Arrggghh!! Weevils in my grain

So I brewed a batch yesterday and had so much fun I decided to do another today. I get out my ingredients (just simple extract kits) and I find my grain bill crawling with the little boogers. so i do a little searching fully prepared to toss the grain and reorder, but also thinking "how the hell did they get in there, its double bagged and sealed?"

I search a bit and find this thread. a few posters say brew it anyway, weevils are always in your grain. its just whether or not they hatch or whatever....

would you cook their asses and brew or toss it and let them win? will my beer flavor be off at all? let me know your thoughts

doing a belgian wit BTW

oh yea: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/stupid-weevils-grain-beer-132413/

Yes you can cook with them.

Off flavors depend on your ratios. If you have more than 2% weevils, your beer will taste like a monkey's butt on a hot summer day in the Belgian Congo. More than 5% weevils can cause dizziness, dry mouth, constipation and involuntary spasm.

MisterTipsy said:

Yes you can cook with them.

Off flavors depend on your ratios. If you have more than 2% weevils, your beer will taste like a monkey's butt on a hot summer day in the Belgian Congo. More than 5% weevils can cause dizziness, dry mouth, constipation and involuntary spasm.

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Right, Beersmith says no more than 10% weevils in your grain bill. You can probably push that with a Belgian though

I have extensive experience. I'm here to tell you that you can use the be-weeviled barley without issue. It's best to keep this your little secret though.

Freezing can help.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/grain-weevils-freezing-experiment-209746/

hmmm.. wish this beer was darker!

denverd1 said:

hmmm.. wish this beer was darker!

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Heh, you won't see the weevils in the final product.

passedpawn said:

Heh, you won't see the weevils in the final product.

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I realize that. Also thinking a more full-bodied beer will help offset the "monkeys butt on a hot summer day in the Belgian congo" taste! I've made turned an old muslin bag and a coat hanger into a custom weevil filter that I'll run around in the wort just to make myself feel better. It's on! the kettle's already hot!!

MisterTipsy said:

Yes you can cook with them.

Off flavors depend on your ratios. If you have more than 2% weevils, your beer will taste like a monkey's butt on a hot summer day in the Belgian Congo. More than 5% weevils can cause dizziness, dry mouth, constipation and involuntary spasm.

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I'm adding that to my signature as a PSA to our brewing brethren. Thanks!

I'm honored.

MisterTipsy said:

Yes you can cook with them.

Off flavors depend on your ratios. If you have more than 2% weevils, your beer will taste like a monkey's butt on a hot summer day in the Belgian Congo. More than 5% weevils can cause dizziness, dry mouth, constipation and involuntary spasm.

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Damn! I spit my beer out when I read that I laughed so hard.

Once you run them through the grain mill, there'll no longer be anything crawling around in your grain. If any survive milling, mash temps should stop their little hearts. I've brewed some good beers with weevil infested grain. Not much flavor contribution.

all is well, the weevil infused wit is fermenting away this morning. :rockin: Thx fellow brewers for your quick replies. Cheers

"monkey's butt on a hot summer day in the Belgian Congo"

I guess we've found a name for this beer!

Will putting your grain containers outside in the garage in winter for several days freeze and kill most of the Weevils?
I assume they don't eat that much grain, do they?

ArcLight said:

Will putting your grain containers outside in the garage in winter for several days freeze and kill most of the Weevils?
I assume they don't eat that much grain, do they?

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I've had some nice infestations and I've never noticed any gobbled grains. Of course they are eating something but I've seen no indication.

They don't like anything over about 10L. No stout drinkers there.

Freezing will kill them, and I think their eggs also. 24 hours is enough. See my link above.

Brew with it or throw it out... hmmm... which is the less of the two weevils?

Unless it is more weevils than grain you should be ok. Maybe they will add a nuttiness that people will crave. That's it! I am going AW.

Next Batch: All Weevil Wit?