How common is it to find bugs in your grain?

[ryanj]

I live just outside of San Antonio Texas and we’re down to one LHBS. They’re a decent shop, but when it comes to grain, I’ve had two bags of grain with bugs in them.

The first time it was the barley and the bugs were alive and crawling around.

The second time (today) it was in a bag of oats and the bugs were dead.

I have to assume this happens from time to time, but I’m frustrated and have lost faith in this shop’s fresh ingredients. I’m not sure if they still do, but before they moved they used to store their grain in plastic storage tubs (like what you use for Christmas decorations).

I still order a bulk of my ingredients from homebrewsupply.com who typically overnight orders to me since I’m close, but sometimes I’m going to need to go to this local shop.

I wish I had more options...

 

[Transamguy77]

I personally never have but I’ve read here on the forums it has happened from time to time. I’m not sure I’d buy my grains from them if they had bugs in them.

 

[Dland]

Have found some caterpillars floating among some leaf hops, it is not a problem. But if there are live insect larva in the grain you buy, the shop owner should do better, they are degrading the product.

 

[Bobcatbrewing42]

Some organic grains have a few bugs or weed seeds because there is no insecticides. In your climate, they might actually get critters that get into the grain after the bags are opened. You can kiss your Vegan brews goodbye (just joking). You might be getting invaders in your home-storage. I've never had anything in grain from online outlets.

 

[ryanj]

Some organic grains have a few bugs or weed seeds because there is no insecticides. In your climate, they might actually get critters that get into the grain after the bags are opened. You can kiss your Vegan brews goodbye (just joking). You might be getting invaders in your home-storage. I've never had anything in grain from online outlets.

I've been brewing for about 2.5 years and while I don't brew all that often, I've never had an issue with other shops. I've seen how this shop stores their grains (at least at their old location), and I'm not surprised they have bugs.

...what's weird is that other people HAVE to notice this as well... how the hell do they not do anything about this?!

 

[augiedoggy]

Ive never had this issue either... all grain brewing for 5 years.. what brand grains?

 

[Cavpilot2000]

So I've been brewing for 20+ years, the last five of which have been in earnest (15+ batches a year, compared to 3-4 previously).
I had never seen bugs in grain until two weeks ago I was getting some grain from my LHBS. They store their base malts and high-volume malts in big bins that look like rectangular trash cans. No bugs there.
But their lower-volume specialty malts are in plastic storage containers on shelves. There were small ant-sized black bugs (but not ants) in the acid malt and the bin next to it. I didnt see them in any others around it. I notified the staff and the next week when I was back in there, I saw no bugs. I think we caught them in time.

I went ahead and bought the acid malt anyway, but only enough for the batch I was brewing the next day, instead of two pounds like I was going to. I also stored that acid malt in a zip-loc inside an airtight container until I put it in my beer the next day so they wouldn't spread.

I'm sure it happens from time to time, and it should not necessarily reflect badly on the vendor unless it is identified and they don't do anything about it. I dare say it is impossible to keep a 100% bug-and-rodent-free environment 100% of the time. It;s like animal hair and rodent droppings in your peanut butter. A certain amount is to be expected.

 

[augiedoggy]

So I've been brewing for 20+ years, the last five of which have been in earnest (15+ batches a year, compared to 3-4 previously).
I had never seen bugs in grain until two weeks ago I was getting some grain from my LHBS. They store their base malts and high-volume malts in big bins that look like rectangular trash cans. No bugs there.
But their lower-volume specialty malts are in plastic storage containers on shelves. There were small ant-sized black bugs (but not ants) in the acid malt and the bin next to it. I didnt see them in any others around it. I notified the staff and the next week when I was back in there, I saw no bugs. I think we caught them in time.

I went ahead and bought the acid malt anyway, but only enough for the batch I was brewing the next day, instead of two pounds like I was going to. I also stored that acid malt in a zip-loc inside an airtight container until I put it in my beer the next day so they wouldn't spread.

I'm sure it happens from time to time, and it should not necessarily reflect badly on the vendor unless it is identified and they don't do anything about it. I dare say it is impossible to keep a 100% bug-and-rodent-free environment 100% of the time. It;s like animal hair and rodent droppings in your peanut butter. A certain amount is to be expected.

+1^
our science teacher used the allowed protien % in ketchup from grubs and rat feces in coco since its apparently almost impossibly to keep them out of the cocoa bean storage...

 

[specharka]

All of once.

I ordered raw wheat via an online vendor, it arrived with bugs so I notified the vendor. The owner apologized, fully reimbursed me (and then some), and promised he would take action to address the source. If your LHBS is unwilling to make take similar steps to remedy the situation, I would recommend spending your money elsewhere.

Unless it’s a boutique maltster, I cannot fathom the bugs invading the grains prior to getting handled by your LHBS. Especially when the source is malted barley — kilning temperatures alone are more than high enough to kill common pests.

 

[bierhaus15]

It is very common, especially in silo malt or where grain in stored warm. I suspect it is less of a problem with home brewers as their malt is often stored in a cool area and/or in bins. Kilning is not guaranteed to kill the eggs or larva either, especially in pale malts where the temp doesn't get much above ~100F. Brewing with buggy malt is not an issue, although it is better to store it away from your clean stuff, lest they spread.

 

[ryanj]

https://www.homebrewsupply.com/learn/how-common-are-bugs-in-craft-beer.html

This article is quite timely!!!

The thing is...I garden, so I know bugs are inevitable. If a fly lands in my beer...I typically scoop it out and keep drinking.

