Grain dust - unhealthy?

I was milling up some grain yesterday at the LHBS and the dust generated while dumping the bag into the hopper was all over (as usual). We all know that malt is an excellent media for bacterial growth and I got a good snootfull of this malted grain dust.
This morning I am coughing up crud.
I am wondering if I should take any additional measures to avoid breathing grain dust when I am milling (such as wearing a mask). Does anyone else so this?

cha ngo said:

I was milling up some grain yesterday at the LHBS and the dust generated while dumping the bag into the hopper was all over (as usual). We all know that malt is an excellent media for bacterial growth and I got a good snootfull of this malted grain dust.
This morning I am coughing up crud.
I am wondering if I should take any additional measures to avoid breathing grain dust when I am milling (such as wearing a mask). Does anyone else so this?

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I've seen the folks at AHS where masks when doing it. They also have a venting system too.

I mill mine outside so SWMBO stays happy.

I have breathed in more barley dust in five minutes shoveling grain bins than you will in a lifetime of milling. My lung feels great I know malt is different than raw barley, but I wouldn't worry about it.

fifelee said:

I have breathed in more barley dust in five minutes shoveling grain bins than you will in a lifetime of milling. My lung feels great I know malt is different than raw barley, but I wouldn't worry about it.

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LOL, I couldn't resist fifelee....... where is your other lung?

It's called "Brown Lung" and was quite common in granary and mill workers.

In the amounts of grain we deal with I wouldnt worry about it too much, now if you were milling 8 hours a day 5 days a week then yeah you're gonna need a resperator. Try not to get a snoot full but if ya do ocasionally I wouldnt worry about it too much.

The stuff you are hacking up is the exact same thing that you'ld hack up if you dumped out a vacume cleaner bag and then snorted that crap. You want to see crud coughed up, stop on by next time i get a good house fire. Gives ya black snot and you're coughing up black crap for 2-3 days (tar black)

Breathe in some yeast every now and then and make lung-beer.

boo boo said:

LOL, I couldn't resist fifelee....... where is your other lung?

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It's in a nice jar of formaldehyde on my mantle right next to the carton of smokes. In all seriousness, it is like Pumbaa said... in the amount a homebrewer is exposed to grain dust is no big deal.

Cheesefood said:

Breathe in some yeast every now and then and make lung-beer.

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I prefer harvesting them while they're still nose cookies.

It not only can be harmful to you--it can be harmful to your beer. NEVER mill grain next to your hoses or fermenting equipment.

The great Papazian is not wrong when he says grain dust is rich in lactobacillus bacteria.

I am a farmer, and have inhaled more grain dust in a day than most brewers will inhale in a lifetime. Now, when I am around grain dust I will hack for a few minuits but nothing to bad. When I know I will be in alot of dust I will wear a dust mask, but for a homebrewer I wouldnt worry about it.