corn storage

[saichele]

So for all the corn afficianados out there -

I'm pondering what kind of heating appliance to put in the other end of the house. Wood's out because of the chimney cost, and I'm about evenly split between pellet/corn and gas. Unfortunately, the medium term economics makes straight pellet a no-go vs. gas.

So how do you all transport and store corn? I figure I'll need to have somewhere in the neighborhood of 50lbs/day (roughly a bushel), and don't necessarily want to run to the elavator every weekend. If I wanted to have storage for 1500lbs (30 bushels, roughly 40 cubic feet, 300 gallons) of corn, what's the best approach?

Steve

 

[ktutak]

We are also researching corn as well. What I have found is a lot of people will store their bulk corn in either rubbermaid totes (about 18 gallon or larger) or in large sealed garbage cans. You want it to be sealed to ward of critters and moisture etc. Some people who have more space on their property and live rurally buy gravity box trailers to store large amounts of corn. I live in town so that isn't an option here.

We will probably do a combo of the large garbage cans and totes. The tote bins to have in a our stoarge room closer to the stove and the garbage cans in our garage.

 

[Czech]

I use the totes, they work well. Note that a full larger tote is very heavy when filled! You may be better off going many smaller ones vs. few large ones. If you have the room and dollars, buy a gravity bin. Basically a big bin on a trailer, fill it at the elevator and park it in your garage. If you go with the totes, fill on a windy day and have the farmer fill from a high point. The wind cleans the corn as it is poured, blows the dust and junk away.

 

[begreen]

I don't think totes would work for us. The critters that get into our garage love chewing on plastic. I've found oil containers, wax, even a garden sprayer with big holes in them. If I stored corn in totes, they'd just think that I am now serving dessert with their plastic dinner. Suspect they'd call all their friends and have quite a feast.

 

[ktutak]

I don't think totes would work for us. The critters that get into our garage love chewing on plastic. I've found oil containers, wax, even a garden sprayer with big holes in them. If I stored corn in totes, they'd just think that I am now serving dessert with their plastic dinner. Suspect they'd call all their friends and have quite a feast.

The dealer we are currently working with said we could also use metal garbage cans...then just a tote to bring it in the house...or just bring it down by the bucket full

 

[saichele]

Metal garbage cans were my first choice, but I'm not up for laying out that kind of cash. Nowadays they start at $40 for the basic 30gal, and go up. Seems like I should be able to come up with something better for 400 or 500 bucks.

Steve

 

[stovemanken]

This is a great question!

Penn State's Department of Agriculture has a website about burning corn. One of the things they caution against is keeping corn in airtight containers, as they are concerned about mold.

I would like to figure out what kind of container would allow air in but not mice?

I also thought the post about mice and plastic was very interesting. I was scoffed off (flamed) from a pro-corn burning website becasue I suggested that Tupperware was no match for a determined (and hungry) mouse. Thanks for the vindication.

SMK

 

[begreen]

Our mice (and rats) eat tupperware for dessert.

Mold is a real concern as well. We have some galvanized cans that I have drilled with several 1/4" ventilation holes for potato storage. That might work.

 

[Shane]

What about a fat cat? Cut the problem off at the source.

 

[begreen]

What about a fat cat? Cut the problem off at the source.

Well, usually a skinny cat is a better mouser . Our cat is a pretty good mouser, but often fills himself on field voles which are easy catches. Once I saw a norway rat in the garage that was almost as big as he was. I'm not sure who would win if they tangled.

 

[joshuaviktor]

Check ebay for 55 gallon drums. should be about 10 bucks each. get the open top ones, with locking top. The whole top comes off, corn gets poured in, lock top on,drill holes in it if you want to ward off mold.

Make sure the drums have been used for food grade or frying oil or something innocuous before you get them. Do not want to burn corn soaked in rat poison.

Joshua

 

[wg_bent]

How about one of the galvanized watering tubs for livestock? Put wheels on it. Use a peice of sheet steel for a top. Transport the stuff in plastic garbage cans in your truck.

