Grain disposal & MLT cleaning?

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maltMonkey

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I just dump the entire MLT into my backyard near our pond and the geese eat the grain....leaving behind about 10 lbs of geese crap (free yard fertilizer!). I have to change where I dump the grain everytime so I don't step in goose crap. Then I set aside the MLT until the boil is done and use the water coming out of my IC to hose down/rinse out the MLT.

How does everyone else do it?
 
My city has curbside organics pick-up. It makes my life easier. Cleaning out the MLT, we just leave it outside until it freezes and chip out the grain, then throw it in the green bin. The neighbours don't approve of this practice, especially because we often chip out the grain at 4 in the morning.
 
Being an apartment dweller I don't have the option of composting. So I just scoop the grains out after they've cooled a bit and put them into the bin. I save the warm water discharged from my CFC for cleaning everything when I'm done.
 
When we lived in the country I put them outside for the deer to eat. Now, in the 'burbs, I run them down the disposal. 3/4 HP does the job nicely.

Clean out the MLT? Hose it out and scrub with a drop of dishwashing detergent. It's very easy if you do it SOON. Experience has taught if you wait it is quite stinky due to the lactobacteria.
 
I usually put the spent grain down the garburator but last week when I was brewing my belgian wit, I jammed up the sink. I had to call Mr. Rooter for an unplug. It took him 5 hours to unjam it as the blockage was 45 feet down from my apartment. Total bill.......$683.24!!! That is an expensive batch of homebrew! Now I am just going to start throwing the grain out.
 
Advice from a plumber... DON'T PUT THAT STUFF DOWN THE DISPOSAL!!!

Unless, of course, you WANT to pay the overtime rates!

Once the grains pass through the disposal, it is essentially paste. If it doesn't clog the drain right away, it deposits a nice layer of the stuff inside the pipes. Compare it to a clogging artery, eventually you'll have a heart attack. In this case, the heart attack is a backup, and the actual heart attack comes when I give you my bill for snaking your drain.
 
I just spread the grain out on my lawn like lawn seed and what the birds dont eat just gets mixed into the soil. cleaning the mash tun... UH..... water
JJ
 
Grain in the compost pile.
Hops in the trash.
Used beer in the toilet
Water to rinse out the MLT with oxyclean every so often
 
Compost pile for the spent grains. The stuff seems to be an accelerator for the composting.
I'll also chime in on not using the garbage disposal. That stuff will eventually clog up something and I doubt it is doing any favors to the sewer plant.
Craig
 
I just toss the grain, definitely dont put it down your disposal. Same could be said for any fibrous material. Clean the MLT with water, usually hose water. Occasionally I will soak in hot water with oxiclean and take a soft sponge to it.
 
I just dump spent grains on top of my beds for compost, mulch, critter food, or whatever else Mother Nature sees fit. After that I take out the Bazooka tube and give everything a quick but thorough hosing. That's all it takes in my brewery. Cleaning the MLT is about the easiest part of the brewday.


TL
 
TexLaw said:
I just dump spent grains on top of my beds for compost, mulch, critter food, or whatever else Mother Nature sees fit. After that I take out the Bazooka tube and give everything a quick but thorough hosing. That's all it takes in my brewery. Cleaning the MLT is about the easiest part of the brewday.


TL
+1 on all of that... My dogs love the grains in the garden.:D
 
I dump mine in the hop garden and when I have 3-4 batches in there I will put the rototiller to it. In the winter I cover the hop mounds with the spent grain and it acts like an insulator.
 
TexLaw said:
I just dump spent grains on top of my beds for compost, mulch, critter food, or whatever else Mother Nature sees fit.

TL


Ditto. This time of year, the birds and squirrels really seem supportive of my hobby when there is a nice hot 30 lbs AYCE grain buffet in the garden!
 
Throw the grains on the compost pile. Get a hosepipe on the MLT and wipe with a sponge. As long as you don't let it dry, it cleans really easily. Don't bother with detergent as not needed. Then I just give it a quick rinse before using the next time.
 
