Grain Storage

[Pavros]

I have started AG and am now looking to buy in bulk rather than AG kits or for a couple of brews at a time. I have read that 1kg of grain takes up the equivalent of 2litres space, so 2 old fermenters could be used to store 25kg of grain (obviously rebagged and sealed).

I have 2 old fermenters but I don't know if there is a potential problem with one of them. I had to chuck a brew from it due to a solvent smell and aroma. Advice from here was that it could be highly stressed yeast or a wild yeast infection. I have bleached said fermenter, then oxi-ed it and finally starsan-ed it. However, if it was a wild yeast infection and I haven't obliterated it, would it cause a problem if I was using the fermenter to store grain?

 

[IainM]

I have started AG and am now looking to buy in bulk rather than AG kits or for a couple of brews at a time. I have read that 1kg of grain takes up the equivalent of 2litres space, so 2 old fermenters could be used to store 25kg of grain (obviously rebagged and sealed).

I have 2 old fermenters but I don't know if there is a potential problem with one of them. I had to chuck a brew from it due to a solvent smell and aroma. Advice from here was that it could be highly stressed yeast or a wild yeast infection. I have bleached said fermenter, then oxi-ed it and finally starsan-ed it. However, if it was a wild yeast infection and I haven't obliterated it, would it cause a problem if I was using the fermenter to store grain?

Not at all. Everything gets boiled in the end.

 

[Pavros]

Excellent, thanks - I was hoping that would be the answer :thumb:

 

[MyQul]

Wot ian said.

I've had a infection in an FV before and bleach defiantely did the job

I've got one of these 60L barrels to store my grain in. It fits a 25L sack of grain nicely

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/60l-Litre-...With-Lid-Lockring/9002850435?iid=302467705470

 

[Gerryjo]

I have started AG and am now looking to buy in bulk rather than AG kits or for a couple of brews at a time. I have read that 1kg of grain takes up the equivalent of 2litres space, so 2 old fermenters could be used to store 25kg of grain (obviously rebagged and sealed).

I have 2 old fermenters but I don't know if there is a potential problem with one of them. I had to chuck a brew from it due to a solvent smell and aroma. Advice from here was that it could be highly stressed yeast or a wild yeast infection. I have bleached said fermenter, then oxi-ed it and finally starsan-ed it. However, if it was a wild yeast infection and I haven't obliterated it, would it cause a problem if I was using the fermenter to store grain?

They'll be fine for use.

 

[Fil]

clean out the buckets and dry well and you wont need to bag them, when pouring into the buckets the grain will not fall in its most compact form, so stop and give the bucket a shake/few kicks to aid settling the grain as you go.. I use similar bins to myqul above but 50l and shaking to settle the grain can drop the fill level by at least a couple of inches and is needed to cram it all in.. ..

 

[Leemond]

How long can it be kept for?

 

[Fil]

Kept dry n cool crushed malt should have upto a years shelf life before any drop in BHE should become evident, assuming it was crushed JIT before delivery ??

however when keeping large volumes of crushed grain, rodents are a concern, sacks and plastic bags are no barrier, and unless a bucket lid is sealed down a lil bugger can squeeze in the smallest of gaps. if using bags or sacks for storage of malt do check the bags for gnawed holes before you brew, nowt worse than coming across the leak in the sack when you lumping it away after the brew..

 

[Spapro]

If you buy 25kg of grain from the maltmiller crushed, you can select to have it supplied in 5 x 5kg sealed bags - think it adds £2 to the cost of the grain to have it this way.

Means you only open the grain more or less as you need it and must help keep it fresher than one bag of 25kg crushed grain which keeps being opened and closed each brew

 

[Norfolk79]

If you buy 25kg of grain from the maltmiller crushed, you can select to have it supplied in 5 x 5kg sealed bags - think it adds �£2 to the cost of the grain to have it this way.

Means you only open the grain more or less as you need it and must help keep it fresher than one bag of 25kg crushed grain which keeps being opened and closed each brew

That's what I do with the Homebrew Company, I add a note to the order if my 25kg of grain (admittedly uncrushed) can be split into 5 x 5kg bags. They don't charge any extra for this :thumb:

 

[m_rawdin]

Kept dry n cool crushed malt should have upto a years shelf life before any drop in BHE should become evident, assuming it was crushed JIT before delivery ??

however when keeping large volumes of crushed grain, rodents are a concern, sacks and plastic bags are no barrier, and unless a bucket lid is sealed down a lil bugger can squeeze in the smallest of gaps. if using bags or sacks for storage of malt do check the bags for gnawed holes before you brew, nowt worse than coming across the leak in the sack when you lumping it away after the brew..

I keep my bulk grain in an old fermenter I don't use anymore. All my grain is then stored in a metal dust bin to help keep rodents at bay.

 

[Spapro]

That's what I do with the Homebrew Company, I add a note to the order if my 25kg of grain (admittedly uncrushed) can be split into 5 x 5kg bags. They don't charge any extra for this :thumb:

Thats worth knowing, thanks for the tip-off buddy !

 

[Oneflewover]

I've been using pre crushed grain to date - no hb shop near me so collect from thehomebrewshop when visiting family in Farnborough. Too tight to pay postage .

I contacted a local microbrewery via Facebook yesterday and they are happy to sell me a sack of pale malt. Before I phone them to discuss further, would I be alright keeping it in plastic FVs in the loft?

Then just need to figure out how I'm going to crush it as cheaply as poss. .......

 

[MyQul]

I've been using pre crushed grain to date - no hb shop near me so collect from thehomebrewshop when visiting family in Farnborough. Too tight to pay postage .

I contacted a local microbrewery via Facebook yesterday and they are happy to sell me a sack of pale malt. Before I phone them to discuss further, would I be alright keeping it in plastic FVs in the loft?

Then just need to figure out how I'm going to crush it as cheaply as poss. .......

One of these mills work fine, once you've got it dialled in. I have one just like it

https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Basic_Malt_Grain_Mill.html

 

[Oneflewover]

One of these mills work fine, once you've got it dialled in. I have one just like it

https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Basic_Malt_Grain_Mill.html

Thanks MyQul. Presumably you mill a couple of kilos max for your stove toppers? Is it feasible to mill 4 or 5 kilos in reasonable time?

 

[MyQul]

Thanks MyQul. Presumably you mill a couple of kilos max for your stove toppers? Is it feasible to mill 4 or 5 kilos in reasonable time?

Yes, a couple of kilo's for my 10L but you can do 4-5 kilo's (I still occasionally do 23L brew lengths and mill 4kg or so) I find it takes 5min-10min to mill a kilo (Ive never really timed it tbh) but to do 4-5kg you need a lot of breaks so I usually do the milling the eve before over an hour or so

Edit: You can also motorise your mill with a drill. There's some piccys floating around the forum of dutto's motorised version

 

[foxbat]

I've had a infection in an FV before and bleach defiantely did the job

When you use bleach for this purpose how much are you diluting it? Also I assume it's just basic supermarket 'thin bleach' that you use?

 

[MyQul]

When you use bleach for this purpose how much are you diluting it? Also I assume it's just basic supermarket 'thin bleach' that you use?

Yeah, just the 17p thin stuff. 140ml/3.7L

 

[Clint]

What gap setting on that mill please M?

 

[MyQul]

What gap setting on that mill please M?

I'm not sure tbh. It was trial and error. I just cranked down the wingnuts as much as possible and back them off a bit at a time so I got the finest crush I could but could still easily turn the handle