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Rick
10-17-2008, 10:11 AM
I've been pouring through the threads this morning looking for comprehensive information on grain storage. I've come up with as many questions as I have answers. I'd like to put together a complete list of items/methods for storing grain and make it a sticky so anyone that wants/needs the info can find it all in one place. The information here has been collected from other posts and around the net.

Type of grain to store:

Wheat:

* Durum — Very hard, translucent, light colored grain used to make semolina flour for pasta.
* Hard Red Spring — Hard, brownish, high protein wheat used for bread and hard baked goods. Bread Flour and high gluten flours are commonly made from hard red spring wheat. It is primarily traded at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange.
* Hard Red Winter — Hard, brownish, mellow high protein wheat used for bread, hard baked goods and as an adjunct in other flours to increase protein in pastry flour for pie crusts. Some brands of unbleached all-purpose flours are commonly made from hard red winter wheat alone. It is primarily traded by the Kansas City Board of Trade. One variety is known as "turkey red wheat", and was brought to Kansas by Mennonite immigrants from Russia.
* Soft Red Winter — Soft, low protein wheat used for cakes, pie crusts, biscuits, and muffins. Cake flour, pastry flour, and some self-rising flours with baking powder and salt added for example, are made from soft red winter wheat. It is primarily traded by the Chicago Board of Trade.
* Hard White — Hard, light colored, opaque, chalky, medium protein wheat planted in dry, temperate areas. Used for bread and brewing.
* Soft White — Soft, light colored, very low protein wheat grown in temperate moist areas. Used for pie crusts and pastry. Pastry flour, for example, is sometimes made from soft white winter wheat.

Hard wheats are harder to process and red wheats may need bleaching. Therefore, soft and white wheats usually command higher prices than hard and red wheats on the commodities market.

Raw wheat berries can be powdered into flour, germinated and dried creating malt, crushed and de-branned into cracked wheat, parboiled (or steamed), dried, crushed and de-branned into bulgur, or processed into semolina, pasta, or roux. They are a major ingredient in such foods as bread, breakfast cereals (e.g. Wheatena, Cream of Wheat, Shredded Wheat), porridge, crackers, biscuits, pancakes, cakes, gravy and boza (a fermented beverage).

Corn:

The varieties intended to be eaten as fresh, green corn are very high in sugar content and do not dry or store well.

* Flint - Makes a better meal as it has a grittier texture than the dent corns which make better flour. If meal, hominy and hominy grits (commonly called just "grits") are what you are most interested in, use the flint type.
* Dent - Best for making make corn masa for tortillas and tamales. Also best for making corn flour.
* Popcorn - Best for popping for snacks and it can also be ground into meal or flour. Extremely hard and difficult to grind.

All of the corns listed keep well when they have been properly dried. To a certain extent, they're all interchangeable for purposes of grinding into meal (sometimes known as polenta meal) or flour (very finely ground corn, not cornstarch).

Oats:

Listed in order of desirability for storage

* Oat Groats -These are whole oats with the hulls removed. They are not often found in this form, but can sometimes be had from natural food stores and some storage food dealers. Oats are not the easiest thing to get a consistent grind from so producing your own oat flour takes a bit of experience.
*Steel Cut Oats (1) - Also known as Irish or pinhead or porridge (but so are rolled) oats. These are oat groats which have been cut into chunks with steel blades. They're not rolled and look like coarse bits of grain. This form can be found in both natural food stores (sometimes much cheaper) and many supermarkets.

* Rolled Oats (1) - These are also commonly called "old fashioned", "thick cut" or "porridge" oats. To produce them, oat groats are steamed and then rolled to flatten. They can generally be found wherever oats are sold. They take longer to cook than do the quick cooking oats, but they retain more flavor and nutrition. This is what most people will call to mind when they think of oatmeal.
*Quick Cooking Rolled Oats - These are just steamed oat groats rolled thinner than the old fashioned kind above so that they will cook faster. They can usually be found right next to the thicker rolled oats.
* Instant Rolled Oats - These are the "just add hot water" or microwave type of oat cereals and are not at all suited for a long term food storage program. They do, however, have uses in "bug out" and 72 hour food kits for short term crises.
* Whole Oats - This is with the hulls still on. They are sold in seed stores and sometimes straight from the farmer who grew them. Unless you have some means of getting the hulls off, don't buy oats in this form. If you do buy from a seed supplier, make certain that they have not been treated with any chemicals that are toxic to humans.

(1) Rolled and cut oats retain both their bran and their germ.

