I know they are normal to be crawling around in a bag of grain. However, if they are alive, they must be eating something right? And that something must be the grains themselves. But if they are eating away at your grains, does this mean they are also eating away at the brewhouse efficiency as well?
Question regarding grain weevils
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I wouldn't consider it normal. If there are weevils in a newly bought bag I would return it. Grain should be stored in a plastic or metal bin where the adult weevils can't get to it.
The eggs are laid inside the kernel and the larvae feed and develop in the kernel, so I would think if the infestation is bad enough it would affect efficiency. Although I don't know if I would want weevil beer.
The eggs are laid inside the kernel and the larvae feed and develop in the kernel, so I would think if the infestation is bad enough it would affect efficiency. Although I don't know if I would want weevil beer.
Op: unless you have a major major infestation, i doubt they could eat enough to make a noticeable dent in efficiency, but that's a complete assumption.
I have a similar situation so I'll add on to this recent thread instead of starting my own. I just brewed my first batch in exactly a year.
I had about a whole sack of grain sitting in the garage during that time and when I went to measure out my base malt i noticed small bugs crawling in it. I guess they're weevils?
Most reports on these forums say that they're not harmful, most food products contain acceptable amounts of animal/insect parts, and the boil sterilizes everything (duh).
But I can't get over the fact that it's gross. There wasn't a major infestation or anything, but what do most people do? Do most of you throw the buggy grain away? Toss the batch? Or brew on?
I have a similar situation so I'll add on to this recent thread instead of starting my own. I just brewed my first batch in exactly a year.
I had about a whole sack of grain sitting in the garage during that time and when I went to measure out my base malt i noticed small bugs crawling in it. I guess they're weevils?
Most reports on these forums say that they're not harmful, most food products contain acceptable amounts of animal/insect parts, and the boil sterilizes everything (duh).
But I can't get over the fact that it's gross. There wasn't a major infestation or anything, but what do most people do? Do most of you throw the buggy grain away? Toss the batch? Or brew on?
Op: unless you have a major major infestation, i doubt they could eat enough to make a noticeable dent in efficiency, but that's a complete assumption.
I have a similar situation so I'll add on to this recent thread instead of starting my own. I just brewed my first batch in exactly a year.
I had about a whole sack of grain sitting in the garage during that time and when I went to measure out my base malt i noticed small bugs crawling in it. I guess they're weevils?
Most reports on these forums say that they're not harmful, most food products contain acceptable amounts of animal/insect parts, and the boil sterilizes everything (duh).
But I can't get over the fact that it's gross. There wasn't a major infestation or anything, but what do most people do? Do most of you throw the buggy grain away? Toss the batch? Or brew on?
Is it possible for you to take a picture of your grains? What about a close up? Just curious to see how many you have.
Sorry, just had to throw in that line from that movie "the greater or lesser of two weevils."
Grain is stored in silos, I would think it difficult to eliminate weevils in entirety.
Imagine how much non-food is in a fig newton, squashed fruit, a few weevils isn't so bad.
OTOH if the bag is badly infested, I would return it.
Grain is stored in silos, I would think it difficult to eliminate weevils in entirety.
Imagine how much non-food is in a fig newton, squashed fruit, a few weevils isn't so bad.
OTOH if the bag is badly infested, I would return it.
iijakii
Well-Known Member
To get to the base of the matter we need to know what the OG potential of weevil guts is.
I wonder what temperature should you do a weevil rest at?
1977Brewer
Free Dan Hess.
- All grain contains weevil eggs. It's normal. Given the right temps and godknowswhat, they will hatch.
- They won't eat enough to make a difference in your brew. No, they won't affect your OG. Brew with them, you won't find them in your finished beer.
- There's no entry in Beersmith for weevils.
- If you ignore them, they WILL find your food pantry in your house, and they are determined miners. They will infest boxes of cereal, rice, pasta. They can get through a closed ziplock bag and a sealed bag of sugar/flour.
- If you freeze them, they will die. Their eggs will be destroyed. Two days at freezer temps works.
Will the freezer harm the grain in any way?
No, it won't hurt it.
BTW, this is also a good thing to do with flour, as there are often weevil eggs already inside that too. A week in the deep freeze will kill 'em off.
Not cool with the bug...it took me a second to realize this wasn't on my screen.
They do get bigger if you let them.
normonster
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Sometimes they come from another planet!
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
I saw weevels exactly once, in a box of commercial pancake mix. It had been picked up from an "old stock supply" I no longer purchase old stock pancake mix. If they can survive commercial procesing I suspect they can survive most anything. Good tip on freezing, it makes sense. If one were to mill infected grains, I suspect the weevels would infect the mill and transfer to other grains as well?
The only way a mill would transfer weevils to other grain would be if you milled some grain then put the milled grain back in with your whole grain.
A more likely transfer would come from using a scoop in one grain container and then another.
There are weevil remains or their eggs in all grain. And all vegetable food products you eat!
feinbera
Well-Known Member
Probably also contain a lot of oils and fats, at least enough to negate any head-forming bonus you'd get from their protein content. Really, I'm kinda surprised that inadvertent weevil oil additions aren't a more common diagnosis on "omg, no head on my beer!" threads...
iijakii
Well-Known Member
PassedPawn had me swiping at my screen for a minute to get the bug off. That was we-evil of him :smack:
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
I don't own a grain mill, so I am not speaking from personal experience. However, the mill I use at the LHBS always has bits of flour in the mill and the discharge tubs.
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