Spent Grain? Make Your Best Friend Cookies!

[schweaty]

Your dog that is! Don't throw that grain away, make some doggie treats for your furry friend. They love them! Got this recipe from Beerrific a couple of days ago.

Original recipe:
4 cups spent grain
2 cups flour
1 cup peanut butter (all natural)
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Press down into a dense layer on a large cookie sheet. Score almost all the way through into the shapes you want. Bake for about half an hour at 350 F to solidify them. Loosen them from the sheet, break the biscuits apart and return them, loosely spread out on the cookie sheet, to the oven at 225 F for 3 to 4 hours (or until they are really dry) to prevent mold growth. Store in an airtight container to keep them dry and mold-free.

Thanks to Beerrific for the recipe, my minature dachshunds love them! I modified the recipe a bit and cut out my cookies and then put them on a sheet at 225 for 3 hours.

 

[thataintchicken]

thanks.
My Dobie ISIS will love you .

 

[Grinder12000]

I've been doing that and actually selling them at a local place.

Shrink wrap 6 inch size chunks and sell then for a buck.

Doggie Beer Bars.

But now a local bakery wants the grain for bread.

I love this hobby - take something we normally feed the pigs with, give it a different cool name and sell it to humans.

 

[Professor Frink]

Awesome, I'll definitely be trying this one.

 

[Yooper]

My dog LOVES them. I make them large and instead of scoring and breaking them, I just do them like drop cookies. I plop a big spoonful down, and press into a rectangle shape. They are his favorite treat and he goes crazy for them.

Of course, he also loves deer poop, so I don't think he's very discriminating.

 

[Zymurgrafi]

I know my dogs LOVE eating spent grain right out of the compost. I try and keep them out of it though as it is none to kind on their digestive track!



smaller quantities are probably best

 

[Professor Frink]

My dog LOVES them. I make them large and instead of scoring and breaking them, I just do them like drop cookies. I plop a big spoonful down, and press into a rectangle shape. They are his favorite treat and he goes crazy for them.

Of course, he also loves deer poop, so I don't think he's very discriminating.

I wonder if that is like cat poop, my Maddie loves that.

 

[fivehoursfree]

hmmm, interesting. I threw some old grain into some planters and the dog ate it right off the dirt.

 

[billtzk]

I wonder if these spent grain treats are really good for dogs.

I think the dog food industry would tell us it is fine since their products are mostly comprised of cereal grains too. Probably many vets would say the same.

My dogs love Milk Bone treats, so I'm sure they'd love spent-grain cookies too.

But still... Dogs are carnivores by nature, not herbivores or omnivores. I've recently been feeding raw beef and chicken to my dogs. They go nuts over it. And then afterwards they want a Milk Bone... go figure.

 

[Amiaji]

Dogs are carnivores by nature, not herbivores or omnivores. I've recently been feeding raw beef and chicken to my dogs. They go nuts over it. And then afterwards they want a Milk Bone... go figure.

Dogs, like humans, are carnivors by nature but that doesnt meant that won't like a good spent grain dog biscuit.

 

[Grinder12000]

I wonder if that is like cat poop, my Maddie loves that.

My label for by Doggie Beer Bars says "Better Then Poop". Only dog lovers get it. LOL

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

I wonder if these spent grain treats are really good for dogs.

I think the dog food industry would tell us it is fine since their products are mostly comprised of cereal grains too. Probably many vets would say the same.

My dogs love Milk Bone treats, so I'm sure they'd love spent-grain cookies too.

But still... Dogs are carnivores by nature, not herbivores or omnivores. I've recently been feeding raw beef and chicken to my dogs. They go nuts over it. And then afterwards they want a Milk Bone... go figure.

Please, please, please, before you start your dog on one of these raw meat diets, talk to your vet first. Dogs really are not strict carnivores by nature, and do quite well with a fair amount of carbohydrates to balance out a protein rich diet (A TON of research has been done on this) You will find, if you talk to your local vet, that many of these raw diets are actually deficient in many minerals and vitamins, including Calcium and Phosphorus. I will not say that these diets cannot be healthy, but it does take some effort to balance them for your pet. Not only do these diets tend to not be balanced, but dogs can and will get many of the food borne diseases that we can get from raw meat (Salmonella, E. coli, Camphlobacter, etc.)

On the other hand, a "treat" of raw meat, or spent grain doggie bars are quite acceptable.


Jason B. DVM c/o2010

 

[jklotz]

for what it's worth, make sure there are no hops that make it into the cookies. I understand they are poisonous for dogs.

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

for what it's worth, make sure there are no hops that make it into the cookies. I understand they are poisonous for dogs.

Ah, thank you for bringing this up. There have been a few reported cases of sight hound breeds (mostly greyhounds) developing malignant hyperthermia (kinda like an uncontrolled fever, body just keeps making itself hotter and hotter) after the ingestion of hop products. This is not something that I would generaly not worry about, as it takes a while to dig up the details in the archives of veterinary litterature (translate: pretty freakin rare...) BUT, I would also say don't tempt fate and feed your dog the leftover hops from that IIPA your brewin next weekend

 

[Jzak09]

Dogs, like humans, are carnivors by nature but that doesnt meant that won't like a good spent grain dog biscuit.

Humans are not carnivores by nature.

 

[telemarc]

My dog Kaya likes to RDWHAHB with me! Now she can have some grain treats as well.

 

[CBBaron]

Dogs, like humans, are carnivors by nature but that doesnt meant that won't like a good spent grain dog biscuit.

