Good price on Gamma Lids

[grrickar]

Just FYI, if you live in a town with a Menards they are having their 15% off brown bag sale until 1/15/2015. The premise is that whatever fits in the bag you get 15% off, and I believe that includes sale prices.

I picked up 5 food grade 5gal buckets and 5 gamma lids for grain storage, and got 15% off the lids and the other various items in my bag. That made the lids less than $6. Not a huge savings, they are quite a bit more elsewhere I looked.

Menards has the cheapest price I have seen on gamma lids - even their everyday price is less than $7. Even the mighty Amazon doesn't come anywhere close.

http://www.menards.com/main/housewa...s/the-gamma-seal-reg-lid/p-2053642-c-7112.htm

I love the big box stores for ideas on making things to help with homebrewing. I only wish I had known about the sale a few day ago when I picked up the stuff to make a hop spider.

 

[MaxStout]

This. I've bought a bunch of them at Menard's, I think for around $7. Might have to grab a few more with the 15% off bag thing. That saves about a buck a pop.

Good idea about the hop spider parts for anyone who wants to build one. Those InSinkErator flanges aren't cheap--it was about $15 when I built mine a while back. I picked up some 3/8" x 8" SS carriage bolts there too.

Save big money at Menard's.

 

[b-boy]

I've found them at Lowes for $7.99, but they're hard to get. They go pretty quickly.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

In our area we have a grocery store that caters to Preppers, so Gamma lids are always available, both for 5-6 gallon buckets, and also the smaller sizes. I'm gonna google Menards, though, I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a 300+ pound grain buy and will need more storage...

Edit: wow, it would be a long drive from the Puget Sound...

 

[b-boy]

These are also nice for long-term bulk grain storage:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002H3S5U/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

$35 shipped. you'd need 3 buckets and 3 gamma lids to hold as much grain as one of these. That gets you pretty close price-wise.

 

[doug293cz]

In our area we have a grocery store that caters to Preppers, so Gamma lids are always available, both for 5-6 gallon buckets, and also the smaller sizes. I'm gonna google Menards, though, I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a 300+ pound grain buy and will need more storage...

Edit: wow, it would be a long drive from the Puget Sound...

Thanks for saving me the trouble of Gooling the closest Menards . Where is this prepper store?

Brew on

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Thanks for saving me the trouble of Gooling the closest Menards . Where is this prepper store?

Brew on

It's actually a grocery store that seems to be Prepper positive... Winco. The buckets and lids are (naturally) in the bulk food section.

 

[doug293cz]

It's actually a grocery store that seems to be Prepper positive... Winco. The buckets and lids are (naturally) in the bulk food section.

Thx. Got a Winco about 4 miles from me, but never been there. Passed it on the way to my LHBS today, and cars were streaming in like crazy.

Brew on

 

[worxman02]

It's actually a grocery store that seems to be Prepper positive... Winco. The buckets and lids are (naturally) in the bulk food section.

I was wondering if you were talking about a Winco. We do most of our shopping there and they do have an amusing selection of Prepper stuff like giant tubs of dried egg powder along with useful stuff like buckets and gamma lids that are a good price. I think they sell the gamma lids for $7 here or so.

 

[GenIke]

never mind.

 

[RogueMonkeyBrewing]

These are also nice for long-term bulk grain storage:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002H3S5U/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

$35 shipped. you'd need 3 buckets and 3 gamma lids to hold as much grain as one of these. That gets you pretty close price-wise.

we have several of these and they work great for 50 and 55lbs of grain.

 

[grrickar]

I also found that Menards is cheaper than most on Ball jars. The half-gallon ones are good for storing smaller quantities of specialty grains, and the smallest 'quilted' 4oz jelly jars are useful for storing hops.

I picked up a 6 pk flat of the half gallon jars with lids for 11.79, even cheaper after their 11% rebate promo.

I feel set to start storing some grains now!

 

[Black Island Brewer]

we have several of these and they work great for 50 and 55lbs of grain.

If you store them so that they can be stacked, will they still hold 55 lbs of grain?

I use two buckets and gamma seals for my grains, so it's cheaper than one of these, but if they stacked and were still accessible, it could be worth it.

 

[b-boy]

Yes - they are stackable and will hold an entire sack of grain.

 

[aviator01]

Best price I've found: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leaktite-5-gal-Pail-Black-Screw-Top-Lid-6-Pack-210631/204642286

 

[grrickar]

Wow, that IS cheap. I almost never go into HD these days, since their selection compared to Lowes and Menards seems meh.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Yes - they are stackable and will hold an entire sack of grain.

Thanks b-boy, but just to verify: if they are stacked (which has the container sideways and the opening at at 45 degree angle upwards) will they still hold all the grain, or will the grain spill out?

 

[b-boy]

50 lbs. Isn't a problem. 50+ may be a problem.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

50 lbs. Isn't a problem. 50+ may be a problem.

Cool, thanks much! Even though they are pricier that I can get buckets with gamma seals, I'd like having just one for each grain, and being able to stack them. I'm forever moving buckets around...

 

[b-boy]

Cool, thanks much! Even though they are pricier that I can get buckets with gamma seals, I'd like having just one for each grain, and being able to stack them. I'm forever moving buckets around...

I bought 2 on Amazon and really like them. I use them for base malts. Overall, if you price out equivalent buckets and gamma lids they are pretty close in price.

They are a pain to move when full. They are slippery and there are not a lot of places to get a good grip on them. I carried one with 50 lbs of grain down a flight of stairs. It was a little harrowing.

 

[mrwizard0]

I just bought one of the vittles vaults at Costco for $28. If you have a membership there you should check it out

 

[Black Island Brewer]

I just bought one of the vittles vaults at Costco for $28. If you have a membership there you should check it out

For the 40lb or the 60 lb?

 

[mrwizard0]

For the 40lb or the 60 lb?

it was the 60 lb one

 

[negativereaction]

After being in Florida a couple years...I miss my Menards in central WI, and stock up on cheap stuff whenever I'm up for the holidays. Have a bunch of their gamma seal lids and the green Menards bucks doing grain work.

The downside to those large vittle vaults is that while a 55lb sack will split between two 5 gallon pails, a single vittle vault is locked into its purpose until it becomes empty. So, it's taking up a lot of space even if there's only 5 or 10lb of grain in it (unless you move the remainder into a bucket, but then you might as well have used buckets to begin with). A bucket can be repurposed right away when it becomes empty (since it becomes empty quicker). If you have tons of space, the stacking vittle vaults are very useful and organized-looking. I started using mine for grain, but they've now been moved into food storage for oats and spelt noodles and stuff like that.

 

[wardens355]

The downside to those large vittle vaults is that while a 55lb sack will split between two 5 gallon pails, a single vittle vault is locked into its purpose until it becomes empty. So, it's taking up a lot of space even if there's only 5 or 10lb of grain in it (unless you move the remainder into a bucket, but then you might as well have used buckets to begin with). A bucket can be repurposed right away when it becomes empty (since it becomes empty quicker). If you have tons of space, the stacking vittle vaults are very useful and organized-looking. I started using mine for grain, but they've now been moved into food storage for oats and spelt noodles and stuff like that.

I store my grain indoors in buckets and take them outside to measure (measuring large amounts of grain indoors = dust and sneezing). Buckets are easier to carry, so I have never looked into vittle vaults. If I had a garage and space, however, the vittle vaults would be nice to have.