tomatoes
Senior Member
Posts: 1,065
Likes: 1,089
|
Post by tomatoes on Aug 4, 2017 9:51:29 GMT 10
I'd like easy storage suggestions for 5 kg bags of wheat, oats, flour, rice, etc.
This is for storage of much greater quantities than 5 kg, but they come packaged that way. They will be used (and replaced) within about 12 months, a lot used sooner, so this is stuff in our regular rotation - meaning it should be easy to get to and the containers easy to reuse. This is why I'm thinking not Mylar or similar.
I have previously just squashed the 5 kg bags, unopened, into 20 lt buckets. This keeps the food fine, but I can only fit one bag or sometimes 2 into a bucket, so that is getting to be too many buckets.
I have used big plastic boxes with lids and put the 5kg bags straight in before, but rats can get to those.
I have a container in the kitchen that I refill with about 4 kg at a time (and I just keep the other kg in the bag and use it over a week or two) so I don't want to waste time packaging it all in vacuum pack bags and sealing it, hoping to fit more into each bucket.
Ideally I'd like to just pour it all directly into 20 lt buckets. I don't quite trust that it will be ok like that though. So I'm thinking of finding large, thick, food-grade bags that can line the buckets, be filled, and have the tops folded down (not heat/vacuum sealed) and bucket lid put on.
Any thoughts on that? Any idea where to source bags like that? Any other suggestions for storage?
I am open to the idea of packaging it up a couple of different ways too - as in, half of it a bit less secure and to be used first, then go to more trouble with the second half.
|
|
tomatoes
Senior Member
Posts: 1,065
Likes: 1,089
|
Post by tomatoes on Aug 4, 2017 13:43:32 GMT 10
What about 50l drums with screw on or clamp on lids? Pet food warehouses havev them sometimes. I usethem for pasta and a couple of 200l drums for rice. Do you mean to put the food into these in the bags they came in?
|
|
paranoia
Senior Member
Posts: 1,098
Likes: 1,252
Email: para@ausprep.org
|
Post by paranoia on Aug 4, 2017 14:56:02 GMT 10
We have 11L food buckets in the pantry for rice that we empty the 5kg bags into but only ever have one bag open at once. I usually keep the rest of short to medium term storage in the packet in buckets but am facing the same issue of space efficiency where you can only fit one or two packets in a bucket and the round shape causes its own efficiency problems with storage. I've looked at the cargo cases in Bunnings a few times to solve this problem but they won't fit in the pantry. Soon as I've finished my storage room I'll probably pick up a few. They're not so expensive as to put me off and would be much easier for short to medium than larger drums.
|
|
spatial
Senior Member
Posts: 2,151
Likes: 1,495
|
Post by spatial on Aug 4, 2017 16:45:34 GMT 10
I use the Bunnigns 30l wide mouth water storage drums, they are a bit pricey but can be stacked on top of each other and work well. You could line the drum with a food grade plastic bag and just empty the wheat into the drum and take out when needed. will store easily more than 12 months. For long term storage we freeze the bags of rice, wheat then put in the drum in the original packaging with oxygen absorbers. The drums have a rubber sleeve that fits in the lid and come round or square. www.bunnings.com.au/icon-plastics-30l-blue-tint-wide-mouth-water-storage-drum-with-bung_p3240534
|
|
|
Post by Joey on Aug 4, 2017 17:00:07 GMT 10
If rodents are an issue, why not store the smaller plastic tubs inside a steel garbage can? Or for a larger volume, you can get 44gal drums with removable lids
|
|
tomatoes
Senior Member
Posts: 1,065
Likes: 1,089
|
Post by tomatoes on Aug 4, 2017 17:21:53 GMT 10
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to start by sorting the buckets that I have to see if I have a few available. That might buy some time before needing to store another lot.
Anyone know where to get large thick plastic food grade bags - the size of a 20 lt bucket?
|
|
feralemma
Senior Member
Posts: 398
Likes: 540
|
Post by feralemma on Aug 7, 2017 16:20:07 GMT 10
Not sure on where to get the bags from, but if you are looking for 44 gallon drums with removeable lids they are commonly sold at stockfeeders.
|
|
tomatoes
Senior Member
Posts: 1,065
Likes: 1,089
|
Post by tomatoes on Aug 7, 2017 19:46:03 GMT 10
Decided just to order another lot of 20 lt buckets - easy to stack, easy to lift, etc. I can just leave the food in the bags it comes in - takes up more space, but that is made up for with easy of packing and of use.
|
|
feralemma
Senior Member
Posts: 398
Likes: 540
|
Post by feralemma on Aug 8, 2017 10:40:47 GMT 10
Lol definitely easier to stack and move than a 200L drum full of grain!
|
|
shinester
Senior Member
China's white trash
Posts: 3,119
Likes: 3,578
Email: shiny@ausprep.org
|
Post by shinester on Aug 8, 2017 23:36:12 GMT 10
Drums, wheat even if not properly sealed will last a very long time, if you store it and burn candles inside [assuming fairly air tight] it will last longer, so forever. It IS very attractive to vermin. I would also 'very' much suggest you store some means of turning it edible with it, be it mill or even just the sprouting bags because it's an essential part of being able to eat it.
|
|