[longrider]

Hey Guys,

My questions is: If you're using mylar bags to store grain in, why do you need food-grade storage containers? The grain won't touch the container, itself. Just curious. I'll be getting oats free from my farmer friend. Do I need to dry them more than just cut from the field? I'm going to get 4 bushels of it. I'm gonna look around to see if any farmers in the area have grown the red wheat. See if I can buy direct. [Also, I'll get some field corn and dry it in my dehydrator. I'll try to get 4 bushels of that, as well. That's a lot of drying, but I saw a process of drying in the oven, also. Any thoughts on that?

Another question: Has anyone made a bread oven outside? It's just too hot to bake bread inside right now. I would try a cob oven, but with heavy rain, unless it's covered by a roof, it would disintegrate. It's a lot of work, to see it melt like the witch on the Wizard of Oz. Any ideas? Maybe a concreate one?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Longrider[/I]

 

[HVU]

my tip for the bread oven would be that you should do some research on the ones roman soldiers used. i watched a documentary where they talked a bit about them and it might fascinate you.

 

[Montana Rancher]

Buckets make the grain easier to store and handle, you can barely stack 2 bags of Mylar on top of each other, but can easily stack 4 x5 gallon buckets.

For the quantity you are talking about I would suggest galvanized trash cans with the Mylar pouches as they will keel out rodents and are a reasonable price whe you are talking bushels.

There are many ways to cook bread outside, I would suggest a Dutch over charcoal or a fire, it's easy.

 

[paraquack]

I'm sure you could get away with using non food grade buckets if they were new. Buckets that had contained some type of nasty wouldn't be my choice. I was able to buy 3-1/2 gallon to 5 gallon buckets from my local bakery for $0.50 each with a lid. make sure the lids fit properly. My first batch had 4 that were the wrong lid.

I agree with Montana Rancher, Dutch ovens are a wonderful way to cook many different types of foods.

 

[Seneca]

If using a mylar bag, I'd suggest using a food grade bucket with lid or as MR suggests a galvanized can with a lid. The mylar bag with the 02 absorber, is what does the trick, but mylar is thin and flimsy so it is best protected from snags tears and vermin with a bucket or can that has a tight sealing lid. I've taken to using the gallon mylar bags instead of the bucket sized bags, that way I'm not opening the whole pail just for a small amount.

I use a propane gas camping oven for baking outdoors. It's a fairly nice unit it's not overly inexpensive yet not inexpensive either. I bought it several years ago for car/tent camping and it works, though I found that I have to keep an eye on the temp gauge and occasionally adjust the flame setting. It would definitely bake a couple of loves of bread at a time.

 

[bigdogbuc]

I think I saw one of those Nat Geo "Doomsday Preppers" using Nitrogen? to displace oxygen from the mylar bags he was using. But yes, as indicated above, buckets stack better, for your quantity, I think a garbage can would be right in-line and, it certainly seems on O2 absorber is way easier than pumping in Nitrogen or whatever it was. Dry, no air, you'll be good.

 

[MrsInor]

I dry corn by husking it and then hanging it up out of the way - usually the back bedroom. Takes a couple of weeks to dry - but saves the dehydrator for better things and uses no energy.

 

[Inor]

From my research oats are kind of a bugger to store if you just get them straight from the field. They will work fine for livestock from the field, but if you want to use them for humans they have a hard shell that needs to be removed first. That is what rolled oats are - the shell has been removed. I tried to find info about how to do that myself cheaply, but was unsuccessful. Maybe your farmer friend could offer some advice on that one?

I would dry them for a few weeks before packing them away though. I would hate to have any moisture left in them and have them mold in storage.

 

[TMCertified]

We actually just watched that episode last night of Doomsday Preppers where he used the nitrogen tank. Right after the episode I bought some mylar bags and some oxygen pouch thingy things. Forget what they are called. Home Depot has food grade buckets with the rubber seal on it to keep it nice and tight. I want to say they were 4.00 each or so. Not bad at all. I called down to my local whole foods to see how much a case of black beans where. You get a 10% bulk discount when you buy by the case and 25lbs is a case. I'm planning on heading down there to get a case of black beans to have ready when my bags arrive and try it out. Very much looking forward to my first 5 gallon bucket of food!

 

[longrider]

Thanks everyone, for the info. I'm late answering, as I couldn't figure out where I had posted this. I know. I'm slow but do get there eventually. I like all the suggestions. I will try the mylar, in gallon bags, in a galvanized can. I have to store my preps outside - long, frustrating story. So I want to be sure the rats and mice can't get into them.

I don't have a dutch oven, but it's on my list. I like that better than building an outside oven, only to have to leave it behind when I buy land. Thanks again, all, for the great suggestions.

 

[Smitty901]

not sure how that got in the wrong place.

 

[Seneca]

Will a 5.56 penetrate a galvanize pail full of beans packed in mylar bags?

 

[PaulS]

Yes, a 22LR, some pump-up BB guns and a decent bow will too. 50 gallon drums aren't a lot heavier but they are better.
Car bodies are made of 22-28 ga metal, that garbage can is made of 28 - 30 ga metal and the 50 gallon drums are made of 18 - 22 ga. metal.
The higher the number the thinner the metal.

 

[Smitty901]

You ask about drying grain. Yes it needs to be dry to store it. You can allow it to air dry if humidity is low. It takes time.
Most grains come out of the field to wet to store .
Example bulk corn needs to be below 13% for storage. Grains will keep without special bags for a long time if dry and stirred up now and then.
Link with good info on Oats storage and use
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/07/21/grains-all-about-oats/

 

[longrider]

Thank you all so much. I found 4 gal. buckets at Running's Farm and Fleet. With mylar bags in them, then put the buckets into a galvanized garbage can, I think it would be good. I appreciate all the input. I'm gonna buy more buckets from Runnings. They have handles that fold flat and stack really nicely.