Brewing waste - spent grains and hops

[TrickyDick]

Consensus after scouring web is that is safe for pigs and permissible to mix in the hops with spent grains as long as it's under 3% whatever that means. I only have two oz calypso hops into 33 pounds malt. Seems also that this is what the large pro brewers are doing anyway

TD

 

[dangerbrew]

Another good use I've found for them is using spent grains as mulch for my garden. Not only is it great mulch but it also contributes nutrients to the soil. Try it out!

 

[clarksc4]

If your backyard is yours to do what you want, dig a hole and bury the grains. They'll compost underground just fine
EDIT- I usually do large beers, end up with 30+ Pounds of wet grain, glad I can compost it. Important to turn it quickly in the summer. Composting grain STINKS

 

[cjgenever]

Compost and chicken feed. I heard of someone making granola bars with it. I was going to look into that. I mixed some with a bit of first runnings in a cereal bowl. Was delicious. Hate to see it wasted, but if all else fails just load it into trash bags. Keep the weight manageable by pressing the water out of it the best you can and separating into multiple bags.

 

[texcan2000]

I keep reading that spent grain smells absolutely horrible after a day or more. Ok, it smells a little but horrendous? I live in central south Texas and it can sit in the garage for 2 or 3 days sometimes before a friend picks it up and even then it's not so bad to me or SWMBO. Now a rattlesnake killed and not immediately cleaned but hung over a fence in summer heat smells bad after a couple hours.

 

[Curtis2010]

Get a hen, they will love the grain and you get free eggs for breakfast. Not to mention, i bet the hen would find all kinds of goodies to dig up on the fairways.:rockin:

I've got about 20 chickens...amazing how fast they can make spent grain disappear.

 

[acidrain]

You live on a golf course and they don't have a recycle yard? What do they do with the clippings?

 

[jotakah]

( and by the way, except for the color and the lack of graduations on these "homer pails" they look remarkably like primary fermenters!! Anyone know if these could be safely used for brewing?)

Those Homer buckets are not food-grade plastic, don't put your precious wort in them! They're just good ole cheap buckets and that's it



Regarding spent grains, I sometimes give to the neighbors chickens, sometimes throw it on the garden. Also have curbside compost service with my trash & recycling so if I'm really in a pinch I can throw it in there.

Occasionally I'll make the dog biscuits, they barely use a small fraction of how much barley-waste there is but the doggies LOVE IT. It's not my recipe originally. It is 4 cups spent grain, 2 cups flour, 1 cup peanut butter, 2 eggs. Mix all ingredients thoroughly, pack into tight shapes and push down to flatten. Bake 1/2 hour at 350F to solidify them, then loosen them from the sheet/pan/whatever and bake for 3-4 hours at 225 (until they are crazy dry like dogfood).

 

[jotakah]

Oh any if you are into cooking, I found this awesome blog last year, LOTS of really good spent grain recipes

The Spent Grain Chef

 

[cjgenever]

Oh any if you are into cooking, I found this awesome blog last year, LOTS of really good spent grain recipes

The Spent Grain Chef

I've been looking for something like this. Thanks!

 

[TrickyDick]

You live on a golf course and they don't have a recycle yard? What do they do with the clippings?

They remain where they were trimmed. I don't know what the golf course does with grass clippings..

TD

 

[TrickyDick]

Those Homer buckets are not food-grade plastic, don't put your precious wort in them! They're just good ole cheap buckets and that's it Regarding spent grains, I sometimes give to the neighbors chickens, sometimes throw it on the garden. Also have curbside compost service with my trash & recycling so if I'm really in a pinch I can throw it in there. Occasionally I'll make the dog biscuits, they barely use a small fraction of how much barley-waste there is but the doggies LOVE IT. It's not my recipe originally. It is 4 cups spent grain, 2 cups flour, 1 cup peanut butter, 2 eggs. Mix all ingredients thoroughly, pack into tight shapes and push down to flatten. Bake 1/2 hour at 350F to solidify them, then loosen them from the sheet/pan/whatever and bake for 3-4 hours at 225 (until they are crazy dry like dogfood).

Good to know. I have not used them for wort, well actually for the first time I did but not for long. Had extra wort I saved to top off kettle for a 90 minute boil once. Wouldn't all fit into kettle. I think I need a large BK and mash tun....

I store grain in homer buckets. We get these Indian meal moths that can eat through ziplock bags and are a total nuisance. The homer buckets keep them out.

What is the distinction between food grade buckets and homer buckets BTW?

TD

 

[cjgenever]

Good to know. I have not used them for wort, well actually for the first time I did but not for long. Had extra wort I saved to top off kettle for a 90 minute boil once. Wouldn't all fit into kettle. I think I need a large BK and mash tun....

I store grain in homer buckets. We get these Indian meal moths that can eat through ziplock bags and are a total nuisance. The homer buckets keep them out.

What is the distinction between food grade buckets and homer buckets BTW?

TD

Haha! I read through some of the thread posted on the site about that. a lot of people had a lot to say. the biggest distinction between the two it seemed was the release agent used in molding. the food grade release agent is apparently much more expensive. the release agent is leached from the bucket at higher temperatures.

Also: non food grade/temperature rated plastics will leach nasty compounds at higher temperatures. I.e. water jugs are good safe. Ever left one in the sun inside a closed car on a hot summer day? Cool it off and take a swig... that's like plastic! NOT TEMPERATURE RATED PLASTIC.

Btw, some plastic compounds resemble the hormone estrogen and are proven to produce prostate cancer in men through long, continued exposure.

 

[cjgenever]

I clean the bucket well and then fill them with boiling water to help leach out anything I can. I then store my grains, flour, rice, etc in homer buckets. They are cheap and even have a rubber seal in the lid. Just my 2c. Not saying they are safe for dry food storage, but I use them for that.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I am lucky and my lot back up to timber, some of which I own, and the city owns the rest. I dump all my lawn clippings, leaves, spent grains, etc back there.

 

[TrickyDick]

I think I read in here that chicken will eat it. One of the folks I work with has ten and live a mile or two down the road. That is probably the best option. Only question now is, how much can ten chicken be expected to eat? Can they dump it in a pile? I foresee rotting grain in pile in the chicken yard.....

TD

 

[bad coffee]

I think I read in here that chicken will eat it. One of the folks I work with has ten and live a mile or two down the road. That is probably the best option. Only question now is, how much can ten chicken be expected to eat? Can they dump it in a pile? I foresee rotting grain in pile in the chicken yard.....

TD

My 3 chickens would plow through 8-10 pounds in a day or so. The stuff they didn't eat they kicked around the yard.

 

[jrfehon]

My 3 chickens would plow through 8-10 pounds in a day or so. The stuff they didn't eat they kicked around the yard.

I have chickens too and a pile of grains don't last very long in their pen!

 

[jpcourtney]

I give my grains to a girl at work who has calves and a 300 pound goat. He'll eat 12 pounds of grain in one setting!

 

[barnaclebob]

Zombie post nvm...