spent grains

I live outside the Central Valley of CA. Is there a brewery looking to give away their spent grains? I am a farmer in need. Any ideas???Please reply
sue

Wow, I wish you were in Ilinois. A guy can only make so many dog treats and muffins.

I'd suggest calling any and all local breweries to see what they do with their spent grains. Many have pre-arranged agreements in place to reduce their waste, but some might not or have extra. Your average homebrewer is only going to have around 10-20lb of fresh grain at any given time, barely a meal for a few animals. Most brewers are pretty cool about things like this, so try calling around!

Sue, try searching for local home brewing clubs. They might be able to get the word out to home brewers who could help!

How far are you willing to travel to pick up the grains?

today, I could deal with your snow. we got about 6" of rain. thanks..sure would lvoe the grain!!!

Thanks all for your responses. I have checked what few brewerys we have locally and then some in the Valley. I am willing to travel it just is a matter of how far and for sure not today. We easily got some 4" of rain!!!! So Mr Cossacks19 where are you????

sue

I definitely wouldn't have near the amount a brewery does. I try to brew once a week so your only looking at about 15lbs of grain a week that I don't do anything with. I'm in Northern Cal Brentwood.

Mr Cossack you are so close!!! Closer than Elk Grove and am going there friday!!! Is there any way you can save it for me? put in a trash bag and when you say have 50lbs or more, I'll pick up?? no one is close so brentwood is close!!!

sue
ps an 1 bottle of beer??

I will try and save some for you. Should be brewing next week so we will start then.

if you have other beer buddies, can you ask them for their spent grains please??

Thanks

suedagardener said:

Is there any way you can save it for me? put in a trash bag and when you say have 50lbs or more, I'll pick up??

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don't let that bag of spent grain sit around too long, the grain starts to decompose relatively quickly... and it doesn't smell nice.

Thanks a ton.... I really want as much as I can get as its good stuff for pigs!!!!

sue

Sue, not sure what other animals you have but my chicken go crazy over the spent grains. They will scratch for days to get every last bit.

For anyone else looking for a way to get rid of spent grains, get yourself a few chickens. They dispose of your grains and you get eggs and meat. You can reduce the cost of your brewing by the money saved not buying factory produced eggs at the store...and buy more grain!

When people ask what animals I have, I now answer "I have everything except goats". So I have chickens and ducks as well as pigs and sheep AND HORSES. The trouble with horses they only have 1 stomach. so... I got some spent grain yesterday WOW WHAT A SMELL. it was amazing and the amount I got will feed for maybe a day!

Anyone have some to get rid of? 5 pigs is killing me!!!!

did you make your beer yesterday? got some spent grains??

sue

I work weekends so no. But I should have some soon. No where near 50lbs though.

when you make make some beer can you save it for me and when you have 50lbs I pick up???? or you and your buddies??? Let me know. I realize its sort of amazing smelling...

suedagardener said:

when you make make some beer can you save it for me and when you have 50lbs I pick up???? or you and your buddies??? Let me know. I realize its sort of amazing smelling...

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Saving spent grains gets moldy really fast and smells awful fyi.

So is there anyway to save them?

cossacks19 said:

So is there anyway to save them?

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You'd have to freeze them. They get really sticky really fast, and I wouldn't save them for more than a day or two in cool weather and only a few hours in warm/hot weather!

Yooper said:

You'd have to freeze them. They get really sticky really fast, and I wouldn't save them for more than a day or two in cool weather and only a few hours in warm/hot weather!

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I have thrown them in the freezer so I can make doggie treats another day. Works pretty well but the first time I did it, i had 12# of grain and put it all into one bag. I only wanted to make a quick batch and had all this extra grain to throw in the composter. Next time I will break it down into smaller bags.

ya know guys, pigs really don't care...they eat anything!!!! chickens the same.

suedagardener said:

ya know guys, pigs really don't care...they eat anything!!!! chickens the same.

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I thought they only ate grass fed free range organic foods

suedagardener said:

ya know guys, pigs really don't care...they eat anything!!!! chickens the same.

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but folks might not want 20+ pounds of wet grains rotting in their garage :cross: asking someone to store 50 pounds for you if they don't brew that much/often is asking a lot. in my case i brew about once a month, so it would take me 2 or 3 months to accumulate 50 pounds. i don't have the freezer space to store that much. maybe others do, tho.

perhaps you folks could coordinate - if everyone is brewing on a given saturday, then suedagardener could swing by on sunday.

and sue, you should check in with brew pubs, and homebrew clubs. sometimes clubs have "group brew days" where everyone gets together and brews outside. it's typically a once a year thing but when it happens you'll want to be there.

suedagardener said:

ya know guys, pigs really don't care...they eat anything!!!! chickens the same.

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sweetcell said:

but folks might not want 20+ pounds of wet grains rotting in their garage :cross: asking someone to store 50 pounds for you if they don't brew that much/often is asking a lot. in my case i brew about once a month, so it would take me 2 or 3 months to accumulate 50 pounds. i don't have the freezer space to store that much. maybe others do, tho.

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What he said. Sure, the pigs don't care. But the people saving 50 pounds of rotting stinking grains would.

Brewing tonight, I will keep mine as long as I can. Once the wife says they are stinky they are gone though.

Ok brewed a batch and I have about 15+ lbs of grains. With a little pumpkin in them. I know, I know, late for pumpkin ales. But I was really busy during those months and didn't get to brew one.

Senior Cossack...can you meet me in Stockton on Friday? I'd love to take them off your hands. I'll have a container (I think). I'm getting a can of spent grains from my grain guy in Elk Grove!!!

i'm getting 400 lbs from my spent grain guy but that will be gone in about 2 weeks!!!

Sorry no can do. Glad you are getting some though.

Hey Sue, I was looking on craigslist, saw this ad and remembered reading this post and thought of you. Hopefully this is of some help to you.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/grd/3536253821.html

Clonefan94 said:

Wow, I wish you were in Ilinois. A guy can only make so many dog treats and muffins.

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I laughed because it is true. I've found some people in my neighborhood who raise urban chickens, but even they can't take all of them. There is a stable downtown where the carriage horses live, and I hear they take grains.

Thanks, I do buy from this guy. He's awesome!!!

Sue, have you contacted Sudwerks in Davis? They are a decent sized brewery and being in Davis I am sure they are hippie enough to see that grains going to farmers are a good thing.

I sure have not...don't even know their name and IVEThanks...I'll check them out!!!

sue