60 replies to this topic

[Deerslyr]

I store my grain in a friend's basement.  He's a contractor and just whipped them out.  WAY beyond my abilities!

 

We have an Experimental Brewing experiment about how age affects crushed grain coming up in May.  https://www.experime...mental-calendar

I went to the site, clicked on the link, but it wouldn't give me access.  Do I have to sign up to access it?

[denny]

I went to the site, clicked on the link, but it wouldn't give me access.  Do I have to sign up to access it?

 

 

Yeah, I guess so...let's see if I can copy it in here....

 

Hop Whirlpooling - 170F vs 120F Active 2016-1-6 2016-02-12 2016-02-17 FWH vs. 60 minute Bittering Active   2016-03-9 2016-03-16 Olive oil vs. No Aeration Active   2016-04-20 2016-04-27 Impact of age on crushed malt quality Active   2016-05-18 2016-05-25 Saison Stall - Airlock vs. Open Ferment Active   2016-05-18 2016-05-25

[Deerslyr]

 

Yeah, I guess so...let's see if I can copy it in here....

 

Hop Whirlpooling - 170F vs 120F Active 2016-1-6 2016-02-12 2016-02-17 FWH vs. 60 minute Bittering Active   2016-03-9 2016-03-16 Olive oil vs. No Aeration Active   2016-04-20 2016-04-27 Impact of age on crushed malt quality Active   2016-05-18 2016-05-25 Saison Stall - Airlock vs. Open Ferment Active   2016-05-18 2016-05-25

 

Nope.  Still denied access.  

FWIW, my grain is uncrushed, but was still interested in seeing the results.

[denny]

Nope.  Still denied access.  

FWIW, my grain is uncrushed, but was still interested in seeing the results.

 

 

Won't be til May.

[gnef]

I kept them in bags in bulk for many years until I had an extreme moth and beetle infestation. I had to freeze each bag, and then store in 55 gallon trash bags, the thick kind. Whenever I get new grain, I now put it in a trash bag, and flush with CO2, then use the ties to shut it. At the peak of my storage, I had about 15 sacks of grain stacked in the basement, but that is now whittled down to around 6 or so bags right now - I don't brew as much as I used to, and I don't expect to in the near future since my son was born in January, and we also have a 4 year old daughter. I still hope to brew regularly once we reach a new normal, though the price of grain has skyrocketed since NCM stopped selling to clubs, so I doubt I will ever order as much as I used to.

 

Once I open a bag, I use 5 gallon buckets with gamma seal lids, I have a total of 14 now - those things are expensive when you buy this many! I really wish I had used 7 gallon buckets, but it is way too late for that now.

 

For my specialty grain, I bought about two dozen of the gallon size containers from usplastics years ago that have a threaded lid and molded handles. Each one can hold about 4 pounds of specialty malt.

[johnpreuss]

I'm like Denny, but I use the big roughneck garbage can. I can fit 2 sacks of grain plus a bunch of little bags of specialty malts in there.

[Brauer]

I kept them in bags in bulk for many years until I had an extreme moth and beetle infestation.

Yeah, I have to assume that those who don't use airtight storage must not have had a grain moth infestation, yet, or live in a city with rats.

[neddles]

Yeah, I have to assume that those who don't use airtight storage must not have had a grain moth infestation, yet, or live in a city with rats.

Correct on both assumptions.

[Brauer]

Correct on both assumptions.

I hope you never have to experience either. Grain moths are almost impossible to get rid of once you get them. I believe ours came in a bag of rice. We haven't had any rats in the house, but the cat finds plenty of them outside. I don't want to have anything that might tempt them to come inside.

[neddles]

No doubt, I am playing an odds game with the moths. No rats here. Mice are under control.

 

 

We haven't had any rats in the house, but the cat finds plenty of them outside. I don't want to have anything that might tempt them to come inside.

 

 Your house wasn't built by a guy named Jack, was it?

[Brauer]

Your house wasn't built by a guy named Jack, was it?

Hard to say, he's probably been dead for 100 years.

