Revenue (Disaggregatation Of Revenue By Major Source) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	[1]	Sep. 30, 2019	[1]	Jun. 30, 2019	[1]	Mar. 31, 2019	[1]	Dec. 31, 2018	[1]	Sep. 30, 2018	[1]	Jun. 30, 2018	[1]	Mar. 31, 2018	[1]	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	$ 84,044	$ 332,282
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	2,332,760	2,650,349
Leasing revenues under ASC 842																	434	1,301
Total Revenues	$ 715,677		$ 632,350		$ 630,570		$ 438,641		$ 583,508		$ 789,048		$ 807,709		$ 803,667		2,417,238	2,983,932	$ 3,289,475
Ethanol [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	620	3,803
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	1,860,665	2,037,275
Distillers Grains [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	70,729	206,905
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	271,294	339,878
Corn Oil [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	79,775	102,300
Grain [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	63,408	82,262
Vinegar [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																		108,011
Service Revenues [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	6,422	5,180
Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	6,273	8,383
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	57,618	88,634
Ethanol Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	74,038	216,263
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	1,626,677	1,904,398
Total Revenues																	1,700,715	2,120,661	2,507,673
Ethanol Production [Member] | Ethanol [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	620	3,803
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	1,338,093	1,618,319
Ethanol Production [Member] | Distillers Grains [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	70,729	206,905
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	228,849	198,738
Ethanol Production [Member] | Corn Oil [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	50,290	66,567
Ethanol Production [Member] | Grain [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	175	520
Ethanol Production [Member] | Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	2,589	5,369
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	9,270	20,254
Ethanol Production [Member] | Intersegment Revenues [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	100	186
Agribusiness and Energy Services [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	3,684	3,038
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	731,816	765,918
Total Revenues																	735,500	768,956	668,761
Agribusiness and Energy Services [Member] | Ethanol [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	522,572	418,956
Agribusiness and Energy Services [Member] | Distillers Grains [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	42,445	141,140
Agribusiness and Energy Services [Member] | Corn Oil [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	28,034	22,623
Agribusiness and Energy Services [Member] | Grain [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	63,233	81,742
Agribusiness and Energy Services [Member] | Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	3,684	3,014
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	48,348	68,380
Agribusiness and Energy Services [Member] | Intersegment Revenues [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																		24
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	27,184	33,077
Food And Ingredients [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																		108,011
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	1,451	13,110
Total Revenues																	1,451	121,121	142,907
Food And Ingredients [Member] | Corn Oil [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	1,451	13,110
Food And Ingredients [Member] | Vinegar [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																		108,011
Partnership [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	13,548	14,210
Leasing revenues under ASC 842																	68,839	86,538
Total Revenues																	82,387	100,748	106,993
Partnership [Member] | Service Revenues [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	6,422	5,180
Partnership [Member] | Intersegment Revenues [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	7,126	9,030
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	(7,226)	(9,240)
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	(27,184)	(33,077)
Leasing revenues under ASC 842																	(68,405)	(85,237)
Total Revenues																	(102,815)	(127,554)	(136,859)
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Intersegment Revenues [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues from contracts with customers																	(7,226)	(9,240)
Total revenues from contracts accounted for as derivatives																	(27,184)	(33,077)
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Ethanol Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total Revenues																	(100)	(186)	(84)
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Agribusiness and Energy Services [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total Revenues																	(27,184)	(33,101)	(36,059)
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Partnership [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total Revenues																	(75,531)	(94,267)	(100,716)
Green Plains Cattle Company LLC [Member] | Cattle [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total Revenues																	14,500	24,600	$ 22,200
Discontinued Operations [Member] | Green Plains Cattle Company LLC [Member] | Cattle [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total Revenues																	$ 14,500	$ 24,600

[1] GPCC results prior to its disposition are classified as discontinued operations in current and prior period consolidated financial statements.