Spent Grains

[bondra76]

OK I'm a horrible American. I throw away my spent grains.

Wondering what everyone else does with them (besides throwing them into the garbage can).

My buddy is in pursuit of getting some chickens, and I am probably going to swap out some grains for eggs with him.

Considered composting for our vegetable garden this year, but just didn't have the foresight to really invest in a composting mechanism.

What are you doing with your grains, if you are doing something to benefit from them?

And if you're not currently sending your grains somewhere, why the hell are you not taking advantage of that $50 grain tab

Cheers!

 

[jhoneycutt]

Got a dog? Make him/her some treats. There's plenty of recipes here on hbt. Also some bread recipes here.

 

[bondra76]

Got a dog? Make him/her some treats. There's plenty of recipes here on hbt. Also some bread recipes here.

I dont have a dog - but I will check out the bread for sure. Wonder if anyone makes cookies out of this stuff now you mention yet.

 

[dryboroughbrewing]

After a few hours of hacking out more bamboo than you can shake a stick at I am once again successfully composting my spent grains.

 

[Beernik]

I used to put mine in a garbage sack and toss them. But I finally have plans for all of mine.

I got six 1 gallon bags of spent grains from my two brews this weekend. A couple will be saved for dog treats. A couple will be saved for adding to bread recipes. And the other two are going to a friend's chickens.

 

[AgentHubcap]

I throw mine in the yard debris. Nobody has complained yet.

 

[FireManDan]

I actually this last weekend dumped my spent grains into a raised planter box that we are going to plant herbs in. I haven't amended the soil yet but i did till up the grains to keep the flies away. Figured it can't hurt to add a little nitro to the soil. Guess we'll find out soon.

 

[cheddarhed3]

Here in Yuma I have no grass so I spread it over the yard...the birds love it. But we got a dog today so I'll have to look into the dog treat recipes that are said to be on HBT somewhere. There is a fellow homebrewer though whose wife makes bread from them. It is said to be amazing.


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[Desvio]

Spread it under the fern beds, put it in bird feeders, planer boxes. As for baking it was a great idea, but kinda bland after all the good stuff was extracted into the wort.

 

[Paps]

I'll often take the spent grains & add some flour and peanut butter to make dog cookies....most dogs go crasy over them.

 

[Calichusetts]

I often make pizza with it. I know of people that give it to a farm in exchange for some eggs, meat, or milk. I had a similar agreement but I don't brew on a regular schedule so it was inconsistent at best.

 

[cmoewes]

I keeps some dried in the freezer for baking bread.

Other than that, I give it to a friend with chickens, or dump it out back for the critters. I figure what they don't eat will compost.

 

[Flipadelphia]

I live in a condo and our deck leads out to woods that nobody would ever go into, so I just dump them off the side of the deck.

 

[janelf]

I only do 1 gallon batches so it is easier for me to dry them out in the oven. I don't do it for every batch ass some go in the garden to compost and some in the trash. Yesterday I made some falafel with some spent grains. I am sure this site has been posted on the board before.
http://brooklynbrewshop.com/themash/category/spentgrainchef/

 

[BikeAndBrew]

Like others have said, I make bread out of some it, dog treats out of some, & compost the rest.

This is the bread recipe I use:

http://snappyservicecafe.com/homebrewed-to-home-baked-spent-grain-bread/

And the dog treat recipe:

http://fuzzybrew.com/2013/02/spent-grain-dog-biscuit-recipe-homebrew-treats-for-your-best-friend/


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[Hello]

I do dog treats, give it away if I can find someone who wants it then and there but Friday I made the terrible choice to dump it in my trash. It's been warm...it's not a pretty sight and it stinks to all hell. I'll be cleaning the trash can out after Friday for sure.

 

[shaggyman07]

I give mine to a local farm. I have not worked it a trade but with brewing 5+ gallons a week I am hoping he offers. He is getting a lot of free feed from me.



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[cmoewes]

I only do 1 gallon batches so it is easier for me to dry them out in the oven. I don't do it for every batch ass some go in the garden to compost and some in the trash. Yesterday I made some falafel with some spent grains. I am sure this site has been posted on the board before.
http://brooklynbrewshop.com/themash/category/spentgrainchef/

Agreed, it was a lot easier when I did 1 gallon batches.

For drying them I like to avoid using heat and it roasts them. So I use box fan rig based on a beef jerky episode of Good Eats. Set the box fan flat onto a milk crate with the air blowing down. Stretch a thin kitchen towel (not the ones your SWMBO's great aunt embroidered kittens on) and then spread a layer of spent grain over the whole surface maybe 3/4 - 1 inch thick. Turn the fan on and leave for over night. The grains will dry nicely without any additional roasting or burning of the residual sugars. Then I just bag them up and keep them in the freezer.

