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Storing Grains

Beer Lover

Grandmaster Brewer
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Just picked up a Barley Crusher Malt Mill.  Now I am looking at buying base malt grains in bulk.  I have some questions on storing the grains.  How long can grains be stored for freshness?
Do I store the grains in a air tight container?
Do I store the grains in an area of cooler temps and low humidity?
Are there any other suggestions on storing grains?

What would the proper adjustment be for the gap of the rollers?  It comes at a default of .039 thousands of an inch.

Cheers!!
 
Store the grains in airtight containers in a cool place for the best storage stability.  I use 5-gal pails with gamma seal lids.  They are stored in the outer shower room of my sauna in the basement, so the environment is cool, even in the summer and dark (no windows).  I turn over about a bag of 2-row and Maris Otter just about every year and it gives me the same efficiency/gravity/flavor results near the end of the bag as it does in the beginning.

When it comes to the roller gap, I cannot help there.  I use a corona-style mill and just kept lowering the gap until I was happy with the crush (minimum shredding of hulls, majority of about 1/8" to 3/16" kernel sizes, some but not a lot of flour).  Since I do primarily BIAB, I was not worried about a stuck sparge which helps.
 
Pet food containers with a seal on the lid make good storage containers for grains.  I will go through a few 50 pound bags a year and the grain is always fresh.
 
I recently saw a YouTube video instructing how to set a Barley Crusher.  Check it out, but I want to say .032", but check it out yourself to be sure. You're looking for a fine crush while leaving the husks intact.
 
Thanks to all for great answers.  I appreciate the help.  How many pounds would a 5 gal pail hold?  Any ideas?  Going to YouTube to check out the setting up the Barley Crusher.

Cheers!!
 
I use a vacuum sealer and put the grain in small airtight packages.  I do admit though, this is a bit of a PITA
 
All above are excellent suggestions!  I am a bit more thrifty... ok I'm cheaper ;D
I keep my bulk grains in basically Home Depot style buckets and lids!
I actually buy mine from Lowe's, only because they are close by.
All the major Big Box guy's, Home Depot, Lowe's, Manards... all use the same supplier.
They are made by Encore. Each 5 gallon bucket will just hold 25 lbs of 2-row.
I do mean just.... a bit more wiggle room with wheat.
I go through  50 to 100 or more lbs a year.
I only brew after the boat is out of the water. I'm in SE Michigan.
So That's November until March. The grain I don't use stays fresh until the next brew season.
One tip, early on I found that some of the buckets would crack slightly across the mold sprew on the inside bottom.
So I now put and "X" of shipping tape on the bottom in the center in every new bucket.
Because of my brew style and volumes, I have 6 buckets for base malt, and 4 for wheat.
I usually use 1 or 2 lbs of wheat in a 10 gallon batch for head  and head retention.
I buy specialty malts in 5 to 10 lb quantities. 10 lbs of crystal will just fit in a 2 gallon bucket!
5 lbs will fit in the newer style coffee containers! I do put a piece of plastic wrap under the lid on these.

I hope this helps!  Good Luck!
 
I use .033 for my cereal killer but I usually add 2% moisture to soften the hulls.  I have pushed that down to .030 at times and had good results, but then again I conditioned the grain.
 
Walmart sells dog food bins with clip down sealed lids and rollers. I forget what size i got but its not huge and it holds a full bag of grain and makes moving it full nice and easy. As an additional measure i use those vacuum storage bags. They hold a full bag as well and you can vacuum seal the entire bag, unzip to get grain then vac seal again. Havent had a mouse or bug problem in the few years ive been all grain.

I dont worry about temp or humidity and being in a sealed container those issues aren't too big a deal i dont think. What i dont know though is how you guys are going a year between bags  :eek: Im not saying im a drinker but i go through a bag a month just to keep up with myself and the occasional guest. With 10gal batches and 20lbs of grain a batch a bag only gets me 2 batches.

As for the grain mill, DO NOT assume its properly set from the factory. I did and went as far as double grinding before i finally bought some feeler gauges and actually checked. It was not properly set and i was having efficiency issues due to not a tight enough grind. After i set it  to .039 i went back to a single grind and saw my efficiency go up back into the 70% range from the low 60s.
 
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