Property and Equipment (Details)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2015

USD ($)

bu

Oct. 31, 2014

USD ($)

Oct. 31, 2013

USD ($)

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property, Plant and Equipment [Table Text Block]

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is provided over the following estimated useful lives by use of the straight-line method.

Asset Description	Years
Land improvements	5-20 years
Railroad improvements	5-20 years
Process equipment and tanks	5-15 years
Administration building	10-30 years
Office equipment	5-10 years
Rolling stock	5-15 years

A summary of property and equipment:

	October 31, 2015		October 31, 2014
Land and improvements	$	13,348,732	$	12,307,063
Railroad improvements	8,005,523		8,005,523
Process equipment and tanks	123,405,024		113,602,431
Administration building	907,652		1,015,361
Office equipment	569,328		265,792
Rolling stock	1,777,863		1,834,026
Construction in progress	2,013,765		7,109,796
	150,027,887		144,139,992
Less: accumulated depreciation	65,723,725		56,111,647
Net property and equipment	$	84,304,162	$	88,028,345

Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

A summary of property and equipment:

	October 31, 2015		October 31, 2014
Land and improvements	$	13,348,732	$	12,307,063
Railroad improvements	8,005,523		8,005,523
Process equipment and tanks	123,405,024		113,602,431
Administration building	907,652		1,015,361
Office equipment	569,328		265,792
Rolling stock	1,777,863		1,834,026
Construction in progress	2,013,765		7,109,796
	150,027,887		144,139,992
Less: accumulated depreciation	65,723,725		56,111,647
Net property and equipment	$	84,304,162	$	88,028,345

Depreciation expense totaled approximately $9,612,000, $9,209,000, and $5,937,000 for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Construction in Progress

On April 8, 2015, GFE executed a construction agreement with an unrelated contractor to construct an additional 750,000 bushel grain storage bin. The grain storage expansion project is expected to cost approximately $2.7 million and is expected to be completed during the first half of our 2016 fiscal year.

On July 31, 2015, HLBE placed a purchase order with an unrelated party for a new regenerative thermal oxidizer and made a down payment of approximately $375,000 to secure the order. The total commitment approximates $1.9 million and is expected to be completed during the latter part of fiscal year 2016.

Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]

Depreciation

$ 9,612,000

$ 9,209,000

$ 5,937,000

Land and Land Improvements

13,348,732

12,307,063

Railroad Improvements

8,005,523

8,005,523

Machinery and Equipment, Gross

123,405,024

113,602,431

Furniture and Fixtures, Gross

569,328

265,792

Vehicles

1,777,863

1,834,026

Administration building

907,652

1,015,361

Construction in Progress, Gross

2,013,765

7,109,796

Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross

150,027,887

144,139,992

Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Property, Plant, and Equipment

65,723,725

56,111,647

Property, Plant and Equipment, Net

$ 84,304,162

$ 88,028,345

Grain Storage [Member] | Granite Falls Energy, LLC [Member]

Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]

Construction in Process, Bushels | bu

750,000

Construction in Progress, Gross

$ 2,700,000

Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer [Member] | Heron Lake BioEnergy, LLC [Member]

Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]

Construction in Progress, Gross

1,900,000

Payments for Construction in Process

$ 375,000