Storing wheat

[horseshoe3]

For several years, I've been storing my own wheat for bread. I have been keeping it in a freezer to keep the microscopic bugs in suspended animation so the don't eat out the germ. I would like to store it some other way that doesn't require freezer space.

Of course, I don't want to use a poisonous treatment. That would defeat the purpose of growing my own organic wheat. Would diatomaceous earth be a good option?

[big country]

Are mylar bags and Oxygen absorbers out of the question?

Thats the best way to store it that I know of. Its easy to pack, cheap to pack, and doesn't require any special storage conditions (dry and cool is best of course, but not necessary).

[horseshoe3]

They are not out of the question, but I don't know if they will work. Will the oxygen absorbers take out enough O2 to suffocate the bugs?

Cleaning gets rid of a lot of bugs, but not all. It doesn't take many to eat out the seeds if you store it long enough. In the past, I've stored it for up to a year with minimal damage, but I'm looking at long term here and the bugs would have a lot of time to work.

[Dogman]

They are not out of the question, but I don't know if they will work. Will the oxygen absorbers take out enough O2 to suffocate the bugs?

Cleaning gets rid of a lot of bugs, but not all. It doesn't take many to eat out the seeds if you store it long enough. In the past, I've stored it for up to a year with minimal damage, but I'm looking at long term here and the bugs would have a lot of time to work. Yes, the long term vacuum will kill or suspend all of the critters that are hiding in your wheat.

Then you will have more room in your freezer for much better goodies.

[big country]

yep what dogman says. The O2 absorbers will suspend or kill all the critters. I'm pretty certain that the remove nearly ALL of the O2 (if not all...) Basically they are iron shavings that rust inside a pouch (i'm pretty sure anyways) and O2 is required for iron to rust.

Mylar and O2 is the best way I know of to store it (I have 300lbs stored this way). It looks just like it did when I stored it (I open a few packs a year for grinding). I have only had it stored this way for about 3 years though.

I order my bags from here:
http://www.sorbentsystems.com/mylar.html
I use the 10VF4C16 bags:

10VF4C16
10.0"x16.0"
Equivalent to a #10 can.PAKVF4C (http://sorbentsystems.com/specs/pakvf4c.html)
5.0 mils- Food Grade!
Also available in Green!2505050-150 @ $0.562ea
200-450 @ $0.525ea
500-1000 @ $0.465ea
1250-2250 @ $.415ea
2500 + @ $.368ea

I put 5lbs of wheat in each bag, and I store 5 bags per 5 gallon bucket. (it is a tight fit and I have to smash/reshape the bags to get them to fit this way)

Here is the link for O2 absorbers that I use (I get them from the same place ot save on shipping)
http://www.sorbentsystems.com/order_O2.html
I usually use the 300CC size for #10 can or equivalent (the bags I use are equivalent)

If you're doing lots, an impulse sealer beats a clothing iron in speed and ease.
http://sorbentsystems.com/impulsesealers.html
I have the 12" version ($80). If I was doing it over again I would have spend the extra money on a hot jaws instead:
http://sorbentsystems.com/hotjaw.html ($130)

[beefsteak]

Thank you very much Big Country from my wife, Helen. Of course, when Momma's happy, everybody ELSE is happy. LOL

She asked me to share something in return.

She said she was experiencing very short, dense breadmaker loaves recently b/c she had opened an older wheat not storied either in vacuum or in cans with absorbers. So she said she went to the net and typed in "old wheat" into her search engine (no, I didn't ask which one she uses, but I think it was bing. I'm a google guy myself. ) Then she clicked "Joy of Cooking" site, and learned something she didn't know.

As I understood her explanation yesterday, she learned that wheat is initially bought from the farm at 14% moisture, max. And that site she found, said that old wheat loses a good amount of its moisture. So yesterday when she baked bread, she added more water than she normally used on the fresher flour, and the loaf tripled in size and nearly pushed the lid of her breadmaker open before it was all done rising and baking.

She said she hopes this helps you all. She also said to tell you all she freezes for only 1 week to 10 days, and then stores the wheat into large mouth, screw top, pickle jars.

The bugs are dead and she doesn't worry after freezing. She doesn't remember who taught her to do that, she's just done it that way for the last 11 years at least.


"Loves the smell of Helen's baking bread" beefsteak

[chad]

i'ver been storing wheat in glass mason jars with o2 absorbers for 10+ years. no problems yet.

[big country]

I also have some in 1/2 gallon mason jars w/ O2 absorbers. That is the first stuff I did and it is doing fine.
Mylar is cheaper, lighter, and it doesn't break if I drop it. I have done both, mylar is the better way IMHO.

I have moved 5 times in 4 years though, so maybe the weight thing is a little bit more of a concern for me ;) I dont regret doing the mylar at all!

[horseshoe3]

I assume food grade plastic buckets with airtight lids would work as well? I can get frosting buckets from the local grocery store for cheaper that bags or jars.

[mightymanx]

I assume food grade plastic buckets with airtight lids would work as well? I can get frosting buckets from the local grocery store for cheaper that bags or jars.

For loooooong term storage buckets leach over time. like 5-20 years


I use the mylar bags 02 absorbers and then put it into a bucket with gamma seal lid that way when the time comes to use it:
open bucket
pull bag out
open
dump in to gama seal bucket
and dispense as needed.

Well that is my .02 on making it as bombproof as possible.

[lapis]

As I understood her explanation yesterday, she learned that wheat is initially bought from the farm at 14% moisture, max. And that site she found, said that old wheat loses a good amount of its moisture.

That's not the only thing. Wheat quickly loses its vitamin E and becomes rancid after it is ground:


"Flour was originally produced by grinding grains between large stones. The final product, 100 percent stone-ground whole-wheat flour, contained everything that was in the grain, including the germ, fiber, starch and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Without refrigeration or chemical preservatives, fresh stone-ground flour spoils quickly. After wheat has been ground, natural wheat-germ oil becomes rancid at about the same rate that milk becomes sour, so refrigeration of whole grain breads and flours is necessary. Technology's answer to these issues has been to apply faster, hotter and more aggressive processing.28

Since grinding stones are not fast enough for mass-production, the industry uses high-speed, steel roller mills that eject the germ and the bran. Much of this "waste product"--the most nutritious part of the grain--is sold as "byproducts" for animals. The resulting white flour contains only a fraction of the nutrients of the original grain. Even whole wheat flour is compromised during the modern milling process. High-speed mills reach 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and this heat destroys vital nutrients and creates rancidity in the bran and the germ. Vitamin E in the germ is destroyed--a real tragedy because whole wheat used to be our most readily available source of vitamin E."
~"Wheaty Indiscretions: What Happens to Wheat, from Seed to Storage (http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/wheaty-indiscretions)"

If you make a lot of bread, you may want to look into storing wheat berries which can be sprouted (releasing even more nutrients) or at least ground fresh and used right away so the fat it contains doesn't go rancid.

[chad]

crap. this means i've been rancid bread. i grind the wheat berries about once a month and put the ground stuff in to a jar.

[lapis]

crap. this means i've been rancid bread. i grind the wheat berries about once a month and put the ground stuff in to a jar.

Well, that's still better than eating store-bought bread.