 

[unionrdr]

I was drying them in a 200F oven spread on cookie sheets. Takes a few hours but doesn't really roast them. Cool & store in 1G zip lock bags. I use recipes from the spent grain chef site as well. That is until I learned it messed with the wife's diabetes. I guess I'll have to make dog treats from them.

 

[MrSpaz]

I put them in my garden. You can tell how much richer the soil is this spring from doing it a few times. Birds have enjoyed some as well

 

[atoughram]

I dump them on the garden and till them in.

 

[Clonefan94]

I thout I replied to this thread, but I don't see my post. I just mix mine into the compost pile. Late in fall and early in spring I spread some on the garden as well and will till those in. As bad as they stink when they start cooking, they have to have some value as compost.


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[Cheesy_Goodness]

I dont have a dog - but I will check out the bread for sure. Wonder if anyone makes cookies out of this stuff now you mention yet.

I was drying them in a 200F oven spread on cookie sheets. Takes a few hours but doesn't really roast them. Cool & store in 1G zip lock bags. I use recipes from the spent grain chef site as well. That is until I learned it messed with the wife's diabetes. I guess I'll have to make dog treats from them.

unionrdr beat me to it. I've been meaning to try some of these recipes for some time but never got around to it.
Link: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/themash/category/spentgrainchef/

 

[j1n]

I give them to my sister that puts it in her compost pile. i don't have a yard so its either i throw it out or give it to her. might see if she will grow some hops for me. She is my brewing assistant since my wife doesn't care for beer or alcohol and has no interest in helping me.

 

[unionrdr]

I doubled the pretzel bun recipe to make'em big enough for pit BBQ'd burgers. I also used lighter colored spent grains then they did;

They came out chewy like soft,warm Bavarian pretzels. Sprinkled sea salt on top.

 

[ncbrewer]

Those who spread the grains on the yard: Does the sugar cause any problems, like attracting ants, or do you rinse them out first?

 

[brewbama]

SWMBO baked bread and dog treats. And the DIL makes granola. I dump the rest for the birds and deer.


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[MrSpaz]

Ncbrewer, I haven't had a problem. But I've only done it fall and winter, so might be different now and summertime

 

[monkeyman1000]

I've made bread a few times but the recipes I tried didn't use up much grain so I had to dump most of it anyway.

 

[herc1354]

A friend of mine has a small pig farm, I give him all my spent grains, the pigs love it!


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[NickTheGreat]

I dump mine in my compost pile as well. Someday I'll get around to making a proper compost bin setup.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I dump mine in my compost pile as well. Someday I'll get around to making a proper compost bin setup.

 

[Cadrian]

I have a couple friends with chickens.... I just give them a call, they happy to pick up.

 

[johnmac22]

Not sure if this recipe has been shared already but I use this one and the dogs go nuts for them. They literally have no interest in any of the store bought treats we still have.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/spent-grain-make-your-best-friend-cookies-87097/

 

[fletchergsmith]

My chickens don't care for it. So I just dig a shallow hole and cover them with dirt, after a few weeks it's full of red worms. I spread about half of it over the garden and add the new spent grain and cover with dirt again.

Beats me why my chickens don't like it, just spoiled I guess.


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[Temptd2]

I measure out 8 oz. into some sandwich baggies, then freeze. I add those to my whole wheat bread machine bread.

KOTC had a GREAT idea, why not add some to ground meat? So we did that earlier this week - I added 4 oz. to a pound of ground bison, shaped into 4 big flat patties, put grated cheese and bacon bits on two of the patties, topped with the final two; pinched the edges, reshaped, and grilled those suckas. The burgers were so good with the spent grains that we repeated it the next night, only using ground elk instead of bison.

Next time I make meatloaf I'm gonna use the spent grains in there too!

Whatever I don't bag up, I have two friends who have chickens that love them. I generally get some fresh eggs in exchange!

I've also dehydrated them and then ground into a flour, but wasn't thrilled with my results from baking with it.

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

How do people deal with the hulls when they grind grain into flour? Is there a technique or do you all just let it ride with the hulls?

 

[Temptd2]

It's not an issue at all if it's ground up finely enough. I use a Vitamix blender which just whirs everything into a fine powder.

 

[danorocks17]

I compost mine

 

[Calichusetts]

How do people deal with the hulls when they grind grain into flour? Is there a technique or do you all just let it ride with the hulls?

I actually enjoy the texture more. I think it really helps in pizza, especially the crust