Business Acquisitions Business Acquisitions (Details 1) (Green Plains Grain Company, USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013		Dec. 03, 2012
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired			$ 4,600
Weighted average useful life	4 years	[1]
Other Intangible Assets
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired			$ 4,600
Minimum | Other Intangible Assets
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful Life	3 years
Maximum | Other Intangible Assets
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful Life	5 years

[1] weighted average number of years