Critters

[GrandpaFratastic]

So I was off and running on my first all grain mash and I opened up the tun to start pouring in the mash water when I noticed a few larvae crawling up the sides of the tun. I didn't really know what to do, but I figured it was "ok" since I know most grain has some bugs in it. I killed the ones I saw and continued on.

I went ahead and finished my brew day for a American Rye Ale called Rising Sun Rye, but I'm wondering now if I have anything to worry about regarding these critters. I figure between steeping, lautering and boiling for an hour anything and everything would be dead so that's why I went ahead with it. If anyone thinks I should be concerned please let me know.

I'm not sure I'll be supporting my LHBS here in New Orleans any longer. I was pretty apalled to see the squalid conditions the store was in when I was there over the weekend. The place was just downright dirty, looked like noone had bothered to clean up in months which might be why they had bugs in the grain or the grain may have just been old. I saw open bags of grain all over the store not in storage containers. I like to support the local guys, but I shouldn't have to settle for a subpar product because ownership is too lazy to keep up a presentable establishment.

 

[jaycount]

I don't know but that's pretty gross. I think you hit the nail on the head about not having to suffer just because your vendor is lazy...

 

[DrBergeron]

Before drinking any I would do some quick research into common LA crop pests to see if you can identify what was in the grain. My first thought would be some type of weevil or maggots. Although i wouldn't worry about them contaminating the beer with bacteria after the boil, they could create off flavors due to boiling them down.

 

[GrandpaFratastic]

They were skinny and white with a small brown head about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch long. i assume they were recently hatched larvae. I saw 3 of them and killed the ones I saw, but obviously there must have been many more I did not see.

 

[PassionForThePint]

Oh man, not excited to hear that. I'm moving out that way later this year and when I visited there to check things out, I saw that there was only one homebrew shop.

 

[Homercidal]

First, grain generally has bugs in it. It's grain... Some people recommend freezing it for a while to kill them, but I don't bother (except this time of year, they get frozen by default!)

So I'd say nothing to worry about. LOTS of food you eat had bugs in it before they started processing it.

On the other hand, I would hesitate to shop at any place supplying "food" that is as nasty as you describe. In my opinion, a regular cleaning schedule is simply part of running a business. Any business.

My wife is sick of me passing a store and saying, "Geez, you think they'd repaint the awning!", or, "How about cleaning your windows!"

I'd say something to them. After all, they are there to sell stuff to YOU. You are not there to support their dirty habits. They should do whatever it takes to present their store in a good light, meaning not being filthy.

 

[pelipen]

Almost definitely a weevil larva from your description. They are more or less edible if you can stomach them. They won't hurt you more than psychologically. They are pretty common in rice too. A lot of my friends have gotten a good way through a large sack of rice before noticing rice grains that weren't rice.

 

[Homercidal]

It's always fun to find a few moth larvae in your bowl of cereal... AFTER you've eaten most of it!

 

[Neopol]

Beer Grylls comes to mind or the masticated chicha from brew-masters

 

[OatStraw]

Sorry I couldn't do it. I even grew up on a beef farm in Kansas and don't think I could handle maggots coming out of my mash tun. Probably because usually when I saw those little things they were crawling out of a dead cow carcus. I wouldn't want to have that visual as I'm trying to enjoy a brew.

 

[southerngroove]

Being that the LHBS is in New Orleans I would say that it is up to par with many other establishments in the area. (I used to live about 90 minutes from there) I love NOLA but cleanliness is not one of it's strong points

 

[Rev2010]

It's always fun to find a few moth larvae in your bowl of cereal... AFTER you've eaten most of it!

"Maggots, Michael. You're eating maggots. How do they taste?" - Kiefer Sutherland in the Lost Boys


Rev.

 

[gmcapone]

So I was off and running on my first all grain mash and I opened up the tun to start pouring in the mash water when I noticed a few larvae crawling up the sides of the tun. I didn't really know what to do, but I figured it was "ok" since I know most grain has some bugs in it. I killed the ones I saw and continued on.