...but when you're buying at a store, you don't want to VISUALLY SEE BUGS IN SAID PRODUCT. I wholeheartedly believe my LHBS' problem is not their distributor or manufacturer...but how they store their grains.

 

[ryanj]

If your LHBS is unwilling to make take similar steps to remedy the situation, I would recommend spending your money elsewhere.

They've been SUPER nice and offered to exchange my grains (it was only 1.5lb of oats...). I told them not to worry about it. $3 isn't a big deal.

I live in Texas, so shipping yeast during the summer is a bit of a roll of the dice. I think I'm going to just use my local shop for yeast and hops and bulk order all of my grains from homebrewsupply.com (which is close enough to overnight my orders)

 

[Lefou]

I personally never have but I’ve read here on the forums it has happened from time to time. I’m not sure I’d buy my grains from them if they had bugs in them.

By personal experience, I've seen grain weevils during the warmer summer months.
After an inspection of my grains, I informed the folks I purchased from about the critters in the bag. The grains were replaced at no charge, but being a knucklehead, I got the same grains from the same batch without thinking to alter my recipe.
Shore 'nuff, when I got home the issue was how to get rid of the bugs and save the grain. Instead of freezing the grain and sifting the chaff in a screened collander, I microwaved the grain to kill the bugs.
Even though it killed the bugs, the grain was ruined and didn't convert properly.
Second mistake was going ahead and bottling even though the OG was low. The short story was I pretty much wasted a lot of time, effort and money for nothing.

 

[kevin58]

Get yourself a Vittles Vault from a pet supply or farm supply store. They make them in 5lb all the way up to 70lb capacity. They are air tight and bug proof.

 

[ryanj]

Get yourself a Vittles Vault from a pet supply or farm supply store. They make them in 5lb all the way up to 70lb capacity. They are air tight and bug proof.

I picked up 3x 60lb vittles from homebrewsupply.com when they moved. One is filled with Pale Malt and the other two have various sealed bags of other grain. I've decided it's time to quit messing around and just start buying in bulk and keeping a few lbs of the various malts I use on hand.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Very common.

Can happen anywhere along the supply chain from the farm to the maltster to the wholesaler to your LHBS to your house.

I've seen countless dead bugs inside bags of grain over the years. Mostly in floor malt. Live ones are more worrying and those tend to be more localized.

Knew someone who got a weevil infestation from a bad grain lot he was still fighting years later (they'd keep popping up).

 

[Cavpilot2000]

By personal experience, I've seen grain weevils during the warmer summer months.
After an inspection of my grains, I informed the folks I purchased from about the critters in the bag. The grains were replaced at no charge, but being a knucklehead, I got the same grains from the same batch without thinking to alter my recipe.
Shore 'nuff, when I got home the issue was how to get rid of the bugs and save the grain. Instead of freezing the grain and sifting the chaff in a screened collander, I microwaved the grain to kill the bugs.
Even though it killed the bugs, the grain was ruined and didn't convert properly.
Second mistake was going ahead and bottling even though the OG was low. The short story was I pretty much wasted a lot of time, effort and money for nothing.

That's unfortunate.
Next time, just ignore the bugs (other than keeping them away from your home grain stock until you use the infested grain. The mash will almost certainly kill them, and they will not adversely affect the beer at all. The microwaving probably destroyed the enzymes.

 

[jppsav]

They've been SUPER nice and offered to exchange my grains (it was only 1.5lb of oats...). I told them not to worry about it. $3 isn't a big deal.

I live in Texas, so shipping yeast during the summer is a bit of a roll of the dice. I think I'm going to just use my local shop for yeast and hops and bulk order all of my grains from homebrewsupply.com (which is close enough to overnight my orders)

I also live in SA. Ive seen those totes. I buy my yeast at the LHBS in the summer months along with some misc. items. I used to buy most of my ingredients from the LHBS but too many times after calling in or emailing and order I show up the following day and still have to wait for them to assemble my order. Now I buy 99% of my ingredients from TX Brewing, a LHBS in Fort Worth. Almost always free shipping and if I order by 2pm I always receive it next day. Their yeast is almost always fresher as well. They are very good to deal with. I usually order from their website and never found bugs.

 

[Hellbender1]

I buy most of my ingredients online from Adventures in Homebrewing since it is close regionally and they have a great product selection, but I also am making an effort to shop local when I can.

Unfortunately my LHBS doesn't have the variety of supplies & ingredients that I can get online. The customer service is also nearly non-existent. I did stop in a couple of months ago to buy some grain for a brew that I was short on ingredients for, and lo and behold, when I got home, I found this critter burrowing around in the grain bag. Scooped it out and threw it outside and decided it wasn't worth my time to complain.

Since then I've gotten a 55 bag of Pilsen so I don't plan on buying grain there again anytime soon.

 

[VVbrewery]

I wouldn't worry they're in good company: "2,500 aphids per 10 grams of hops are allowed by the FDA"

 

[passedpawn]

It's very common. I've dealt with it. Freezing grain will kill them dead.
Good Luck.

 

[passedpawn]

More info here:
Grain Weevils Freezing Experiment

 

[Dog House Brew]

I’ve had bags of grain with lots of bugs. Always from the same shop.
I think it is more related to lhbs than the maltster.

 

[Staticsouls]

Just had this issue, but it was after a 6 week hiatus in brewing. I knew the summer months I wouldn't wanna be in my garage brewing so made had enough to get threw the time. When I came down to get brewing again I found bugs in my malt while weighing it out. After some consideration I have decided that each of my malt bags is getting the freezer treatment. I use 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids and two of thos will fit into the freezer on my fridge.