Beezy
Well-Known Member
Haha I never look at dates tbh
What NOT to Do With Spent Grains
- Thread starter raceskier
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Yup, this is a popular, recurring topic. We use two of these to compost in, and probably half of the volume is spent brewing grains - no mess, no smell, and no critter problems. Highly recommended.
And we end up with great compost to mix into the garden in the spring before planting.
andysim
Well-Known Member
I just toss them in the woods behind my house
What not to do...throw it in the garbage disposal, clog your drain 15 min before you have to chill, spend the next hour fixing it, only to crack an old pipe while tightening everything back up....just kegged the batch, we'll see how it faired!
In my house "recycling"=saving beer bottles for the next batch. 
Just doing my part for the environment.
Just doing my part for the environment.
Set up my brew days around trash days.
My last session was around the 4th thus trash service was delays a week, that was the most foul awful smell of my life. Now I just will deliver to my parents for their composter, they have the exact one pictured above.
My last session was around the 4th thus trash service was delays a week, that was the most foul awful smell of my life. Now I just will deliver to my parents for their composter, they have the exact one pictured above.
In my house "recycling"=saving beer bottles for the next batch.
That's 're-using', which is even better than 're-cycling'.
hops2it
Well-Known Member
Threw them in the perennial garden, spread them out good and incorporated into the soil. They got moldy, it reeked, I got my a$$ chewed by swmbo when she was weeding a few days later and almost yacked. Now they go into a hefty bag and into the trash. No timber nearby or I'd go that route.
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Spent grain is magic. I would hate to waste it.
Jdk261
Well-Known Member
My yard backs up to a corn field, so that's where spent grains and whatever else goes. One thing of note...I brewed last Monday and left the grains in my cooler...didn't feel like cleaning up lat that night so I was lazy and figured I'd get it the next day. Well, I finally got around to it yesterday. It was awful. Sitting out in the heat on my deck for all that time. I seriously almost threw up. Hopefully it's nothing a little bleach can't fix. The stench was one of the worst things I've smelled in the past 5 years...easily.
Jdk I'm not happy to hear that. I brewed Tuesday night and didn't finish it all up until all my motivation to clean up had left me. I cleaned most everything last night, but left the cooler MLT in the garage still with the grains in it. Sounds like I might be in for a rough afternoon cleaning that out tonight!
Jdk261
Well-Known Member
Maybe you'll be lucky since it was inside...my guess is it will still smell awful. I'll never let mine sit that long ever again.
Got lucky here! My cooler MLT was in the garage, so definitely not cool like if it were in the basement. I opened the lid and it was most definitely sour and on the brink of turning to a rotten mess. I had nightmares of just throwing away the MLT and building a new one because of the smell. It really wasn't all THAT bad though. A quick dump out and some help from the hose and we're ready to go again!
I will note for next time that if I break clean-up into 2 days that I'll do the MLT first and get to the brew kettle the next day.
I will note for next time that if I break clean-up into 2 days that I'll do the MLT first and get to the brew kettle the next day.
Haha, no stuck sparge on that pooch!
I had a strange spent grain experience for my first all grain. I do worm composting. Worms love things like shredded paper, coconut husks, etc. in addition to non-dairy and meat food scraps. I took the grain out of my wort (brew in a bag) and let them cool. Then I spread a layer over the top of each of my worm composters. Several days later I noticed a nasty smell and when I looked in my worm bins the worms were dead or very sick. One of them i have been able to rescue by mixing it up a bit and feeding more food scraps. The other doesn't seem to be responding well and is pretty much devoid of intact worms. I think the smell is the rotting worm carcasses.
Anyone have any guesses?
Anyone have any guesses?
erikhild59
Well-Known Member
I've noticed some really nasty looking fungus growing on the spent grains I've buried in my garden...maybe its toxic sludge mold on a mission to rid the world of pet worms...
williamnave
Well-Known Member
I have a local chicken farmer come get the stuff. I just email them, and leave the grains in a bucket by my garage. Chickens get fed, farmers get free grain, and I've got one less thing to deal with on brew day
I wonder if you put too much grain in - when putting in scraps, generally, I put the scraps in one side of the box, underneath the damp shredded paper on top, not just layers on top.
Sorry about your bins, will you start over, get more worms?