Dogs are carnivores, humans however are omnivores with a much longer and more complicated digestive tract.

This recipe sounds pretty good as a snack for dogs or humans. I would not feed it to either as a significant part of the diet. I may have to make a batch for myself next time i brew.

Craig

 

[Mutilated1]

You can also add bacon grease or beef tallow instead of or in addition to the peanut butter.

Our dog loves them, and our daughter loves to mess around in the kitchen and make them. I get an automatic brew assistant as long as I agree to let her make dog cookies.

 

[Sunsettseeker]

Thanks for the alternative. I have the one dog in the world that doesn't eat peanut butter. Go Figure.

 

[GroovePuppy]

You can also add bacon grease or beef tallow instead of or in addition to the peanut butter.

Our dog loves them, and our daughter loves to mess around in the kitchen and make them. I get an automatic brew assistant as long as I agree to let her make dog cookies.

Mmmmmmm, bacon grease.

 

[fratermus]

Please, please, please, before you start your dog on one of these raw meat diets, talk to your vet first.

I didn't get the feeling that the OP was recommending meat-only. Even the most ardent BARFers (Bones And Raw Food) aren't doing meat-only.

Owners of sighthounds get used to doing their own research because (as you point out) they have strange reactions to things. Very undoglike dogs, IMO.

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

I didn't get the feeling that the OP was recommending meat-only. Even the most ardent BARFers (Bones And Raw Food) aren't doing meat-only.

You are correct, but I was pointing out a previous post (hence why I quoted it), where the author stated, "I've recently been feeding raw beef and chicken to my dogs. "

 

[Danek]

How would these cookies be for human consumption? I don't have a dog, but reading this thread has made me hungry.

Hungry for dog treats. This is a new low.

 

[Beerrific]

Got this recipe from Beerrific a couple of days ago.

I should point out that I found there recipe here: Spent grain dog biscuits - Realbeer.com Beer Community

I make a double batch of these once every couple months. My dogs love them. Our dogs stay in their crates during the day while we are gone. If we simply say "Go get in your crates" (or just simply "crates"), they run for their crates. All they ask for in return is a 1inx1in spent grain treat.

I have tried one. They are very dry and hurt my gums. They are also very bland. You could probably very easily make these into a tastier, high-protein bar with a few minor changes to the recipe.

 

[Yooper]

How would these cookies be for human consumption? I don't have a dog, but reading this thread has made me hungry.

Hungry for dog treats. This is a new low.

Before they're dry, they taste ok but need sugar!

Um, I mean, I would think that would be how they would taste if I were to be so low as to eat dog biscuits.

My husband called them "peanut butter flavored cardboard" after they were dried.

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

Dogs are carnivores, humans however are omnivores with a much longer and more complicated digestive tract.

Not true.

Dogs are NOT strict carnivores, and their dietary requirements, as well as their gastrointestinal anatomy more closely resemble that of an omnivore. Their digestive tract is also VERY similar to that of humans.

From "Small Animal Clinical Nutrition" 4th ed, Chapter 9 pgs 216-217, section titled Dogs as omnivores:

Several researchers have examined the eating habits of wolves (Canis lupus), the nearest ancestors of our domestic dogs, and close relatives such as coyotes (Canis latrans). Both are opportunistic predators and scavengers, hunting and eating what is available regionally. Coyotes eat carrion and hunt rodents, other small mammals, birds, amphibians and other species. In addition, they have been reported to consume droppings of herbivorous prey; domestic dogs also will readily consume herbivore feces. Regional ungulates such as buffalo, deer, elk, moose, wildebeest, antelope and zebra are the natural prey of wolves. Viscera are considered the choicest part; therefore partly digested vegetable material is a normal part of a wolves's diet. Both coyotes and wolves also eat plant matter such as fruits, berries, persimmons, mushrooms and melons. Similarly, dogs are opportunistic eaters and have developed anatomic and physiologic characteristics that permit digestion ans usage of a varied diet.

On a side note, cats are strict carnivores, and require very high protein levels in relation to carbohydrates.

-Jason B. DVM c/o 2010

 

[eggraid101]

I keep my doggie treats in a ziploc in the fridge; that way I don't have to bake them to a crisp.

 

[fratermus]

BTW, my dog loves the spent grain 'cookies'.

 

[CBBaron]

Not true.

Dogs are NOT strict carnivores, and their dietary requirements, as well as their gastrointestinal anatomy more closely resemble that of an omnivore. Their digestive tract is also VERY similar to that of humans.

From "Small Animal Clinical Nutrition" 4th ed, Chapter 9 pgs 216-217, section titled Dogs as omnivores:

On a side note, cats are strict carnivores, and require very high protein levels in relation to carbohydrates.

-Jason B. DVM c/o 2010

The quote you provided only mentioned vegetable food sources as minor sources of nutrition and animal protein and fat as the primary source of nutrition. Sounds like a carnivore that enjoys sweets (fruit) when available.
I'm sure you enjoy candy at times, but you don't expect to eat candy for a meal. I think with dogs, vegetable sources of food should be treated the same way and not the primary source of nutrition as it is in most "dog food".

However you are correct that dogs are much more capable of digesting vegetable treats than cats or ferrets.

Craig

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

My dog LOVES them. I make them large and instead of scoring and breaking them, I just do them like drop cookies. I plop a big spoonful down, and press into a rectangle shape. They are his favorite treat and he goes crazy for them.

Of course, he also loves deer poop, so I don't think he's very discriminating.

The poop iz fo teh buzz and dah Kookeez is fo dah muncheez.