Can you store grain in buckets?

Messybun

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Hello there! I have been a member on y’alls sister sites for a while, so I decided to join this one too!
My main question is how long can I store flour in five gallon buckets? I live in a humid climate, so I don’t know if that will affect store times too much. Also, has anyone tried storing rice and other grains in buckets? I was hoping to get a nice little stock in my conex, any advice?
 

Lazy Gardener

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Flour does not have a long storage life, even if stored under ideal conditions. The "conex" you describe will be subject to temp. fluctuation, which will increase condensation issues. Also, once a grain is milled, the nutrients in it immediately starts to oxidize. It doesn't take long for milled grain to "get rancid". Instead of storing flour, I suggest that you buy a good quality grain mill, and buy whole wheat berries. Those WILL store for a long time. I would package the wheat in 2 - 3# packages, using a vac seal or something similar. @Beekissed has had great luck storing wheat LONG TERM. Not sure the exact length of time, or how she stored it, but... I'm sure she will chime in here. BTW, I have not yet bought a grain mill. Definitely one of my "must do" projects.
 

Lazy Gardener

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My reading tells me that milled feed quickly starts oxidizing, and, even w/o visible signs of spoilage, has lost nutrient value within 6 weeks. This from Harvey Ussery's book the Small Scale Poultry Flock. Therefore, except for winter months, I take care to store only what will be used within 6 - 8 weeks of mill date. My feed store always has freshly milled feed available. But, I've found 3 month old feed sitting on shelves at TSC with egyptian meal moths flying around. Buyer beware. My feed is stored in metal or plastic cans, left in bags, in garage under house with pretty consistent temps.
 

Hinotori

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I keep my feed in the bags, in metal cans under an awning. Must be in bags just in case of condensation. Had feed get moldy and couldn't see until it was low enough. Lost a couple birds to botulism but managed to nurse 4 others through it by tube feeding.

Not much other choice for where to put it. If we ever rebuild where the large fowl are kept, I'm putting in a feed room. No sack of feed lasts longer than 6 weeks at any time. Usually they are gone in 4.
 

Hinotori

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We have one of the big shipping containers for a shed. Humidity is horrid out there even with me having buckets with ice melt to absorb the moisture. I'd never store food in it. We're going to build a small wood shed for storing potatoes and such.

Gamma lids are the way to go for storage buckets. They are air tight. For grains mylar bags in the bucket with moisture absorbers also helps. I also use oxygen absorbers.

I don't keep a ton of flour around because it will go rancid. What I do keep is in a 3 gallon bucket and half gallon mason jars.
 

Hinotori

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I got Mom some Gamma lids (and snapped the bottom ring on for her) several years ago. She keeps her rice and tapioca flours in them now. She made a mistake and put some of the rice flour in a snap lock container last time I took her some. It went rancid but the stuff she'd put in the bucket was fine.

She's made a request for a few more lids and buckets as she's found everything keeps better in the airtight buckets.


BTW my hubby still calls them conex boxes as well. That's what they were called when we were in the Navy.
 

baymule

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I have whole wheat berries stored in buckets, in vacuum sealed bags. I also have a Family Grain mill with a motor and a hand crank. I’ve had the wheat about 9 years, still good. I have pinto beans and rice, about the same age, am using them now and will replace soon. I wouldn’t store ANY kind of food items in a Conex. Not ever. In summer, they get hot, in winter, they are cold. Not the best situation for food storage. Nope, Don’t store food in a Conex. Stack your buckets up in a closet or something, don’t put in the attic either. You can extend flour storage by sealing it in a vacuum sealed bag, then storing in the freezer.
 

Messybun

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Interesting. I have the conex for animal food, fencing and tools. Basically the random bulky stuff. I was hoping grain could be stored in it because my house really doesn’t have a lot of room and my water level is too high for a cellar. But it is definitely NOT temp controlled in the least. Good to know to bag and bucket the grain. Thanks y’all.
 

Fixit

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Well I am kind of late on the reply but here we go .
On flour don't store anything with bran/germ in it . So just bleached or unbleached white only . No self rising as backing powder loses potency .
On grains buckets with or without Mylar can work as long as they have a good gasket . You will want to use o2 absorbers or hand warmers. One grain not to store is brown rice . It will go rancid even without oxygen. White rice stores fine.

If you are going to truly store large amounts of a grain you might look at food grade steel drums. Here instead of o2 absorbers there is a mother trick. After any dust has settled take 5 cotton balls and cover with flours of sulfer . Place in a metal pie pan on top of grain . You will need 5 inches of head space for these. Set cotton balls on fire . Then seal the barrel. Cotton/ sulfer will burn up the o2 and go out.
Anytime you open barrel to remove grain just just relight the cotton.
As far as moister in any area you can get silica that you can redry and reuse. I got mine of Amazon . Dry its blue and pink it's wet . Will look it up and post link.
 

wyoDreamer

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Wheat berries can be stored for 30+ years if you store it properly. Mylar bag in a bucket, add an O2 absorber and seal the bag. Seal the lid on the bucket. White rice same thing.
 
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