Large grain storage - 55 Gallon drum?

[Ragman]

Getting a huge grain order and was looking for something to store it in. Thought of a 55 gallon metal drum with locking gasket lid - to keep moisture and mice out of it.

Going to use a couple of extra size garbage bags to line it with first.

Does anyone see an issue with this?

 

[marc1]

Getting a huge grain order and was looking for something to store it in. Thought of a 55 gallon metal drum with locking gasket lid - to keep moisture and mice out of it.

Going to use a couple of extra size garbage bags to line it with first.

Does anyone see an issue with this?

I wouldn't want trash bags in extended contact with my grain. The giant Ziplocs are food grade. The XXL are 20 gallon, so you might need to use more than one and stack them in there.

 

[Brewdog80]

There are large plastic liners that will fit 55 Gallon drums. Order you a few of them. I wouldn't use garbage bags either. To many have scents and are junk plastic.

 

[Group W]

I use metal garbage cans to store my base malt grains. Two 50 lb bags can fit in a can. I keep the grains in the original bags. Good for mice and bugs, but moisture isn’t a concern for me in the desert SW.

 

[jtgoral]

I use plastic containers from IKEA. Home Depot, Lowe's, Wallmart have them, too.

 

[odie]

Do you store inside? Climate controlled? Or in the garage or backyard shed? If inside probably not much issue with moisture. Just keep mice/bugs out.

Define "huge grain" order. Two 5 gal bucket will hold a 50/55# sack.

Go visit the local swimming pool. I get their large empty pool supply buckets with secure lids that will swallow a hole 55# sack of grain for free.

A 55 gal drum will be hard to rotate your grain. You want to use a FIFO accounting method to keep grain fresh. The oldest grain gets used first. One large barrel and the grain on the bottom will never get used since you will probably refill before it's empty.

A few smaller containers you can use and fill in rotation. Thus maintaining a nice stockpile while ensuring you don't end up with 5-10 year old grain at the bottom of the barrel.

Plus you will likely find you want to re-organize from time to time. Moving a 55gal drum is not an easy task. Buckets stack easy.

 

[grampamark]

FWIW, grain, by volume, is measured by the bushel. A bushel is .8 cu ft. A 55 gal drum displaces approx. 7.5 cu ft which would be about 9 bushels and change. Malted barley, at least the samples I’ve weighed on a test weight scale, weighs 44-45 lbs/bushel. So, a 55 gal drum would hold over 400 lbs of malt, if stored in bulk. I brew about 25 batches a year and go through 250-300 lbs but that‘s a dozen, or so kinds of malt, stored in plastic bags in a couple of large totes.

It would be helpful to know if the OP’s “huge grain order” is 50 lbs of this, 25 lbs of that, 100 lbs of the other, stored in smaller packages stacked in the drum, or if it’s all one kind of malt, to be stored in bulk.

 

[seatazzz]

Vittle Vaults. Gamma lids, stackable, and most big-box stores carry them.

 

[pvtpublic]

No matter the size or type of container that is used, remember to try to keep as little air off of your grain as possible. I keep mine in bags of about 3lb increments. The oxidation effect on the grains might be menial, but something I try to avoid to some degree.