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Debt (Narrative - Ethanol Production Segment) (Details) - Ethanol Production Segment [Member] - Green Plains Processing [Member] - Term Loan [Member]	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount	$ 345,000,000	$ 345,000,000
Interest rate, effective percentage	6.50%	6.50%
Interest rate, basis for effective rate		5.50% plus LIBOR, subject to a 1.00% floor
Scheduled periodic principal payments	$ 900,000
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total leverage ratio, initial ratio	4.00	4.00
Total leverage ratio, decreased ratio over the life of the debt	3.25	3.25
Total leverage ratio, period end	3.75	3.75
Percentage of available free cash flow from operations, subject to certain limitations, required to be used toward quarterly special payments		75.00%
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, basis spread on variable rate, percentage		1.00%
Fixed charge coverage ratio	1.25	1.25
Percentage of available free cash flow from operations, subject to certain limitations, required to be used toward quarterly special payments		50.00%
LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, basis spread on variable rate, percentage		5.50%

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930739&loc=d3e28878-108400

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-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
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