Rice:

* Short Grain Rice - Short grain rice is a little softer and bit moister when it cooks and tends to stick together more than the longer rices. It has a sweeter, somewhat stronger flavor than long grain rice.
* Medium Grain Rice - Medium grain rice is not very common in the States. It has flavor like short grain rice, but with a texture more like long grain rice.
* Long Grain Rice - Long grain rice cooks up into a dryer, flakier dish than the shorter grains and the flavor tends to be blander. It is the most commonly found size of rice on the grocery shelves.
Each of these may be processed into brown, white, parboiled or converted and instant rices. Below is a short discussion of the differences between the various types of rices.
* Brown Rice - This is whole grain rice with only the hull removed. It retains all of the nutrition to be found in rice and has a pleasant nutty flavor when boiled. From a nutrition standpoint it is by far the best of the rices to put into storage, but it has one flaw: The essential oil in the germ of the rice is very susceptible to oxidation and soon goes rancid. As a result, brown rice has a shelf life of only about six months from the date of purchase unless given special packaging or storage processing. Freezing or refrigeration will greatly extend its storage life. It's also possible to purchase brown rice from long term food suppliers specially packaged in air tight containers with an inert nitrogen atmosphere. In this kind of packaging, (if properly done), the storage life of brown rice can be extended for years.
* Converted Rice - Converted rice starts as brown rice which undergoes a process of soaking and steaming until it is partially cooked. It is dried and then polished to remove the bran and germ. The steaming process drives some of the vitamins and minerals from the outer layers into the white inner layers. This makes it more nutritious than polished white rice, but also makes it more expensive.
* White Rice - This is raw rice that has had its outer layers milled off, taking with it about 10% of its protein, 85% of its fat and 70% of its mineral content. Because so much of the nutrition of the rice is lost, white rice sold in this country has to be enriched with vitamins that only partially replaces what was removed.

Rick
10-17-2008, 10:12 AM
In addition to the grains listed above, you can also store the following:

Amaranth: Amaranth is not a true cereal grain at all, but is a relative of the pigweeds and the ornamental flowers we know as cockscomb. It's grown not only for its seeds, but for its leaves that can be cooked and eaten as greens. The grain is high in protein, particularly the amino acid lysine which is limited in the true cereal grains. The grains can be milled as-is, or the seeds can be toasted to provide more flavor. The flour lacks gluten, so it's not suited for raised breads, but can be made into any of a number of flat breads. Some varieties can be popped much like popcorn, or can be boiled and eaten as a cereal, used in soups, granolas, and the like. Toasted or untoasted, it blends well with other grain flours.

Barley: Barley is thought by some to be the first grain ever grown by man. It has short, stubby kernels with a hull that is difficult to remove. Excluding barley intended for malting or animal feed, most of this grain is consumed by humans in two forms. The most common is the white, highly processed "pearl" barley that has had most of its bran and germ milled off along with its hull. It is the least nutritious form of barley. The second form it's found in is called "pot" or "hulled" barley and it has been subjected to the same milling process as pearled, but with fewer trips through the polisher. Because of this, it retains more of the nutritious germ and bran. Unless you are prepared to try to get the hulls off don't buy barley still in the hull. Barley can be milled into flour, but its low gluten content will not make a good loaf of raised bread. It can be combined with other flours that have sufficient gluten to make good raised bread or used in flat breads. Barley flour and flakes have a light nutty flavor that is enhanced by toasting. Whole barley is commonly used to add thickness to soups and stews.

Buckwheat: Buckwheat is another of those seeds commonly considered to be a grain, but which is not a true cereal. It is a close relative to the docks and sorrels. The grain itself is a dark, three cornered seed resembling a tiny beechnut. It has a hard, fibrous hull that requires a special buckwheat huller to remove it. Here in the U.S., it is most often used in pancakes, biscuits and muffins. In eastern Europe and Russia it is known in its toasted form as kasha. In the Far East, it's often made into soba or noodles. It's also a good bee plant, producing a dark, strongly flavored honey. The flour is light or dark depending on how much of the hull has been removed before grinding. Dark flour is far superior nutritionally as you might expect, but it also much more strongly flavored. Buckwheat is one of those foods with no middle ground in peoples opinions -- they either love it or they hate it. Like amaranth, it's high in lysine, an amino acid commonly lacking in the true cereal grains.

Mullet: Millet is an important staple grain in North China, and India, but is little known as a food in the U.S, mostly being used as bird feed. The grain kernels are very small, round, and usually ivory colored or yellow, though some varieties are darker. The lack of gluten and a rather bland flavor may account for the anonymity of this grain here, but it's alkaline content is higher than other grains and makes it very easy to digest. It also has a higher iron content than any other grain but amaranth. It swells a great deal when cooked and supplies more servings per pound than any other grains. When cooked like rice it makes an excellent breakfast cereal. Though it has little gluten of its own, it mixes well with other flours.

Quinoa: Quinoa is yet another of the grains that is not a true cereal. It's botanical name is Chenopodium quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah"), and is a relative of the common weed Lambsquarter. The individual kernels are about 1.5-2 mm in size and are shaped rather like small flattened spheres, yellow in color. When quinoa is cooked, the germ of the grain coils into a small "tail" that lends a pleasant crunch. This exotic grain should be thoroughly washed before cooking in order to prevent the cooked product from tasting bitter. There are several varieties of quinoa that have color ranging from near white to a dark brown. The larger white varieties are considered superior and are the most common found.