Wow, I'm amazed to see another worm wrangler on this forum. I put well drained spent grain from 12.5 lbs starting weight into two boxes. I am a low energy worm wrangler. I just dump the stuff on top. It gets a little moldy sometimes but if I occassionally add shredded paper it keeps that down. My worms are always really healthy. However, this time the layer of grain seems to have either smothered them or they just didn't like something in it.
I still have a lot of healthy worms in one of the boxes so I figure when the odor dies down a bit i will go in and redistribute the contents of that bin between the two. I guess I'll just throw away the contents of the dead bin.
I still have a lot of healthy worms in one of the boxes so I figure when the odor dies down a bit i will go in and redistribute the contents of that bin between the two. I guess I'll just throw away the contents of the dead bin.
Add lime or dolomite. I bet you lowered the pH of your compost too low for the wigglers. Need about neutral, 7.0.
beer-monger
Active Member
I am new to all grain so was kinda at a loss as to what to do with the spent grains. some great Ideas here, I don't compost but will try to spread evenly in the lawn. The lawn could certainly use the help and good to know it wont hurt the dog if she gets into it.
My first few AG grains went down the disposal. Needless to say after a $180 Plummers bill to unclog my drain I can add a new item to your list of what not to do with spent grains.
My first few AG grains went down the disposal. Needless to say after a $180 Plummers bill to unclog my drain I can add a new item to your list of what not to do with spent grains.
ReverseApacheMaster
Well-Known Member
I dumped them down the disposal once and had it back up in the pipe and clog the non-disposal drain on the other sink basin. That required a little plumbing work to unclog. I also dumped a big pile in the grass once, which killed the grass underneath and brought a ton of bugs.
Never do either of those.
Now I save as much as I have room to make spent grain bread and the rest goes into the trash.
Never do either of those.
Now I save as much as I have room to make spent grain bread and the rest goes into the trash.
kstatemallards
Active Member
Just throw them in the freezer until trash day comes.
I dump my spent grains on an old vinyl table cloth in the side yard area and spread them out and after 2-3 days this hot Arizona sun dries them out....then bag and dispose in trash. Don't ever leave them in the garage or any enclosed space or that smell will permeate everything in the space for a few days. (Been there done that)
suedagardener
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Spent grains...give to farmers..we appreciate it and our animals love it. I have everything but goats and when thrown to pigs...its a big deal!!!
cluckk
Well-Known Member
I sometimes spread them in the flower beds. During one brew, I was teaching my neighbor how to brew, I asked his son to dump the spent grains in the flower bed. Kids, being as literal as they are, simply dumped them in a pile. The next day, walking to my front door it smelled like someone had hidden a body in my flower bed.
Great to know about the PIGS! I have an employee who raises them! next brew is going to feed the piggies!!
TD
TD
MMJfan
Well-Known Member
Interesting about spreading them in your lawn. I don't have a large backyard and my two labs completely wreck my grass by the end of every summer. I'll have to give spreading spent around my grass a try.
Right now, I just have a piles in my garden area.
Right now, I just have a piles in my garden area.
techbrewie
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You sir win at life.
patthebrewer
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composted with everything else makes great fertilizer........My golden loves it though and I always get the WTF look from her when I put it in the compost pile. so I have to save a little for her
........My golden loves it though and I always get the WTF look from her when I put it in the compost pile. so I have to save a little for her
Johnnyhitch1
Well-Known Member
Ive cooked a bunch with spent grain. Breads, cookies, granola, grain flour for cakes and doughs.
Old lady says the dog gets no spent grain treats though. Woundering what people thought about this.
I understand the no grain fillers in dry food for the pooch that are useless to pay for
Didnt think they meant to cut out 100% grain from there diet....at least in a small bite size snack 1-2 times a day
Learned the easy way spent grain smells like dead carcass when i visited the local brewery wanting to smell the grain (extract brewer at the time). Lets just say i didnt make it within 5 feet of the bin.
Old lady says the dog gets no spent grain treats though. Woundering what people thought about this.
I understand the no grain fillers in dry food for the pooch that are useless to pay for
Didnt think they meant to cut out 100% grain from there diet....at least in a small bite size snack 1-2 times a day
Learned the easy way spent grain smells like dead carcass when i visited the local brewery wanting to smell the grain (extract brewer at the time). Lets just say i didnt make it within 5 feet of the bin.
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