Spent grains go on the compost pile.
Hops go in a forested part of our yard that is fenced off from the dogs.
IC water to rinse out the cooler.
 
Can you dump cooled spent grains directly on the garden around plants that are already growing? Will this have any negative affects on the plants? If so, how long do you have to compost the grains before you can use them on the garden?
 
Soperbrew said:
Can you dump cooled spent grains directly on the garden around plants that are already growing? Will this have any negative affects on the plants? If so, how long do you have to compost the grains before you can use them on the garden?

The short answer, possibly yes but you'd need to add limestone as the grains will most likely impart not only Nitrogen, but acidify the soil so you need to raise the pH back up with Limestone. The trouble I can see with trying to cold compost the grains is you'll need more space depending on how often you brew. I usually get almost a 5 gallon bucket full of spent grains after a brew session. I am fortunate to have chickens and ducks that love them, otherwise they'd go into a hot compost pile.
 
In Hawaii, the birds made short work of my spent grains, here apparently the birds have more or less sophisticated tastes as my last two grain piles haven't been touched.
 
I dump the spend grain and feed it to the deer handing around our house on brew day. They love it and it's fun to watch them.
 
Dump in the garden... adds organic material to the soil, and we have alot of clay, helps to lighten the soil. I rinse the MLT out well, dry with a towel, leave the lid off for several days so that it doesnt get FUNKY in there.
 
I compost all of my organics in a home built compost keeper.

2391012539_2b2105a620.jpg


Usually, the spent grains get used as mulch before I consider them for compost.

As for the mlt. I bought a toilet brush to use for cleaning that with a hose. The only time I will bring out any detergents or heavier scrubbers is if I ever scorch the mash. Haven't yet.
 
I was asking the owner of my LHBS what he does with the grains and I liked his answer. He trades them to a local chicken farm for eggs. The farmers get free feed for the chickens and in return he gets free eggs.

Sounds like a neat idea to me.
 
The grain gets dumped on the compost pile. Most of the time I am doing two brews in a day, so I just start the next mash. If not, I unscrew the bazooka screen, let the outflow from CFC fill the MLT with warm water. Then a couple sprinkles of Oxyclean in the warm water, and a little sponging, and we are good to go.
 
Grain, hops, and trub go on to the compost pile.

Use warm water and oxyclean for the MLT. If I don't clean it out right after the brew, then I just leave it sit full of oxyclean water and it's just a wipe and rinse when I get to it.
 
I wish I could compost at my place but stupid HOA's....:mad:

I endup just tossing the grains in the trash and IMMEDIATLY rinse with plain old watter. No soap needed.
 
I've got the same problem as deathweed...stupid HOA won't allow a compost pile. Most of the time, I just pitch the grains in the trash. Once in a while, I'll save a bit and dump it by the pond for the ducks to eat.
As far as the MLT, just a quick rinse with the hose is all it needs. I've done almost 20 batches with my current MTL and have never used soap on it.
 
I've got better than curb side pickup. Dump them on the rocks in front of the house and they are gone by morning.

MoreSpentGrains.jpg
 
Bad Shark Brew said:
I've got the same problem as deathweed...stupid HOA won't allow a compost pile.

I'm about to move into a neighborhood with a very strong HOA presence, and though their documents never specifically forbid, or even mention, a compost prohibition, I'm waiting to speak with them about it.

But it's Maryland, and they're all into renewable resources and general hippie stuff, so I might have a fighting chance!
 
GilaMinumBeer said:
As for the mlt. I bought a toilet brush to use for cleaning that with a hose.

Just don't get it mixed up with your other toilet brush.

I wait until the boil has stabilized, then the MLT gets dumped into the compost heap. Then, a quick rinse with the hose is all that's required, and I leave the lid off while it dries.
 
I dump mine into a wheel barrow that I walk to the back of my property and dump in the corner of a fence. It's almost big enough to start composting it.

I'll then rinse the MLT out and use the hot water from the chiller and some PBW to start my cleaning. I reuse all the soapy water from the MLT for the Boil kettle and chiller as well.
 

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