I have been dumping my spent grain out by the fence in the backyard for sometime. This spring, I took the garden tiller and made a row along the fence to plant cucumbers.....I had earth worms as big and long as a new pencil, They were inside the grain, just under the grain, Too bad I was'nt going fishing, anyway I planted 4 cucumber plants in the compost of dirt and spent grain, They are growing like crazy, I have made 3 gallons of pickles so far.
Spent Grain
- Thread starter Dark_Ale
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I've got a big pile of spent grain as well. I don't know how to compost so it is just sitting there. Boy does it stink if you disturb it! 
I guess I should learn how to compost!
I guess I should learn how to compost!
If you can spread it out with a yard rake so it can dry out, or if its close to the house leave it alone...LOL Ya once it starts to sour its pretty nasty, but it works great for attracting catfish at that point, Next time you dump your grain, try to spread it out a bit so it can dry, it wont stink as bad.
your composting and you didn't even know it! But you need a balanced compost. Grains are high in nitrogen, so you have to add atleast equal parts of greens (ex. grass)
but not weeds. and then turn weekly and keep moist. thats all there is to it. Some people do get a bit more scientific with it but thats the gist. I compost mine but i am looking for a good bread recipe to use some of it for, but haven't found one yet.
but not weeds. and then turn weekly and keep moist. thats all there is to it. Some people do get a bit more scientific with it but thats the gist. I compost mine but i am looking for a good bread recipe to use some of it for, but haven't found one yet.
EdWort
Well-Known Member
I put mine out front after mashing.
Thanks to Bambi and her friends, it looks like this the next morning.
Thanks to Bambi and her friends, it looks like this the next morning.
mr_goodwrench
Well-Known Member
We have a Bud plant close by and used to have a Miller plant years ago also. There is a horse farm near where I grew up that used their spent grain as feed. They kept it in an oopen concrete bunker and did it ever stink! I remember riding past it in the summer on the way to my grandmother's house and nearly gagging at the stench. Its a wonder I ever started to drink beer!
html034
Well-Known Member
Aleforge
Well-Known Member
I never knew that!
Wow...
glad you guys started this thread, I had not even thought about it, but I can throw this stuff in my compost tumbler, and now that I am about to convert to AG, and I am building my keggle, the amount of grain that I am going to need to get rid of is going to skyrocket.
glad you guys started this thread, I had not even thought about it, but I can throw this stuff in my compost tumbler, and now that I am about to convert to AG, and I am building my keggle, the amount of grain that I am going to need to get rid of is going to skyrocket.
you can also bake with some of it if you like bread...there are a couple recipes on here...I know of some people who make dog biscuits with it too (Maybe there's a recipe here as well) but composting is the best, environmentally friendly way to go...
I have tried baking some bread, it came out pretty good. There used to be a company here in Seattle called Spent Grains Baking Company, and they made breads with stuff from the local micro-breweries.
I don't have a dog, and I don't think my cat would eat that kind of thing, so that option is out, but I am ALWAYS looking for more things to throw into the compost tumbler, I just can't believe that I had not already thought of this.
Mine goes into a black plastic garbage bag and off to the land fills.
Last week I parked the bag on the side of the house and in the 90+ degree heat...the bag expanded like a hot air balloon.
I went to move it and tore a small hole.
That **** smelled like a 3-month old corpse climbed out of the grave and threw up on a fresh pile of dog crap.
Phewwwwwww.....
Last week I parked the bag on the side of the house and in the 90+ degree heat...the bag expanded like a hot air balloon.
I went to move it and tore a small hole.
That **** smelled like a 3-month old corpse climbed out of the grave and threw up on a fresh pile of dog crap.
Phewwwwwww.....
Germey
Well-Known Member
Wow, what a coincidence. I have one of those stacking worm composter things, (about 2X3X1ft) and I was just wondering this morning whether I could throw some of the spent grains in from last night. I don't think they can handle all 27 lbs (probably 40 with the residual moisture) but it's good to know the worms like it.
For those that do bread, do you have to do something with it like grind it up or something? Has anyone frozen some right after mashing for use later? My brews always seem to finish late at night, and there is no bread baking going on then.
I also have an oatmeal pancake recipe I would like to try them in.
For those that do bread, do you have to do something with it like grind it up or something? Has anyone frozen some right after mashing for use later? My brews always seem to finish late at night, and there is no bread baking going on then.
I also have an oatmeal pancake recipe I would like to try them in.
I've only ever thrown the grains in "whole" never thought of grinding them....not a bad idea, except grinding wet grains might be difficult...
ANd if you are not going to be doing this almost immediately I think you would have to immediately freeze the grains you intend on using..or else Lacto will immediate grow on them...I've never tried that either...
If you have a bread machine though, figure out your recipe and load everything but the grains during the mash.... then after you sparge and start your boil, add the grains to the machine and start the machine going.... you'll have bread for breakfast...or if it takes you awhile to clean up everything...you'll have some hot tasty bread to wash down your post brew beer with.
And if you don't have a bread machine, keep an eye out for a garage sale, I got a brand new never been used one for 10 bucks one day.
I've only ever thrown the grains in "whole" never thought of grinding them....not a bad idea, except grinding wet grains might be difficult...
ANd if you are not going to be doing this almost immediately I think you would have to immediately freeze the grains you intend on using..or else Lacto will immediate grow on them...I've never tried that either...
If you have a bread machine though, figure out your recipe and load everything but the grains during the mash.... then after you sparge and start your boil, add the grains to the machine and start the machine going.... you'll have bread for breakfast...or if it takes you awhile to clean up everything...you'll have some hot tasty bread to wash down your post brew beer with.
And if you don't have a bread machine, keep an eye out for a garage sale, I got a brand new never been used one for 10 bucks one day.
As far as "grinding" goes, I bet you could throw it in a food processor and break it down some more if you don't like your bread as "chunky".
As far as the lacto goes, that might be an interesting way to come up with a sourdough type of recipe. Let the grains sit out for a day or two on the counter, kind of like making a sponge, for those that use that method for bread baking.
As to the black plastic bags, leave them alone for a month or two, and you will come back to "black gold"... it will compost in there. My sister in law left some garbage bags full of weeds that she meant to get rid of back next to her shed last summer, and later in the summer she made the mistake of hitting one of them with the weed whacker, and got sprayed with some nice, most, dark rich compost.
EdWort
Well-Known Member
Germey
Well-Known Member
The goal is to separate the stripper from every single customer's mother, wife, and daughter.
How do you know their names? Do they wear name tags?
its always with the phone #'s they give ME.. Ya know.. for a good time call 1-900-yada yada LOL
The grass is in fact always greener where I spread my spent grains
How do you know their names? Do they wear name tags?
You have obviously never dated a stripper... And let me just tell you they all have real names, but are in the habbit of calling eachother by their weird stage names, I once had a BBQ and a bunch of her "work friends" came over and it was all fantasia this and star that and hey candi can you pass the ketchup.
On the up side, or down side, however you look at it, when you are dating a stripper and go into a strip club it is almost like all of the other girls flock towards in in an effort to get you to cheat.
lol, that sounds like it would be a short-lived upside. i'd probably have to find a new strip club from time to time j/k
j/k
ClutchDude
Well-Known Member
My room mate and I actually ended up composting most of our grains by accident. Turned them over a few times in vegatable garden in the back yard and MAN. It composted all right.
Aside from ants loving the new digs, I don't think I've every seen so many earth worms in my life.
Aside from ants loving the new digs, I don't think I've every seen so many earth worms in my life.
