Storing spent grain???

Should I freeze it right away?
Let it cool the freeze it?
Or do I need to let it dry completely before doing anything with it.
The latter being the biggest pain in my arse...

Id like to do as many things with it as possible but don't want to add to my brew day.
I did a search but couldn't find my answer.
Thanks.

Freeze it as soon as possible before it "turns", sure let it cool first.

It will start getting sour right away, as it's covered with lactobacillus. If it's warm for 24 hours, it will be quite sour and unusable except for sour beers.

The best possible thing would be to drop an immersion chiller into a bucket of hot mash and chill it. Then freeze, or at least refrigerate, the bucket. I've saved it overnight like this and it was fine: I put it into my chest freezer.

Are you talking about storing it because you want to cook with it?

You'll find that most recipes call for very little grain. SO what I do is take a gallon ziplock baggie and fill that and stick it right in my freezer. Then dispose of the rest immediately.

SWMBO has me fill a couple ziplock baggies with 2 cups of grain in each bag. then all she has to do is pull out 1 or 2 bags and thaw them to make bread/dog treats/cookies/whatever she thinks of. Once I fill the bag they go into the freezer

Mysticmead said:

SWMBO has me fill a couple ziplock baggies with 2 cups of grain in each bag. then all she has to do is pull out 1 or 2 bags and thaw them to make bread/dog treats/cookies/whatever she thinks of. Once I fill the bag they go into the freezer

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This is what I do as well, 2 cups per bag as that fits well in quart size bag and i save only about 8 cups per brewday as I only use it for dog treats. This way its all premeasured and ready to go when i need a new batch of Chloie cookies.

We freeze spent grain in tupperware bowls. My dog eats about a cup of grain a day along with his dog food. He loves it! I just pull out a bowl to thaw when needed, and store it in the fridge for a day or two until it's gone.

Here's how I stored mine from Friday's brew session.



It's now composted and all over the yard in little pellets.

EdWort said:

Here's how I stored mine from Friday's brew session.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vJk_UQrHSg

It's now composted and all over the yard in little pellets.

Click to expand...

Wow that's how I store what SWMBO doesn't claim. I look at it as preparing now for fall/winter dinner.

Did you guys see the post in a similar thread the other day where it appears that someone actually stole his spent grain off his compost pile? I think he said there were tire tracks or something.

Here it is.

Revvy said:

Did you guys see the post in a similar thread the other day where it appears that someone actually stole his spent grain off his compost pile? I think he said there were tire tracks or something.

Here it is.

Click to expand...

I wish there was someone who wanted my spent grain. I live in a townhouse with a shared backyard and can't have a compost pile. I have to throw the stuff out.

After the mash, I put my 10G MLT next to my sink and just run cold tap water through it with the valve open....just to cool everything off. Then fully drain it and dump it into lawn and leaf non-rip bags.

EdWort said:

Here's how I stored mine from Friday's brew session.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vJk_UQrHSg

It's now composted and all over the yard in little pellets.

Click to expand...

Good idea when the get older you can brake out the 30-06 and have one for dinner along w/a home brew

I store as much as I can fit in the freezer in regular sandwich-size ziploc bags. I can fit two cups of grain in one bag, which is the right size for making bread. I then label the bags and shove them in the freezer. I thaw overnight in the fridge (or on defrost in the microwave if I forgot the night before) and make bread the following day.

I just let it cool in the mash tun for 1-2 hours by air. I have never had a problem with it spoiling or getting sour. It gets frozen pretty much right away.

Revvy said:

Did you guys see the post in a similar thread the other day where it appears that someone actually stole his spent grain off his compost pile? I think he said there were tire tracks or something.

Here it is.

Click to expand...

Wierd, think they stole it for a bait pile or something? I can't imagine using it for anything other than feeding to wild animals after its been on somebody's compost:cross:

EdWort said:

Here's how I stored mine from Friday's brew session.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vJk_UQrHSg

It's now composted and all over the yard in little pellets.

Click to expand...

OMG, I have that exact same bird feeder. However, it's now turned into a squirrel feeder!

Just curious, what's the nutritional value for spent grain?

flexbrew said:

Just curious, what's the nutritional value for spent grain?

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I think it is mostly used for the fiber. I like many others freeze 2 cups per ziplock bag and just use it as needed for baking etc.

If I have a tasty grain bill, I will freeze it all then dry it out 2 cookie sheets at a time. I use it in much of what I cook, from burgers to bread to pizza to granolla, it usually gets used up.

If you have a pickle bucket that youy are unable to get the pickle smell out; store it in there for a few days, in the sun. Pickle smell gone! (bucket gone too )

Just remember if you don't get it in the freezer right away, or don't do anything with it right away if it's thawed, lactobasillus will take over in about an hour and it will be a slimy stinky mess.

I once got nearly attacted by a pack of LLamas for trying to feed them few days old, stored in the freezer, spent grain, that started to thaw on the hour drive in the summer.


I almost died, I swear......


Lamma spit ain't fun.

LLamas are ********!

If I already have a freezer full, I give my grains to the pigs at the old farm I worked at all through high school and college.

Like my malt bomb oktoberfest that is coming up...saving all of those grains!

Revvy said:

Just remember if you don't get it in the freezer right away, or don't do anything with it right away if it's thawed, lactobasillus will take over in about an hour and it will be a slimy stinky mess.

I once got nearly attacted by a pack of LLamas for trying to feed them few days old, stored in the freezer, spent grain, that started to thaw on the hour drive in the summer.

I almost died, I swear......

Lamma spit ain't fun.

Click to expand...

Letting it cool for 20 or 30mins is fine though right? Then into the freezer?

JayWeezie said:

Letting it cool for 20 or 30mins is fine though right? Then into the freezer?

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That is fine. I also don't have any lacto problems with them after drying them out in the sun or the oven. 5-6 hours on 200 dries out 9 cups of grain (limited to the two cookie sheets I have), then I store it at room temp in airtight containers.

I tried storing a bushel of spent grains in the fridge...could smell mild lacto after 3 days!