Compost and spent grain

[MrFancyPlants]

Anyone have any tips for dealing with a compost bin overloaded with spent grain? I know that generally you are supposed to mix in "browns" with "greens" in order to eliminate stink, but it is not really leaf harvesting season. I have some composted mulch that I have been spreading in a thin layer on top after turning the pile and that helps, but I was wondering if there were any other techniques.

Thanks!

 

[nagmay]

The spent grain is low carbon and should be considered a "green" material. It also likes to clump, causing aerobic conditions. Together, these can create a big stink. Unless you have leaves laying around, mixing it with the already started compost is the best way to go.

 

[imasickboy]

If you have a paper shredder, throw some newspaper through it. That's always an easy out-of-season "brown".

 

[mb82]

Back when I had a compost pile to dump my grains into( recently moved back into an apartment bleh) I would dump my grains in the pile then give it a quick mix. Really I didn't even need to do much of one, just the top 4 inches or so of compost and no stink.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I had low (40%) efficiency on my first cream ale attempt due to the adjuncts, and I think those left over sugars got it stinking in the first place. Then I brewed back to back batches trying to ramp up and fill a 15.5G sankey for my friends wedding coming up. It has been brutal hot weather too. I think dumping the composted mulch on top has helped a lot, but when I turn it, it kicks up the stink.
I wonder if some pigeon guano (I know a guy) would help process the carbs faster or if it would just fuel the fire.

 

[ardonthorn5]

if you have access to straw you could shred it up and add it.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Coffee Grounds help. Plus coffee smells good. Got any weeds to pull? Have a neighbor whose grass clippings you can steal?

Ihate the smell of rotting grains, smells like something died. Yuck.

 

[SnakeRidge]

Guano would help (it's full of nitrogen). You could also go get a bale of straw from Lowe's and mix that in. Newspaper and cardboard would help too.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Thanks guys.. coffee grounds sound like a good choice. I used to pick those up at fourbucks before the bin became so over loaded with grains. The good news is tons of black gold is ready to go in the lower levels. I'm going to start filling hop sacks up with it to fertilize my bonsai with. For the centennial, I'll just dump a shovel full next to them.

 

[mjlower]

To sort of reiterate what others have already said - this past weekend I brewed and for the first time put my spent grains in the compost pile.. just threw it on top with light aeration.. few days later I walk outside and boy did it stink.. way too much 'green'! ended up putting in about 3 cans of shredded paper (2 mixed in and one layer on top) - I'd say within a day the smell dissipated, but I learned my lesson about having the proper combination of greens and browns (as well as aeration and wetness..)

good luck!

 

[DurtyChemist]

I add the newspaper junk mail and bills to mine.

Turning it more often will reduce the smell. It sounds odd but the more you turn it the less stink it has to release. It also helps it compost faster.

 

[rhys333]

I mix my spent grain with leaves if I have them. It seems to get things moving quickly and avoids the bad smell. If anything, it smells quite nice and earthy... like a forest floor. If I don't have leaves, I'll shred some newspaper. I've noticed that with a high proportion of spent grain in the mix, I get a very light and fluffy compost. I made a mistake early on of not including enough browns. The compost stank to high heaven, it was kinda mushy, and burned my plants.

If you're looking for material for your compost, Starbucks gives away their used coffee grounds. Also, your local city or town can be a great source of free material. Mine has a composting program and they offer free straw, leaves, shredded wood mulch, and even teach you about composting.