# Storing bags of pellets



## ordinary guy (May 29, 2020)

What and where is the best  way to store bags of lumberjack pellets?

I dont usually buy large quantities so i am at a loss if storing in a garage is ok or does hearmt and cold make a differenc etc. etc


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## pops6927 (May 29, 2020)

I have a Home Depot 5 gal. bucket w/lid to store my excess lumberjack pellets in,  I pour half a 40 lb. bag into my pellet grill out on the back porch ,l then put the rest in the bucket and put the lid on it.  Leave it out there summer and winter.


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## ordinary guy (May 29, 2020)

pops6927 said:


> I have a Home Depot 5 gal. bucket w/lid to store my excess lumberjack pellets in,  I pour half a 40 lb. bag into my pellet grill out on the back porch ,l then put the rest in the bucket and put the lid on it.  Leave it out there summer and winter.


And that is better than leaving them in plasric bags?


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## bigfurmn (May 29, 2020)

I have used old (cleaned out) cat litter 40lb buckets in my garage. Seems to work fine. Mainly try to keep the moisture out if you can.


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## mike243 (May 30, 2020)

I leave them in the bag in my carport without any problems, when I open 1 it goes into a locking bucket type deal that looks to be about 5 gal and is water proof, Only time I have seen pellets swell is from a few that were spilled unloading to put in a different flavor, was next to the no wall side and they really swell up lol


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## Chasdev (May 30, 2020)

I keep mine in air tight plastic storage bins (the ones with gaskets on the lids) if they are open and outside but I prefer to keep the bags inside the house, cool and dry.


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## Steve H (May 30, 2020)

I break them down into 1 gallon zip lock bags. Haven't had any issues yet.


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## schlotz (May 30, 2020)

ordinary guy said:


> What and where is the best  way to store bags of lumberjack pellets?
> 
> I dont usually buy large quantities so i am at a loss if storing in a garage is ok or does hearmt and cold make a differenc etc. etc


I use  Kingsford Kaddys.  Don't be swayed by the description, they hold 40 Lbs of pellets!


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## Blues1 (May 30, 2020)

mike243 said:


> I leave them in the bag in my carport without any problems, when I open 1 it goes into a locking bucket type deal that looks to be about 5 gal and is water proof, Only time I have seen pellets swell is from a few that were spilled unloading to put in a different flavor, was next to the no wall side and they really swell up lol


Mine stays in the bags they came in, inside the garage with no problems. As long as their are no water leaks, they should be fine.


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## Steve H (May 30, 2020)

schlotz said:


> I use  Kingsford Kaddys.  Don't be swayed by the description, they hold 40 Lbs of pellets!
> 
> View attachment 447607



I haven't seen those before. I think I'm heading to Amazon. Thanks.


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## ordinary guy (May 30, 2020)

Thanks for all the info, I do appreciate it...... also I too have never seen the Kingsford Kaddys


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## sandyut (May 30, 2020)

I have heard the only thing avoid is setting bags directly on concrete.  Story read several places was that some how they break down to dust from some "reaction" with concrete...  Just repeating what i read - no idea if its true.  Took the advice to be careful.

I leave mine in the bags on milk crates to avoid concrete and water.  I have a 5 gallon HD bucket with a lid for partial bags to be dumped into.


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## 1MoreFord (May 30, 2020)

FYI, Ace Hardwares and True Value Hardwares carry the Kingsford Kaddys.  Lowes did at one time.  Doesn't look like they do now.

They come in three sizes.  11 lb cap., 24 lb, and 55 lb.


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## ofelles (May 30, 2020)

I live in California so humidity is not an issue.  I leave mine in the garage in the plastic bag it comes in.  Just roll to close.  I put the pellets in a 5 gal bucket if I mix them (blend) and if I am keeping them out by the cooker.


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## retfr8flyr (May 30, 2020)

The Kingsford Caddy's work well, so will plastic containers. You can store the bags in your garage as long as you keep them off the floor. I have most of mine in the original bags stacked on a pallet, on my garage floor. I also have about 5 large airtight plastic containers and 1 KC that I use for blending flavors and filling the grill. When I get low in the container I am using, I will open another bag and refill it.