 

[saichele]

After digging a bit more, I found 'Brock bins' - used for livestock feed, in sizes ranging from a couple tons to full blown silos. And the elevator delivers. So I may be able to acquire one of these bins for the back, have the elvator drop corn periodically, and just bring it in on a weeke to week basis (like the wood) in garbage casn or the like.

Steve

 

[Czech]

If you go the 55 gal drum route, know that they go approx 350 lbs when full. This can be a bit surpising when you try to get them out of the pickup, don't ask!

 

[HarryBack]

*cringe* here I go now....dont slam me too much.....

I order my pellets on a skid......its delivered to my house with a little forklift.....its not really bothered by humidity, so I can buy it in the summer and store it......it doesnt attract rats, sometimes a mouse might feel its a good place for a home and build nests between the bags.....the pellets are in easy to carry convenient plastic bags, so I go to the skid, pick up a bag of pellets, walk in with it, dump it in the stove, then use the bags for my trash....dont really need to worry about "stuff"creen out like foliage, cobs, dead rodents. Im not really sure where the nearest elevator is to me here in MA.....id say quite a ways....if the corn had the right moisture content.....and I dont own a pickup either, so I guess Id need one of them......

 

[begreen]

No slam here HarryB. That's pretty much my routine on the opposite coast. It's worked well for the past 5 years.

 

[Czech]

No slam here either Harry! Corn works for me for one reason. 40lb pellet = $4.75 (currently), 56lb (1 bushel) corn 1/2 mile from my house = $1.70. I haven't had issues with rodents, althoug I'm fairly urban. I do keep things picked up, even if its one kernal! By the way, I do not clean anything, the corns is pretty good as is, I go on windy days and the farmer buckets it from on high. Blows most of the stuff away. My KK pellets have more dust than the corn. It's mostly about location and price, heck I'm burning oats right now because they were free!

 

[HarryBack]

yeah....location here is a killer for us....in the Northeast, no close pellet mills, corn is even further from us....distance=$$$, irregardless of whther its pellets or corn....too bad too, because nowhere in the US are pellets more expensive than New England...I think.

 

[Mo Heat]

HarryBack and BeGreen,

Is there a charge for delivery? If so, how much?

 

[saichele]

Careful MO. You're in danger on two counts

1) potentially hijacking a corn stove thread to talk pellets, and
2) not using corn. You are, after all, in the heart of corn country...

Steve

 

[drizler]

Whats the big deal hauling the corn? Its easy you can stash it in about any plastic metal or whatever container. It hauls nicely in the back of your pickup with a tarp for a liner. I leave mine in the garage, outside in the truck with a piece of tin over it, in the basement whatever, its no big deal as long as its not getting rained on. Mice never seem to be much of an issue. Racoons get in once in a while but don't do much real damage. Biggest issue with them is their chewing holes in the lid. Check out iburncorn.com for everything about burning the stuff. The site is a bit slow so be patient its worth it. Pellets are a lot more subject to breakdown by far.

 

[HarryBack]

HarryBack and BeGreen,

Is there a charge for delivery? If so, how much?

How much? Just got a quote on having 22 tons of hardwood pellets shipped to MA from PA....just over $1100.00/TL......corn....isnt much corn hear here, in fact, Im guessing the closest elevator is pretty far away from ole MA here......so yeah, shipping costs ALOT.

 

[NWfuel]

Harry, How many miles for 1100.00 trucking? We pay 970.00 including fuel surcharge (30 tons) for 650 miles.
Thomas

 

[begreen]

HarryBack and BeGreen,

Is there a charge for delivery? If so, how much?

When I have it delivered it's $45. Doesn't matter if it's 1 ton or 10. I can get it in my truck, but 3 tons = 6 runs, so I have been getting it delivered.

 

[HarryBack]

Harry, How many miles for 1100.00 trucking? We pay 970.00 including fuel surcharge (30 tons) for 650 miles.
Thomas

Im in western ma, while this particular company is somehwere in PA....Id say 5-600 miles.