Rye: Rye is a well known bread grain in the U.S., though not as popular as wheat. It has dark brown kernels longer and thinner than wheat, but less gluten. Bread made from this grain tends to be somewhat dense unless gluten is added (often in the form of a lot of wheat flour) with color that ranges from pale to dark brown. German pumpernickel, made with unrefined rye flour and molasses, is the blackest, densest form. Rye makes for excellent variety in the diet.

Sorghum: Sorghum is probably more widely known here in the States for the syrup made from the juice squeezed from the canes of one of its many varieties. Also widely called "milo", it is one of the principle cereal grains grown in Africa. Its seeds are somewhat round, a little smaller than peppercorns, with an overall brown color with a bit of red and yellow mixed in. The varieties called "yellow endosperm sorghum" have a better taste. Sorghum is a major feed grain in the Southwestern part of the U.S. and is where the vast majority of the national milo production goes to. Like most of the other grains, sorghum is low in gluten, but the seeds can be milled into flour and mixed with higher gluten flours or made into flat breads, pancakes or cookies. In the Far East, it is cooked and eaten like rice, while in Africa it is ground in meal for porridge. It's also commonly brewed into alcoholic beverages.

Triticale: Triticale is a cross or hybrid between wheat and rye. This youngest grain combines the productivity of wheat with the ruggedness of rye and has a high nutrition value. Triticale kernels are gray-brown, oval shaped larger-than-wheat kernels and plumper than rye. It will make a raised bread like wheat flour will, but the gluten is a bit weak so wheat flour is frequently added to strengthen it. Because of the delicate nature of its gluten, excessive kneading must be avoided. This grain can be used in much the same way wheat or rye is. Although it is the youngest of the grains, it's been around for some years now.

Rick
10-17-2008, 10:12 AM
QUESTIONS ABOUT FOOD STORAGE

Storage Containers:

4, 5 and 6 gallon food grade buckets.

Here is where I have a question. Some lids have a rubber gasket to seal the bucket. What is the advantage of Gamma Seals over Rubber Gaskets? Which is better and which do you use? Have you opened stored grain using gasket lids vs. Gamma lids after several years and what were your results?

How to Keep Insects Out of Stored Food:

What methods do you use and what works?

Oxygen obsorbers vs. Nitrogen:

Do you use one or the other or both? Have you opened food stored after several years and what were the results?

Mylar bags:

Do you use them? What size for 5 gallon buckets and how do you seal them? Iron vs. Commercial sealer?

Grain Mills:

What type of hand powered grain mill do you use. I know Don uses the Country Living Grain Mill, which is very expensive..$400...in that range.

What do you use and are you happy with it? How fine does it grind grains?

This is a start. Let me know your thoughts and I hope some of you can answer my questions so we can have a thorough document on grain storage.

BraggSurvivor
10-17-2008, 10:32 AM
What is the advantage of Gamma Seals over Rubber Gaskets?

Work the same but if you are rotating your stock, Gamma lids make removal and replacement allot easier. I use Gamma lids in 5 gallon food grade buckets. Around here new buckets with lids retail for around $10.00 each. We have rotated wheat last month for this winter and it was sealed in 2001. Perfect condition.


Oxygen obsorbers vs. Nitrogen

I use nitrogen. I have an old 110 steel dive cylinder and have it filled. Cost is around $25.00. It will fill about 75 - 5 gallon buckets.


What type of hand powered grain mill do you use?

I have purchased several mills over the years. (even one that hooks to a bicycle) You get what you pay for in most cases. IMO stone mills are far more superior in comparison to steel burr mills and grind finer flour.

Rick
10-17-2008, 10:34 AM
I use nitrogen. I have an old 110 steel dive cylinder and have it filled. Cost is around $25.00. It will fill about 75 - 5 gallon buckets.

How do you fill the buckets with nitrogen?


I have purchased several mills over the years. (even one that hooks to tour bicycle) You get what you pay for in most cases. IMO stone mills are far more superior in comparison to steel burr mills and grind finer flour.

Do you have some brand names and/or model numbers you are happy with? Is the coarseness of the flour adjustable in any way or do you just grind it multiple times to reduce size?

BraggSurvivor
10-17-2008, 10:47 AM
I actually have an old octo regulator that I switched hose ends on. I just place the free end of the hose at the bottom of the bucket and add the grain to the top. (as full as you can get while still being able to get the lid on) I push the clear button on the regulator after I loosely place the lid and hold for 20 seconds while pulling up on the hose. Snap the lid on and store in a cool, dry dark area.

As for the mill, I'll have to get the name from the wife as she is the sole user. If I remember it is adjustable.

hound
10-17-2008, 11:35 AM
I live in the orchard from my grandparents farm. near my yard is the old grainery built in the late 1800's. My father remembers this building still being used as a boy. On a raised floor were large bins of thick boards tightly fitted with heavy lids built the same. The grainery sits in full sun with its long side facing the prevailing wind. I would imagine this helped prevent rot/mold. The many hungry barn cats would help with the rat and mouse population. I doubt more than a winters worth of grain was stored this way but that just shows how it was done back then. I have to add that over 100 years since this building was built and my family still uses it to store things. Just not grain anymore.