Storing grains

[booldawg]

I'm hoping to buy a 25kg sack of MO to last me a while. To keep it freshly sealed I'd probably buy a new FV without a pre-drilled tap hole as the lids are a good fit and I can hide it away in the house quite neatly.

Does anyone else store grains like this? I'd like to know what size FV I'd need to accomodate 25kg of grains.

[Parva]

I just keep mine in the sack in the kitchen. 9 months on and it was still making fine beer.

[Scooby]

A 25kg sack will just about fit into a 50l bucket, probably will when you've used a brews worth.

Like parva I keep mine in the sack tightly closed in a cool dry place, it'll last over a year like that.

A plastic bucket will keep mice out but won't deter rats, you'll need a steel drum for that

[jubby]

I use a couple of these https://www.hopshopuk.com/products/view ... cket-w-lid . Bit pricey but nice quality heavy plastic and airtight too.

[booldawg]

Thanks for the repsones. I may just keep the sack stowed away somewhere safe in the house then!

[stu-le-brew]

My understanding on grain storage is that assuming the grain is whole it will last for a year or more - provided its kept dry and as air tight as you can, that's why grain sacks have an inner plastic lining.
However if the grain is pre-ground it will degrade (become slack is the term used) and you will get progressively less extract from it.

I have some old ground Crystal malt (more than two years old) which I has been kept dry and as air tight as possible so I just use much more than the recipe calls for - still with acceptable results

hope that helps

[Parva]

Mine's pre-crushed and I've never noticed any deterioration, even after 9 months of storage.

[stu-le-brew]

glad for you Parva, you must be keeping it very dry

my comment comes from an acquaintance who malted (professionally) his own grain for brewing and also from the Royal Society of Chemistry book 'Brewing' which specifically mentions as detailed below

Malt which has re-absorbed moisture after kilning is defined as 'slack'. The higher moisture content, the higher the striking temperature required. This can prove deleterious to enzymes in the malt and lead to subsequent poor conversion of starch and proteins (which leads to hazes).

so keeping grain as dry as possible is important, which has to be more difficult once the grain has been opened. Many breweries crush the grain as it goes into the mash tun

[GeordieBrewer]

After just picking up my first 25kg sack of MO, would storing that sack in a plastic container, with a pack of silica gel (say 100g or so) be useful to extend the life of the malt? If anyone thinks it's a good idea, I can provide packs of gel at postage only costs, as I get loads supplied with network switches at work!

Martin

[adm]

I just use a cheap £6.99 plastic dustbin from the garden centre. They fit a full 25Kg sack nicely (plus room for a good few kilos of other grains). Just dump the whole sack in - in the sack. Don't empty it out into the bin. Then open it up and use the grain straight from the sack, in the bin. When you're done, fold the top of the sack down and put the lid on.

I effectively live in the middle of a field, and we have rats and mice a'plenty. Over the last year though, they have taken no interest in the grain inside the bins - despite the fact that if they wanted to, they could chew through easily.

[WishboneBrewery]

I got a couple of cheap 45L blue barrels from ebay, though you'd be better getting 55 or 60L if you want the entire sack contents to fit in.
I have 1 full of Maris Otter and the other full of Golden promise and a couple of brews left in the sack In an idea world i'd have 1 full of wheat malt and 1 full of lager malt.... but its not an ideal word!