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## bill1 (Jun 3, 2020)

Thanks for the tip Schlotz.  Buddeez (who makes these for Kingsford) appears to have 2 models:   a 4-gallon model intended for 12# Kingsford sacks and an 8-gallon one for 24# of briquettes.  Pellets are ~6.2 #/gallon so 20# of pellets fits fine in the small one and 40# in the large one.  Since they're designed to be modular & stackable, I'd prefer pouring from a smaller one.  Unfortunately Amazon's price for _one _smaller one is even more than a 2X larger one so you're fiscally motivated to be strong here.  (Eat your meat.)   
There are some amazon complaints of rodents eating through the plastic but I assume people were storing pet food, not wood pellets, in them.  
Another option is a 20 gal trashcan.  The snap-on Rubbermaid lid is not air tight, but the design effectively deflects rain.  They readily hold a couple open sacks of pellets side-by-side for multiple "flavors" on tap.  When filled with 120# of pellets they're not easily moved but a 4# Folgers plastic coffee can makes a great scoop and is good for at least 3 hours of cooking.   
13-gallon is a common size as well but lid designs don't appear to handle heavy rains so would be limited to sheds or garages only.


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## bill1 (Jun 3, 2020)

1MoreFord said:


> They come in three sizes.  11 lb cap., 24 lb, and 55 lb.


I stand corrected.  I was unaware of the VERY large size.  55# of briquettes is ~18 gallons or ~100 pounds of pellets.


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## K9BIGDOG (Jun 3, 2020)

I get the Home Depot (or Lowes) 5 gallon buckets. They're only around $3.50 each and then I get a "gamma seal" type lid that has a screw on top and a gasket. That piece is about $7 or $8.  Pellets stay nice and dry no matter the weather and you can stack the buckets.  I mark the buckets with a Sharpie pen so I know what flavor is inside.


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## 1MoreFord (Jun 4, 2020)

bill1 said:


> I stand corrected.  I was unaware of the VERY large size.  55# of briquettes is ~18 gallons or ~100 pounds of pellets.



I wasn't either.  That's why I posted it.


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## zaibas (Jun 7, 2020)

K9BIGDOG said:


> I get the Home Depot (or Lowes) 5 gallon buckets. They're only around $3.50 each and then I get a "gamma seal" type lid that has a screw on top and a gasket. That piece is about $7 or $8.  Pellets stay nice and dry no matter the weather and you can stack the buckets.  I mark the buckets with a Sharpie pen so I know what flavor is inside.


this is exactly what i do as well, gamma seal lids are great.  so far its been working great for me, got a bucket for each type of wood, usually keep them in the garage but i have forgotten one outside once or twice, pellets stayed dry in rain and snow, and no issues in freezing temps.  as a bonus the food safe buckets are great for brining stuff too :)


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## 2008RN (Jun 8, 2020)

zaibas said:


> this is exactly what i do as well, gamma seal lids are great.  so far its been working great for me, got a bucket for each type of wood, usually keep them in the garage but i have forgotten one outside once or twice, pellets stayed dry in rain and snow, and no issues in freezing temps.  as a bonus the food safe buckets are great for brining stuff too :)



I also do the same thing as zaibatsu and k9bigdog.   I  have 5 buckets for different types of lumber jack  woods, and the one bucket just for mixing for the pellet smoker.  I also have another bucket for brining.   I love the screw on lids.  They have a rubber seal. It is quick and easy to open and close with an air tight seal.  I have hand written cards that I tape to the bucket, and I use 3 different colors of buckets. It helps to grab the right bucket quicker.

I just put in a bulk order.  I plan on using a raised platform and heavy duty shelves to store all of the bags. When I need to open a bag,  the pellet go into the 5gallon bucket.


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## bill1 (Jun 11, 2020)

I've been buying a lot of 40# Pit Boss Competition Blend lately.  Due to a sore back, I bought a 20# bag (of PB Hickory) last weekend.  Unlike the 40-pounders, it appears there's a zip-lock closure on the 20# bags.   I poured half the bag into coffee cans (only cut a 3" wide top opening, avoiding the ziplock grooves) and then sealed up the rest, after rolling up the bag to expel the air.  
Not as classy as a bucket but gets the job done and with no chance of labeling error.  Anyway, another option that at least_ I _hadn't considered.


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## texomakid (Jun 15, 2020)

I've always just opened the bag, use what I need to use and just put the bag back in my storage box. It's not sealed but it is currently in a screened in porch. My experience with pellets is they are fine as long as they don't get wet (by wet I mean WET like hitting them with a water hose or something.) I've left bags open for weeks and the pellets were fine. Only thing I've found is don't set them on concrete. just a layer of plastic, cardboard, or a pallet to not allow them to contact the concrete will work. 

I've probably been through close to 2000 lbs of pellets in the last couple of years. concrete floors are their true enemy.


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