Use for Second Runnings and Spent Grain?

[foam_top]

I want to start being more resourceful with my homebrewing disposables. I have a small list some of which came from other brewers and some of my own ideas. Please contribute any of your ideas and feel free to be inventive.

Second Runnings
-Session Beer (obviously)
-Yeast starter wort
-Ginger Ale
-Combine with mustard seed
-Marinate food

Spent Grain
-Compost
-Pets / Wildlife (bird seed, chicken feed, dog treats, deer etc.)
-Baked Treats (muffins, pretzels, cookies etc.)

 

[redwing_al]

My wife makes some pretty darn good cookies and I'm sure the dog biscuits that she makes are good too, but I haven't tried them. Dog seems to approve!

Anyone use spent grain to hunt over? Seems I could use it for deer? I can imagine it would go something like this: "Oh, what is that sweet, sweet Sme --BANG"

 

[PsychoBiter]

Anyone use spent grain to hunt over? Seems I could use it for deer? I can imagine it would go something like this: "Oh, what is that sweet, sweet Sme --BANG"

I have dumped mine at the deer lease for wild hogs....deer may have eaten it. Who knows. Never hunted over it though.

second runnings of a bigger beer.... I make starter wort. Saves on DME and time.
I boil it in a smaller pot for a couple minutes during my regular boil (Colemman camp stove) and cool in freezer in the pot, then transfer into a sanitized 1 gallon RO water jug (I use these for brewing right now) then into the freezer until I need it for a starter and thaw.
I try to get to 1.037. but sometimes its lower and adjust my starter volumes.

I also reuse my 1 gallon RO containers by filling them with tap water and freezing them. I use the resulting ice in a cooler that I use to feed my immersion chiller with a small "pond" pump. I cut them open and dump the ice blocks into the cooler and then recycle the cut open container.

grains

tons of recipes, but dog treats and pizza dough come to mind. I have fed some to cows and they seem to like it.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Spent grains- many recipies are on the net bread, brownies, cookies and dog treats. Someone with chickens may trade some eggs for grains too.

 

[Murphys_Law]

I make dog treats and we give some to our friends as chicken feed. Dogs and chickens would give me a big thumbs up...if they had thumbs.

Edit to add: This isn't part of your question but goes into being resourceful...I also pay attention to my water usage. When I hook up my IC I will fill two homer buckets of hot water that I use for cleaning, run some water on the trees, and then recirculate using a cooler, pond pump and some ice or frozen bottles.

 

[foam_top]

I make starter wort. Saves on DME and time...

Yeast starter wort! I forgot about that... probably because I mostly use dry yeast but I will add that to the list. Thank you.

I like the idea of making a honey cluster cereal but I thought hulls might make it a bit harsh to chew. I'll look into it.

I also respect those of you who use a recirculating wort chiller. I still do ice baths myself but that's a future DIY project.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

If you know someone with horses, spent grain is like crack to them. Makes for a tasty treat. Whenever I brew, my beasts can smell it from across the property so they come to the fence and stare at us for hours until i'm done and bring them some.

 

[Greytop]

My wife makes spent grain bread and muffins. We also make spent grain crackers. You have to get the cracker dough thin enough to crisp up in the oven, so I use a pasta machine to roll it out. It's kinda cool when you can serve cheese and crackers with the beer made from the grains. We may try pretzels next.

 

[Zimm9]

This is a great thread and something I planned to research more. I've been saving my grains since my first batch with the idea of making banana muffins, if nothing else. These other ideas are really handy. I'll be moving smack in the middle of several horse pastures soon - if the homebrew doesn't win over my new neighbors then maybe the spent grains will!

For baking, I've read that drying then grinding the grains a little finer helps you get around the problem of hard to chew hulls. That might not work if you wanted a more coarse texture, though.

 

[MaxStout]

I make doggie treats (don't have a dog, but I like to reward the neighbors who do, as they are so good about not letting them out to bark at night). I also give some to a friend who has chickens.