[Brauer]

I have some great heavy-duty plastic buckets with built-in gamma seals that I have been using for grain overflow from the 50 gallon airtight barrel I use for grain sacks. Over the winter, the buckets developed hairline cracks on the bottom, which I didn't notice. I went to use the Pilsner malt I had in one and I thought it looked a little dusty as I scooped it out. Digging deeper, I saw that the grain had gone mouldy toward the bottom of the bucket.

The grain in the other bucket was off, as well. I may try resealing the buckets with some silicone, that might flex enough to prevent future stress cracks. Meanwhile, I need to find a way to get rid if ~15# of useless malt.

[MyaCullen]

I have some great heavy-duty plastic buckets with built-in gamma seals that I have been using for grain overflow from the 50 gallon airtight barrel I use for grain sacks. Over the winter, the buckets developed hairline cracks on the bottom, which I didn't notice. I went to use the Pilsner malt I had in one and I thought it looked a little dusty as I scooped it out. Digging deeper, I saw that the grain had gone mouldy toward the bottom of the bucket.

The grain in the other bucket was off, as well. I may try resealing the buckets with some silicone, that might flex enough to prevent future stress cracks. Meanwhile, I need to find a way to get rid if ~15# of useless malt.

birdseed, compost bin?

[Brauer]

birdseed, compost bin?

I hate to waste it by sendind it to a lanfill or polluting the harbor by putting it down the disposal. I suppose I could put it in a brush bag, so that it goes to the city compost.

We aren't allowed to use bird feeders, though some do. I've been baiting the rats, so I don't want to give them an alternate food source. I used to always compost used grain, but we are only allowed to use the tumbler bins, here, and I haven't been able to get myself to spend $100 to make compost. Maybe I'll try building one from one of these buckets and a 2x4.

[MyaCullen]

Part of me wonders if it could be salvaged for a wild beer of some sort

[Brauer]

Part of me wonders if it could be salvaged for a wild beer of some sort

I thought of running with it, out of curiosity, but I figured it was guaranteed to be foul. There is the slim possibility of a bout of ergotism, which would make it a particularly wild beer, but the potential for mycotoxins or aflotoxin stifled any enthusiasm for that. I also didn't want to breath in the mold during crushing.

[MyaCullen]

I thought of running with it, out of curiosity, but I figured it was guaranteed to be foul. There is the slim possibility of a bout of ergotism, which would make it a particularly wild beer, but the potential for mycotoxins or aflotoxin stifled any enthusiasm for that. I also didn't want to breath in the mold during crushing.

salem witch brew!

[Brauer]

salem witch brew!

Salem isn't very far away, might be the same mold!

[gnef]

I have some great heavy-duty plastic buckets with built-in gamma seals that I have been using for grain overflow from the 50 gallon airtight barrel I use for grain sacks. Over the winter, the buckets developed hairline cracks on the bottom, which I didn't notice. I went to use the Pilsner malt I had in one and I thought it looked a little dusty as I scooped it out. Digging deeper, I saw that the grain had gone mouldy toward the bottom of the bucket.

The grain in the other bucket was off, as well. I may try resealing the buckets with some silicone, that might flex enough to prevent future stress cracks. Meanwhile, I need to find a way to get rid if ~15# of useless malt.

I tend to think any repair would only work for a while. If you are getting hairline cracks in the plastic, I would think there are other hairline cracks forming, and you would have an uphill battle. If you can, I'd say to get new buckets. What you have sound like vittle vaults?

[Brauer]

I tend to think any repair would only work for a while. If you are getting hairline cracks in the plastic, I would think there are other hairline cracks forming, and you would have an uphill battle. If you can, I'd say to get new buckets. What you have sound like vittle vaults?

That's possible. I have four of these buckets and it turns out they all split in exactly the same place. These are heavy duty buckets that aren't as flexible as a fermentation bucket and I think they end up cracking due to thermal expansion. I don't need the space at the moment, but when I need the space again, I might try using them with zip-lock plastic liners.