Bad idea for Spent grain

[Drewsauce]

Hey guys, I have been lurking and gathering plenty of information from this site, so I figured I should post something now that I am getting more serious with my brewing.

This was my second all grain batch, and in case anyone out there was wondering... The Target brand kitchen bags are not a good choice to put your spent hot grains into, especially if you decide to take it through the kitchen, right before your wife gets home.

 

[pitmaster666]

yup, been there... luckily for me it was the garage floor not kitchen. leave the cooler open while you boil, after an hour split it between 2 bags and your good to go

 

[Hello]

Oh ****. I use Walmart brand trash bags and garden trash bags...now I'll think twice.

 

[eddiewould]

I just put mine in the drain. Figured there is nothing in there the fish can't eat.

 

[1975brewer]

Hope you had it cleaned up be for she got home.

 

[MaxStout]

I do BIAB, so I just set the bag in an old Rubbermaid tub to cool while I continue to brew. Later I put them in plastic bags and toss them out. But I have used cheap wastebasket bags numerous times without thinking about it.

Good cautionary tale. I think I'll double-bag those grains before hauling them to the garbage can.

 

[Drewsauce]

Luckily I did, with the help of three very fat happy dogs.

 

[ffaoe]

My grains make it in the trash 99% of the time, however the dogs have gotten a few mouthfuls in the past.

 

[BlueHemlock]

No bag for me. I dump the cooler directly into the trash bin.

 

[BigDog007]

I dump mine into a bucket and my buddy feeds it to his chickens. Trades the bucket out each time he takes them. He's my brewing partner too so it works well.

 

[Paps]

IMHO one should recycle spent grains.
Turn them into dog cookies.
Feed livestock.
Grindem up to make bread out of.
Spent grain is still food and one should not waste food.

 

[MrE_the_Great]

I split mine, 10 pounds or so go to a local farmer for chicken feed and the other 5 or so pounds go into my kitchen to be baked into bread to eat with the corresponding beer once ready.

 

[jrgtr42]

Most of mine end up in the compost bin / pile, or mixed straight into the garden.
Some will get saved to bake with (spent grain bread is a very good thing.)
I haven't yet had a mess like that - when I finish the sparge, I will leave the cooler open to cool and drag it out to the bin.

 

[MattyIce]

I bet it smelled good though.

 

[MaxStout]

I tried the compost thing last year. The squirrels dug it all up and made a mess.

 

[BrotherGrim]

I make dog cookies from some, bread for me from some, and most of it goes into the pond to feed the catfish.

 

[bragona71]

I spread them around the yard and watch the birds go crazy

 

[whattheschmidt]

I just use the bag I put the grains in from the LHBS...huge sturdy bag, works great. I place it around a 6 gal bucket first then put the grains in from the voile bag.

 

[Mismost]

I make dog cookies from some, bread for me from some, and most of it goes into the pond to feed the catfish.

CATFISH! I have been wondering if you could chum catfish with spent grain, now I know! Thanks.

 

[MaxStout]

CATFISH! I have been wondering if you could chum catfish with spent grain, now I know! Thanks.

That makes me think of another possible use. Perhaps fish hatcheries would use the spent grain.

Spent brewing grain...what can't it do!

 

[UncleRusty]

I compost mine in a garbage bin outside for use in my garden. And yeah, I made that same mistake the first or second time brewing all grain. It's much easier to just leave the grains in your cooler/tun and dump that wherever they need to go.

 

[soopagloo]

I'm slowly filling low spots in my yard with it. I have a few islands of thick, lush, St. Augustine scattered in the front.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I carry it out in the mash tun then fling it around the yard/gardenish areas. If it piles up too thick it smells like a rotting dead animal in short order. No thanks. Otherwise I will occasionally throw it into doubled up grocery bags for throwing in the garbage. If I had the patience and motivation I would compost it or feed it to chickens (alas I have no chickens). Maybe freeze it and give it to my cousin for his chickens if I ever discover when he would be by next.