Debt (Narrative - Ethanol Production, Partnership Segment, Covenant Compliance, And Restricted Net Assets) (Details)			6 Months Ended
		Apr. 15, 2021 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2021 USD ($) item $ / shares $ / gal	Feb. 09, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Restricted assets			$ 169,400,000
Outstanding balance			$ 552,231,000		$ 391,502,000
Green Plains Wood River and Green Plains Shenandoah [Member] | $75.0 Million Delayed Draw Loan Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, draw period			18 months
Debt instrument, face amount			$ 75,000,000.0		75,000,000.0
Interest rate, stated percentage			5.02%
Interest rate premium			1.50%
Debt maturity dates			Sep. 01, 2035
Minimum working capital required for compliance, per gallon | $ / gal			0.10
Minimum working capital required for compliance			$ 95,800,000
Minimum loan to value ratio, percent			50.00%
Fixed charge coverage ratio			1.25
Debt service reserve term of future payments			6 months
Annual principal payments			$ 1,500,000
Months before first payment after closing			24 months
Outstanding balance	[1]		$ 30,000,000		$ 30,000,000
Green Plains Wood River and Green Plains Shenandoah [Member] | $75.0 Million Delayed Draw Loan Agreement [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unused capacity fee, percentage			0.00%
Green Plains Wood River and Green Plains Shenandoah [Member] | $75.0 Million Delayed Draw Loan Agreement [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unused capacity fee, percentage			1.50%
Green Plains SPE LLC [Member] | $125.0 Million Junior Secured Mezzanine Notes Due 2026 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, basis for effective rate			11.75%
Debt instrument, face amount			$ 125,000,000.0	$ 125,000,000.0
Debt maturity dates			Feb. 09, 2026
Debt instrument, term			42 months
Outstanding balance	[2]		$ 125,000,000
Green Plains SPE LLC [Member] | $125.0 Million Junior Secured Mezzanine Notes Due 2026 [Member] | Elect To Pay In Cash [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, basis for effective rate			6.00%
Green Plains SPE LLC [Member] | $125.0 Million Junior Secured Mezzanine Notes Due 2026 [Member] | Paid In Kind [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, basis for effective rate			6.75%
Partnership [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unused capacity fee, percentage			0.50%
Debt instrument, face amount			$ 135,000,000.0
Debt maturity dates			Dec. 31, 2021
Consolidated net leverage ratio decrease each quarter			0.25
Minimum amount prepaid benchmark			$ 40,000,000
Minimum debt service coverage ratio expected in future			1.10
Payments in excess of scheduled monthly payments			$ 40,000,000.0
Line of credit, threshold of cash balance, payment required			$ 2,500,000
Threshold cash balance, number of consecutive business days | item			5
Line of credit, percent of net cash proceeds required for outstanding principal			100.00%
Line of credit terms, maximum per unit quarterly payments | $ / shares			$ 0.12
Partnership [Member] | Expected By Fourth Quarter Of 2021 [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated net leverage ratio			1.50
Partnership [Member] | LIBOR [Member] | Interest Rate After April 1, 2021 [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Floating rate			1.00%
Partnership [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, basis for effective rate			1.0%
Consolidated debt service coverage ratio			1.05
Partnership [Member] | Minimum [Member] | LIBOR [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, basis spread on variable rate, percentage			4.50%
Partnership [Member] | Minimum [Member] | LIBOR [Member] | Interest Rate After April 1, 2021 [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, basis spread on variable rate, percentage			5.00%
Partnership [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated net leverage ratio			3.00
Partnership [Member] | Maximum [Member] | LIBOR [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, basis spread on variable rate, percentage			5.25%
Partnership [Member] | Maximum [Member] | LIBOR [Member] | Interest Rate After April 1, 2021 [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, basis spread on variable rate, percentage			5.75%
Partnership [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount			$ 5,000,000.0
Debt instrument, term			10 days
Partnership [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Prime Rate [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, basis spread on variable rate, percentage			3.50%
Partnership [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Prime Rate [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, basis spread on variable rate, percentage			4.25%
Partnership [Member] | Term Loan [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount			$ 130,000,000.0
Additional prepayments required			0
Prepayment made with excess cash			$ 3,000,000.0
Interest rate, effective percentage			5.50%
Principal payments (plus interest)			$ 16,300,000
Payments on credit facility			46,800,000
Scheduled periodic principal payments		$ 2,500,000
Outstanding balance			53,200,000
Partnership [Member] | Term Loan [Member] | Credit Facility [Member] | Storage Assets Located Adjacent To Ord Plant [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Payments on credit facility			27,500,000
Partnership [Member] | Term Loan [Member] | Term Loan, Payments Beginning In May 15, 2021 [Member] | Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal payments (plus interest)			$ 3,200,000

[1] Includes $0.3 million of unamortized debt issuance costs as of both June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively

[2] Includes $1.0 million of unamortized debt issuance costs as of June 30, 2021.