Grain Disposal

I'll throw this out there...

What do you do with your spent grains??? Compost pile?? Dump in the trash??? Make biscuits for the neighborhood dogs?? Feed the farmers cattle?? Does anyone have a pond and use it to feed their fish???

Before I start dropping grains in my pond, I want to poll the audience for feed back.

Thanks!
Geno

I put it in the compost pile or put it out for the deer that like to hang out in my front yard. I hate throwing it out because it makes those garbage bags a little bit to heavy.

Scattered a ways out in the back yard long grass for fertilizer....

that...

is a happy picture...

what I dont use for dog treats or bread ends up in the flower beds. The SWMBO doesnt work them that much so the grains end up making a nice little mulch bed around the two or three flowers still growing in there

If I had a place to do it, I'd compost most of mine.

As it stands, I bake some bread, and make doggie biscuits, but I live in an apartment. There's no composting in my neighborhood that I'm aware of, and I can't find anyone willing to take 10-20 pounds of material every couple of weeks, so most of my grain ends up being dumped in the trash. I talked with several folks trying to find a better use for it, but so far have been unsuccessful.

My chickens *LOVE* them - chicken crack!

I just throw it away. can't have a compost here, I think my condos HOA would have some interesting words about that.

yeah, technically not allowed to compost here either, thats why I just spread it thin over some flower beds.... haven't had any complaints yet, I just hope I can keep it going.

Chicken Crack! Love that! Gotta get me some chickens now...

Brewed a crapload this week and SWMBO made cookies, bread and dog biscuits. Next our chickens and ducks chowed down, and after three batches there was still plenty left for the compost pile.

I do actually have a pond, but it's a struggle enough to keep clean after the ducks get at it, so I'm hesitant to feed grains to the fish. But if you decide to go for it let me know, I'd be curious to hear how it works out.

Mine go in the yard waste/compost bin that the city provides. When I open it up at the end of each brew day, the "dirt-y" smell of composted grains almost knocks me over. The aroma reminds me of single malt scotch!

What recipes are there for spent grain breads? I've been looking around but haven't seen many.

I made four batches of dog cookies on new years eve (I've got three dogs), and three more batches this morning while mashing today's brew. I've got all the spent grain in the original containers and have it sitting outside to freeze up and prepare for storage until next time.

We'll probably have chickens come spring, so unfortunately the dogs will have some competition now for the grain.

Or, I could just brew a lot more often...kegs are cheap.

to the Garden

I make dog biscuits nearly every batch, bread some times and the rest goes on my hop plants as mulch.

yard fertilizer

Most of mine goes in the compost pile. I give some to the guy across the road for his chickens.

Our chickens get ours. However, I'd love to try a good recipe for spent grain bread sometime, because we occasionally have more than what the girls really need all at once.

Google spent grain bread or spent grain recipes. There are tons of good recipes out there.

There is nothing better than a hearty stew, a robust porter and spent grain bread on a cold winter evening.

A neighbor of mine takes some of the grain and makes dog cookies. Our Beagle loves them.

any receipes for dog biscuts? I put all of mine in the compost, but hey, I'm sure the dog would like a scooby snack!

beergutguy said:

any receipes for dog biscuts? I put all of mine in the compost, but hey, I'm sure the dog would like a scooby snack!

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BeerGutGuy, I believe I copied this from BYO but I'm not 100% positive. If you'd like some for your pooch to try PM me your address and I'll send you some.

4 cups spent grain
4 cups flour
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Press down into a dense layer on a large cookie sheet. Score almost all the way through into the shapes you want. Bake for about half an hour at 350º F to solidify them. Loosen them from the sheet, break the biscuits apart and return them, loosely spread out on the cookie sheet, to the oven at 225º F for 3 to 4 hours (or until they are really dry) to prevent mold growth. Store in an airtight container to keep them dry and mold-free.

That is the same recipe I use to make dog treats, my dogs love them. Something I find makes the process go better is to add the peanut butter to the grains while the wort is coming to a boil as it is easier to mix while the grain is still hot. I also use a potato masher for this. Then in the cookie sheet, a pizza cutter quickly scores the cookies. I use a food dehydrator instead of returning them to the oven.

Mine go in a compost pile. Someday I hope I'll also get around to making doggie snacks with a portion of the grains (my dogs hope so too).

I just take the cooler full of all the grains and go out to the garden and huck them where ever they lay....
I am sure this spring when i till all those grains into the soil, I should have some very happy plants.... and weeds

Right now my garden area looks like grain land mines all over the garden....
Works great in the winter, no smell... In the summer when its 110...Kinda smells a wee bit. Last year when my compost bin was going full swing, My neighbor thought her dog that had passed away earlier that year was smelling. It was all i could do not to laugh and say it was just the compost bin and spent grain. :cross:

Check out this recipe, sounds delicious

Usually I end brewing at 11PM. I usually leave the grains inside the MLT until the next day when I dispose it since I'm too tired. I would like to do the dog biscuits but would the grains still be OK the next day or should I scoop some and place it in the freezer until I need to bake them?

I've done the dog biscuits before and my dog (shetland sheepdog) loves them. Not sure about waiting a day with them out, I usually do the day of brewing. Good question though, not sure how long it would take for mold to form.

aldousbee said:

Usually I end brewing at 11PM. I usually leave the grains inside the MLT until the next day when I dispose it since I'm too tired. I would like to do the dog biscuits but would the grains still be OK the next day or should I scoop some and place it in the freezer until I need to bake them?

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I wouldn't let them set overnight, especially in a warm climate. My wife and I do bread and biscuits with ours, when I brew I take a couple of containers of grain out of the tun and put them in the fridge until we want to use them. The rest go in the compost pile.

I tip them down the sink and leave the tap on for 15 minutes persuading them to go down the plug hole with my laft forefinger....

Wow zombie thread...

I just put them down the drain with the garbage disposal running

metal850 said:

Wow zombie thread...

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Necrophelia goes both ways......

Spent grains go in the garden, or to the critters in the winter.

Wreck99 said:

I've done the dog biscuits before and my dog (shetland sheepdog) loves them. Not sure about waiting a day with them out, I usually do the day of brewing. Good question though, not sure how long it would take for mold to form.

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My wife measures out individual zip lock baggies, one size for dog treats, and two for different bread recipes.
I let it cool on the garage floor for a bit (while in the bag) then they go in the freezer. Try can last a long time once frozen.

There are so many things you can do with them, and everyone hit just about every point. I give some to my in-laws to feed to their chickens (in exchange for eggs) - chicken crack, lol; give some to the other in-laws to feed to their horses as a snack; give some to the neighbor for bread in exchange for some of that bread; make some doggie treats; and finally I spread some around my hop plants to get them acquainted with their future companion. And I'll compost some too...