STORAGE, food and feed grains

[katy]

Can anybody tell me where to find 50 /55 gal barrels with lids, for a reasonable price ? Mice are a big factor. I have looked for tins / tin cans, such as holiday pop corn come in, but they are really high and some are getting really flimsy.

And the 5 gal buckets from Wally world are long gone, I have asked a couple of times and been told they are no longer allowed to give them out. So those are needed as well. TIA

[pancho]

Before you store 55 gallons of any type of grain what are you going to do about the eggs in the grain that will hatch out?

[Batt]

Some people use blue plastic barrels with the air tight lids. Each one will hold 3-50# bags of feed/food with a little bit of room left over. If it is for LTS (long term storage) you can leave the 50# bag in the freezer for 1-2 weeks. Short term storage, the 35 gal galvanized trash can will hold about 150# of loose feed/food. You can find more information on the S&EP forum on this board.

[katy]

Originally Posted by adron

some people use blue plastic barrels with the air tight lids. Each one will hold 3-50# bags of feed/food with a little bit of room left over. If it is for lts (long term storage) you can leave the 50# bag in the freezer for 1-2 weeks. Short term storage, the 35 gal galvanized trash can will hold about 150# of loose feed/food. You can find more information on the s&ep forum on this board.

thank you, adron

[Rocky Fields]

Animals will chew thru plastic barrels. I sometimes see metal barrels with lids on Craigslist.

[Forerunner]

If you have barrels, or other containers that will seal, you can place a small candle in the center of the grain to be stored and light it before sealing the lid.
The candle will burn out the oxygen in the barrel, slowly, and leave the critters with CO2 to breathe. If your barrel, etc. has a plastic lid, tape a few layers of aluminum foil on the underside, above where the candle will be, to prevent the lid melting while the candle burns out.
Every time you have to open the container to get at your grain, simply light the candle again.

[motdaugrnds]

I could never use plastic containers of any size for 50 lb bags of grain. I would simply break them in no time. We use metal barrels we got from a friend who was working in a print shop at the time. They had to be washed thoroughly and dried. Each has a good-fitting metal lid and holds three 50 lb bags of grain.

I have not stored grain over a 30-day period of time. We use 5 barrels and rotate the grain (4 barrels are for goat feed & 1 is for chicken feed), using up what is in the one barrel getting any amount of sun first.

I never thought of using a candle; but sure like that idea! (Might try it during winter months when we like to purchase more than usual per trip just in case bad weather prevents our getting more if needed.)

[Forerunner]

I don't remember exactly where I heard about the candle trick, but apparently that's what they use in the hot, steamy African jungles to preserve dry grains.
We've been using candles to starve the bugs for O2 for over ten years.
The only containers that ever get remotely buggy are the ones I was too "preoccupied" to candle.

[johncotexas]

There are some great videos on you tube showing how to do some long term food storage. Some even going so far as to use heat sealed mylar bags and including dessicant packs to eat all of the oxygen out of the bags before sealing them.
For metal barrel resources, definitely use craigslist as a resource. We have a great source here in N. TX where they are only $20 and clean food grade condition but I am sure shipping to your neck wouldn't be cost effective.

[Ohio dreamer]

Originally Posted by Forerunner

If you have barrels, or other containers that will seal, you can place a small candle in the center of the grain to be stored and light it before sealing the lid.
The candle will burn out the oxygen in the barrel, slowly, and leave the critters with CO2 to breathe. If your barrel, etc. has a plastic lid, tape a few layers of aluminum foil on the underside, above where the candle will be, to prevent the lid melting while the candle burns out.
Every time you have to open the container to get at your grain, simply light the candle again.

Now THAT's the tip of the day!! Love it, thanks.

[ET1 SS]

We use 55-gallon drums.

I get them from a local pastry factory for free.

A drum-liner bag and a cup of desiccant.

The desiccant we use turns colours. Red when it is dry and blue when it has became saturated. It is rechargeable.