Storing Grain

[ajdelange]

It's really hard to beat the Vittles Vaults (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT4MBlui4gw) made by Gamma Plastics (http://www.gamma2.net/). These have a screw-in lid which is sealed by an o-ring. They are bug proof, humidity proof, rat proof etc. I have converted grain that had been stored in one for nearly 5 years. I don't recommend doing that as a matter of course but I guess you could conceivably keep grain that long in them.

I actually bought the first one as a dog food container (which is what they are sold for) and was loading it into the back of the pickup when the light came on. I went back into the Petsmart and bought them out. The larger sized ones easily accomdate a 55 pound sack of malt.

The ones with the opening to the side are great for stacking with your specialty malts but note that if stack them 3 high (which is easily done) and fill the top 2 with too much grain the weight of those will distort the opening on the bottom one and it can be hard to get the lid screwed back in unless you lift the upper ones off which, of course, nullifies the convenience of having the side openings.

[Oktober]

It's really hard to beat the Vittles Vaults ...

+1

If you can find these inexpensively, you can't ask for anything better. I could just never find them in the price range I was willing to pay.

-Okt

[NovaBrew]

Th Vittle Vaults are great, But the price really prevented me from going that route.

I've Stolen this concept but I'll post my items here and Ill try to update with pictures later.

I bought a 10 pack of These 5 gallon food grade buckets. Most people say you don't need food grade, but i felt more comfortable with this method.

I then used The very same LID from Gamma2 (vittle vault company) which is readily available at HD. These lids are great and work amazing. The final product is very stackable due to the lid design. Also most home depot's around me stock several these So I only buy a couple at a time once i need them instead of laying out all the cash at once.

The downside of this method is that is you got larger than 5 gallon buckets (say 6+) you could fit a true half sack in one bucket. As it is i get about 22 lbs in one bucket. I liked the price of these buckets and my lhbs doesnt stock many buckets and they are overpriced.

Ill post some pics up tonight if i remember.

[Jill Tyvand]

I was lucky enough to find six 15 gallon plastic barrels with lids secured by metal clamps at a garage sale a few years back. They are short and square-ish and stackable and will easily hold 55 lbs of malt. I have looked for them on the internet and have yet to find them.

[ajdelange]

I bought a 10 pack of These 5 gallon food grade buckets. Most people say you don't need food grade, but i felt more comfortable with this method.

I then used The very same LID from Gamma2 (vittle vault company) which is readily available at HD.

Don't quite understand how this works. Is there an insert that gets pressed into the bucket into which the gamma lid threads?

[tlael]

I bought a 10 pack of These 5 gallon food grade buckets. Most people say you don't need food grade, but i felt more comfortable with this method.

I then used The very same LID from Gamma2 (vittle vault company) which is readily available at HD.

Don't quite understand how this works. Is there an insert that gets pressed into the bucket into which the gamma lid threads?

The Gamma lid description kinda makes it sond like that is exactly what goes on...
"Includes universal adapter ring and threaded replacement lid"

[NovaBrew]

Yeah I really should take pictures.

In short, yes, the gamma lids are a screw top (with rubber seal) and a ring. The screw top screws into the ring. I know bucket lids a normally tight, but these rings are very difficult to snap on. Takes my 275 lbs stepping on the ring around the edges to get it tight. The nice part is you only have to do this once. After that its simply screw on screw off the lid inside the ring.

What I generally do, is leave bucket empty, separate lid from ring, snap ring on top bucket (rub sore palms then complain about stepping on bucket), then spin the lid on.

[Gridiron Brewer]

I like using plastic pails with screw top lids (http://www.uline.com/BL_8173/Screw-Top-Pails). Easy on, easy off. There is an oring to help keep the moisture out.