them.
> 
> ...



Got a couple of these at home myself. I keep the grain in the bags and just put the bags inside the bins. One bin holds one bag with not much free space left over.

gary


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## slacka (11/4/08)

newguy said:


> You know the trick for getting rid of odours in the fridge? An open box of baking soda. It works wonders for plastic containers too. Keep the container sealed with the baking soda in it for a few days until the odour seems to subside, then pour in your malt. I did this my rubbermaid containers when I bought them.



Half a teaspoon into the boil usually does the trick.


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## RobW (14/4/08)

Bunnings currently have 48 litre plastic containers with snap lids for $8.99.
They hold 25 kg nicely and have wheels so they're easy to move around.


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## Chad (14/4/08)

I'm currently keeping my grains in the Sistema food containers. They are available from Woolworths and Coles and are airtight and range from approx. $5-10. I've been picking up a container each week with the groceries.

5L - for large quantity grains that I don't use all that often, e.g. Munich, Rye, Vienna
2L - for common specialty grains, e.g. Cystals, Caramunich
1L - for small quantity specially grains, e.g. Patent, Chocolate, Carared

I work on the principle that I should have enough grain to get me two brews per month, without having to store copious volumes of grain. Then I can top up what I've used on a monthly basis.

As for my Pale, Pilsner and Wheat, I am looking into maybe getting 60L drums from here.


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## barry2 (17/4/08)

Bunnings have 20 litre "Handy Pails" for $9.65.They are made of "Food Contact Approved"white plastic and come with a close fitting lid and wire handle.


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## AndrewQLD (17/4/08)

barry3 said:


> Bunnings have 20 litre "Handy Pails" for $9.65.They are made of "Food Contact Approved"white plastic and come with a close fitting lid and wire handle.



I use these as well , they hold 12.5 kilo and seal very well, 2 buckets per bag of grain.





Andrew


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## crozdog (17/4/08)

AndrewQLD said:


> I use these as well , they hold 12.5 kilo and seal very well, 2 buckets per bag of grain.
> 
> View attachment 18605
> 
> ...


Are they the same as 20l Mayo buckets? They look like it.


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## ausdb (17/4/08)

AndrewQLD said:


> I use these as well , they hold 12.5 kilo and seal very well, 2 buckets per bag of grain.
> rew


+1 The universal brew house bucket, mine is about a 12 bucket brewery too. Supercheap also have them for about the $10 mark and I have never seen them for $10 at Bunnings in WA. The buckets also work well as yeast propagators as they are food grade, if I am brewing a big batch or are designated the "yeast master" for a club big brew I buy one or two new ones to ferment the starter wort/beers in, they then progress down the lines as primary fermenters for a few times then as general brewing buckets and then when they get scratched up become grain storage buckets.

On the storage front I have some grain that is 2 years old and whilst it may not be at its peak it is definitely not slack, I have stored plain sack in the same space in my shed and had it go slack in about a quarter of that time. I have also yet to have a mouse chew through the sides of one yet.

For hops, it's hard to go past a foodsaver or similar vacuum sealer and the freezer. You just need to convince SWMBO that you should buy one so you can money in the long run by being able to buy bulk packs of meat and breaking it down yourself.


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## Jerry (17/4/08)

crozdog said:


> Are they the same as 20l Mayo buckets? They look like it.



crozdog,

I use mayo buckets and they look the same as those.

Scott


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## AndrewQLD (17/4/08)

Jerry said:


> crozdog,
> 
> I use mayo buckets and they look the same as those.
> 
> Scott



They would be the same I'd say.

Andrew


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