Bugs in my malt!

[richl025]

I hope someone here can identify these critters & reassure me!

I opened my airtight plastic dogfood container today to get our some 2-row, and found tiny little bugs crawling inside... There were 20-30 I could see, it wasnt like a horror-movie infestation, but definitely enough to concern.

They are black and much smaller than a grain kernel. A picture of a few of them in the corner of my weighing vessel, and a video of one of them moving is attached.

I really have to use this grain if I want to brew in the next month, so I'm going ahead with today's brew but I'm gonna toss the remaining 30 lbs or so (which is killing me since my LHBS shut down and I cant get any more big sacks of 2-row).

Anyone know what kind of bug this is? Is my beer (Pale Ale) gonna taste like crap?

FWIW their were no bugs on the outside of the container, so I think it was something that had hitchhiked in the original bag I bought. I last used this container at the end of January and did not notice any crawlies in it then...

The grain _looked_ OK so hopefully it will taste the same. With maybe a little higher protein from the bugs <g>.

 

[Protos]

Is my beer (Pale Ale) gonna taste like crap?

It surely won't.
I've had similar problem on a small batch of a rare, hard-to-acquire heritage English malt which I just couldn't afford to toss.
So what I did was putting the malt, part by part, on a tray and keeping it for 30 seconds in a very hot oven. The heat was high enough to kill the bugs instantly but the exposure wasn't long enough to toast the malt and affect its flavour. Then I ran the malt, part by part, through a large-meshed sieve, sieving out the dead bugs and their powdery poo. The beers brewed from this batch came out perfect as expected, not even a hint of bugs or bug poo off-flavours.
It took quite a bit of time to salvage the batch, part by part, but I think it was worth the effort.

The key point is sieving out the poo.
The poo is the powdery/floury fractions in your grain. When none of these left, your grain is salvaged and is good for brewing.

 

[IslandLizard]

Although they seem to move a little fast, I think they're grain weevils, without seeing them close-up.

They're harmless, no need to sieve anything out, the mash will take care of them.

But use up that bag, ASAP, they've laid eggs.
And don't let them get into your other grain or the kitchen pantry. So keep an eye out for them.

 

[passedpawn]

They are grain weevils. Given enough time, they can consume a lot of your grain. Once in your home, they will find their way to your pantry and attack flour, cereal, etc. They will be EVERYWHERE.

They arrive already in your grain (the eggs were in there). It's unavoidable. If you have a way to freeze your grain (or whatever they have invaded), they will die and won't return.

You can brew with weevil-infested grain. There is no effect whatsoever.

 

[richl025]

Great to hear, thanks, all!

 

[kevin58]

Consider the implications from the fact that insects breed quickly. Lots of generations can occur in a short amount of time. That's eggs that have hatched...those about to hatch and those that will hatch fairly soon. With each generation born there are the carcasses of those that have died off. And don't forget the frass all those generations leave behind... frass btw is the nice term for poop. Happy brewing!

 

[Protos]

no need to sieve anything out, the mash will take care of them.

Ewwww
Insect poo frass dissolved in wort.
Even if it doesn't affect the flavour, the very thought of it sounds disgusting.

 

[IslandLizard]

Ewwww
Insect poo frass dissolved in wort.
Even if it doesn't affect the flavour, the very thought of it sounds disgusting.

Well, sift it out, if it makes you feel better.

 

[Protos]

It definitely made me feel better when I did, despite spending a lot of time on the task.
To be sure there's no poo in my beer is not a small thing, it gave me a great peace of mind.

 

[jdauria]

My LHBS had a weevil issue, so any grain I bought there I would put in a freezer for several days to kill any and any eggs. Most of grain at shop were in closed containers, and the weevils were mainly from a sack of flaked maize, I was not taking chances. If the dead ones get in a beer, it's just a little extra protein. I mean even if a sack of grain does not have any, chances are there are insect parts!

 

[Chorgey]

You can brew with weevil-infested grain. There is no effect whatsoever.

My question is, how did you get that little critter to walk about on your reply?

 

[passedpawn]

My question is, how did you get that little critter to walk about on your reply?

It's an animated gif. Unlike videos, animated gifs autoplay and loop continuously. To get it on the right side there, I highlighted and right-justified it (alignment tool in toolbar).

I look forward to weevil threads... I get to pull out my dumb little trick. I guess I didn't mature much past my 12th birthday.

 

[day_trippr]

I recently had an encounter with those weevil bastids when I brought home a five pound bag of flaked barley and was measuring it out for a stout I was going to brew the next morning. I actually got as far as splitting out the two pounds I needed before I saw those black specs. Sealed the bags tight again and tossed them both in the trash bin in the garage.

I have around 350 pounds of grains between base malts and the rest and the last thing I want to bring home from the lhbs is bugs...

Cheers!

 

[MrClint]

@passedpawn, I actually did a thumb smash on my screen. Well played sir!

 

[richl025]

Ewwww
Insect poo frass dissolved in wort.
Even if it doesn't affect the flavour, the very thought of it sounds disgusting.

Do you swim in the ocean or in lakes <g>.

Or I guess you subscribe to that old WC Fields quote about drinking water? If you dont know it, Google it, it's worth your time

 

[Protos]

Nice to hear you're unconcerned by minor pollutants in your beer. Why then the worries about the weevils in yoir grain? That's what I was willing to convey taking my time to answer your question.
Just mash them along with the malt, it's not much of the weevil juice youre getting into your beer. Weevil frass isn't the worst thing that some allow into their beer anyway.

 

[skeeterman]

And if weevil frass has you concerned, I strongly suggest that you do not access the FDA's web page which lists allowable "foreign matter" in your food. Black pepper is best consumed using a pepper grinder.

 

[beren]

Oblig. George Carlin: it’s everything not just hot dogs or grain...