HedgeBird Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Looking for some suggestions on grain storage options for smaller than tote size. To elaborate; We receive grain on pallets in 50lb bags. We don't have a fork lift / can not operate one inside the distillery. We typically receive two tuns of grain at a time Looking for some type of bin or hopper that is rodent proof. Something that is pallet-jackable would be nice. Just curious what other people are doing, or if they are just letting their bags of grain sit on pallets in the open? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackheart Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Tip du jour: Used and clean hdpe 55 gallon drums. They hold about 300lbs each, more if the grain is milled. Line them with a hdpe sack. Those are from Mcmaster. Two tuns (tons, im guessing) is about 13-14 barrels. The best part: You can move these rascals easily with a standard barrel dolly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteB Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Wheelie bins. Clean recycled 55 gallon drums are a lot more economical but the wheelie bins are very neat and convenient. (Not sure if "wheelie bin" is a US term, = square trash can with wheels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Rigo Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 http://www.buckhorninc.com/industries/seed.aspx we used these for awhile before we got an auger. Might not be perfect without a forklift though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEPA-still-chillin Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I personally have mine in bags just hanging around, occasionally we do have some pest problems but nothing major. I`ve seen a distillery where thay had a designated room for their grain that was pest proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revival Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I was just researching this same thing earlier today! Is anyone out there using super sacks? If so, how are you moving the grain to the mill? I am trying to decide between multiple storage options, a small silo is one but that seems like a pain in the butt and wasted labor to move grain from a sack to a silo then to a mill. I am considering an auger straight from the super sack which seems like a great idea. I have also seen rack systems where you can hang the sack ( or 2) over the mill and feed directly to the mill then auger to the cooker. Anyone have any expereince with that kind of set up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristian Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 We protect our grain from pest with a ferocious assassin (cat). Since we got him we haven't seen one sign of a rodent anywhere in our distillery but the bird population is dwindling as well. The grain is fine sitting on pallets, most bags have moisture barrier to prevent them soaking up ambient humidity and becoming moldy. As long as you are using it in a reasonable timeframe there shouldn't be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salishseaorganicliqueurs Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 We're using 30 and 55 gallon HPDE drums with airtight lids and food grade liners to store the herbs used to make our liqueurs. They're cheap and 2 day shipping from Uline.com. Liners are a bit of a pain though. 30 gallon drums http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-11860/Drums/30-Gallon-Blue-Open-Top-Plastic-Drum-with-Lid?FromOrderHistory=Y 55 gallon drums http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-9945BL/Drums/55-Gallon-Black-Open-Top-Plastic-Drum-with-Lid drum liners http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-11859/Drum-Liners/18-1-4-x-29-30-Gallon-Ribbed-Drum-Liners?FromOrderHistory=Y http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-7563/Drum-Liners/22-1-2-x-33-3-4-55-Gallon-Ribbed-Drum-Liners?FromOrderHistory=Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthStar Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Revival:We used super sacks for a while. Mice can get into them pretty easily. They are also a pain to empty when they are almost empty but still to heavy to lift. This solution may not be useful for the OP, but we have switched to using a gravity box with the wheels removed. Farmers have these things sitting around (often with busted axles or bad wheels), and you can pick one up for cheap. They are steel, so the critters have a hard time climbing them. Our 250 bushel box is only 400-700 lbs empty and is sitting on casters. When it is full, you can't move it. You can raise the box and use the grain chute to fill your mill or buckets. I plan to put an auger in but haven't had the time yet. The tricky thing is filling it. If you have a forklift, just lift superbags over it and pull the cord. If you are filling it with 50# sacks, it would be a nightmare. Also, can't put this in a high moisture environment if you plan on sitting on it for long as the boxes usually don't have a cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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