Since the spent grains do not keep long at room temp and I don't use it right away, I will put it in a plastic bag and throw it into the freezer.

 

[triethylborane]

Anyone use spent grain to hunt over? Seems I could use it for deer? I can imagine it would go something like this: "Oh, what is that sweet, sweet Sme --BANG"

If you bait deer, make sure you follow the applicable laws in your jurisdiction. Deer love grain, so it can aid hunting tremendously. Here are the rules for MI:

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10366_37141_37705-250077--,00.html

I know that in MI violations of the laws result in severe penalties, so check twice.

 

[Dimax]

Wife makes a couple batches of dog treats, and the neighbors two goats & chickens get the rest. I get a couple dozen farm fresh eggs in exchange.

 

[catdaddy66]

I always use second runnings (what isn't boiled) as future starter wort. I was amazed at how easy it was to harvest and save. Kicked myself for not doing it sooner!

Spent grains are either compost or bird food...

Beer? That's mine!

 

[PsychoBiter]

I always use second runnings (what isn't boiled) as future starter wort. I was amazed at how easy it was to harvest and save. Kicked myself for not doing it sooner!

Spent grains are either compost or bird food...

Beer? That's mine!

Make sure you boil it at some point. Some say boil right before you add yeast, cooled of course. But it's a pain to boil and cool the day I want to start the starter. To save time on the day I want to make the starter, I boil it before I freeze it (brew day). I haven't died....yet.

I also over build my starter and save some for my next starter. I don't buy yeast unless I don't have time to make a starter or don't have the yeast in my yeast collection.

 

[Bigfly]

I use a brew basket so after draining I pour a gallon of cold water through the grain. Collect it, put it in a jug and freeze it. When I need a starter I thaw it out and bring to a boil. The spent grains go into the compost.

 

[Kent88]

Search around here for spent grain ideas, I've been in a few threads about spent grains.

I most frequently use them to make pizza dough and waffle batter. Probably the most unusual thing I've had them in that worked was cinnamon rolls. Putting dry spent grain in pretzels is a bad idea, though.

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

Putting dry spent grain in pretzels is a bad idea, though.

We have an excellent brewery in town who makes pretzels from their spent grain and they are UNREAL! I've even thought about getting a job in the kitchen just to learn how they do it!

That being said, I typically bag up all my spent grain and go drop it off at our zoo. I'm not sure who eats it once they take it, but the dietician always seems happy to take it off my hands!

Second running starter wort is brilliant *slaps forehead for not thinking of it myself* Does anyone think I'd be alright to (plastic) bottle it up and freeze so I can just thaw boil and pitch?

 

[mikeasu]

Wifey does spent grain bread - I love it with a stout/porter grain bill - be warned, maybe it's the sugary grains (I'm a no-sparge brewer), but can make mutant loaves - really rise well. One exception - didn't turn out as good with rice hulls in the grain.

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup water
3T oil or melted butter
3T honey
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flout
1 cup spent grain
2 1/4 t yeast (1 pkg bread yeast)
2 t salt

Mix dry ingredients then add wet. Knead 5-8 min with mixer dough hook until elastic and shiny. Transfer to oiled bowl and cover. Rise until doubled (1 hour). Shape and rise 30-40 minutes more. Bake at 400° for 30-45 min until sounds hollow when tapped or 200° inside.

 

[catdaddy66]

Make sure you boil it at some point. Some say boil right before you add yeast, cooled of course. But it's a pain to boil and cool the day I want to start the starter. To save time on the day I want to make the starter, I boil it before I freeze it (brew day). I haven't died....yet.

I also over build my starter and save some for my next starter. I don't buy yeast unless I don't have time to make a starter or don't have the yeast in my yeast collection.

I boil the saved wort for 15 minutes to increase the gravity and cool for about the same time to bring it to 75-80°. Then add yeast and swirl.

And I always harvest about 500ml of starter to use next time I need it.