I went ahead and finished my brew day for a American Rye Ale called Rising Sun Rye, but I'm wondering now if I have anything to worry about regarding these critters. I figure between steeping, lautering and boiling for an hour anything and everything would be dead so that's why I went ahead with it. If anyone thinks I should be concerned please let me know.

I'm not sure I'll be supporting my LHBS here in New Orleans any longer. I was pretty apalled to see the squalid conditions the store was in when I was there over the weekend. The place was just downright dirty, looked like noone had bothered to clean up in months which might be why they had bugs in the grain or the grain may have just been old. I saw open bags of grain all over the store not in storage containers. I like to support the local guys, but I shouldn't have to settle for a subpar product because ownership is too lazy to keep up a presentable establishment.

That's pretty nasty, I live in New Orleans myself and haven't experienced anything like that. It probably was just weevils which I wouldn't hold against him. If they want to get in your grains, they will get in them. My father growing up was a clean freak but we would still find them in our rice and cereal.

The store could use an appearance upgrade but I haven't noticed anything that makes me raise an eyebrow. Aaron (the owner) has really limited space so I think that's most of it. He's really knowledgeable and friendly though and I haven't been able to find better prices anywhere.

 

[KraphtBier]

Its time to demand your money back, puke in the owner's hat, and raize the store to the ground just to sanitize everything. All that just to appease your desire for retribution!:rockin:

Seriously though, your brew will most likely be fine. However, I would have issues with any business that didn't pay enough attention to their product to notice maggots.

 

[ron,ar]

You know, I was just reading these posts on all grain brewing because I want to make the switch from extract brewing.....maybe I'll just stay with extract for a while...never found my DME moving around....nor anything swimming in the LME either that I remember....yep, nuthin but cans for me now!!!

 

[crazyseany]

You know, I was just reading these posts on all grain brewing because I want to make the switch from extract brewing.....maybe I'll just stay with extract for a while...never found my DME moving around....nor anything swimming in the LME either that I remember....yep, nuthin but cans for me now!!!

Some people just prefer it in the can...I'm just not one of them...

 

[pelipen]

You know, I was just reading these posts on all grain brewing because I want to make the switch from extract brewing.....maybe I'll just stay with extract for a while...never found my DME moving around....nor anything swimming in the LME either that I remember....yep, nuthin but cans for me now!!!

Yeah, once the critters are freeze dried and powdered they are harder to recognize.
When they are roasted they are a little nutty. Nutty weevil brown ale. That would be extreme brewing.

 

[GrandpaFratastic]

Well I tasted some of the wort after the boil and I haven't died yet so I think I'm goign to keep going with it.

 

[TheMan]

No one should be discouraged from going all grain due to bugs...if you live in a warm, humid area then you just have to take extra precautions to avoid then appearing...I myself have never had any. And I've gone through 400 pounds in the last two years. Proper storage will prevent issues

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Do I hear nut brown weevil ale, Anyone?

 

[roylee]

Some of you might enjoy reading the USDA handbooik that sets standards for the amount of rodent extretions, maggots, larvae and miscalleneous insect parts acceptable in grain to be used for bread, breakfast cereal, etc. The booklet is available on line.

 

[ClarnoBrewer]

I made a grasshopper head stout a few years ago. I bought a bag of 2-row from a brewer/barley farmer neighbor and malted it myself. There were quite a few grasshopper bits in the barley. I figure I got most of them out, but I'm sure some made it through. Part of agriculture is pests. We just prefer that they're ground and processed before we eat them, rather than seeing them trying to escape the mash tun. :cross:

Proper storage will minimize a critter's chance of hatching and multiplying, though. If the LHBS has lots of open bags and cleanliness issues, this sure isn't helping things. I like to keep my grain sealed and cool, and I tend to keep less on hand in the summer when temps are more of an issue.

But the beer will be fine. Or at least the bugs won't ruin it.