Used grain ideas- what to do with it???

[formula2fast]

So today I did my first homebrew and it was awesome. I did a chocolate maple porter from Brooklyn Brew Shop. It smelled so good while mashing. After I finished with the spent grain, I tasted some of it and it was delicious. I put it in a tupperware container until I can think of something to do with it. Something that still tastes that good can't just be thrown away

What do you guys do with your used grain? I was thinking of making either cookies or pancakes with them. Am I crazy for trying to make another great food or drink with the remains of another?

 

[AgentHubcap]

I make dog treats with some of my grain. The rest goes into a compost pile.

 

[brewingmeister]

I find the husks unpleasant for human consumption.
Spent grain goes south quick, you better find a use soon. Dog treats are a decent use of a couple cups.

 

[neo68710]

I second the compost pile.

 

[Cacaman]

Food processor, and make a pizza!

 

[iaefebs]

I came here wanting to post the the first dog treat / pizza dough recipe. Late again... but to the OP take 2 cups of that 15 lb grain bill and make doggy sacks, take another cup or whatever and make a pizza, which will taste horrible. Take the rest and compost with 100 pounds of green, throw in some egg shells. Next week you can make doggy snack for the neighbors, forget the pizza and spread the remains on your lawn. The next week you can dump the grain on public land and feed the deer. The next week throw it in the garbage. It makes great landfill. It actually helps break down all the regular garbage you throw out.

 

[brewingmeister]

Dog treat pizza sounds just awful....

 

[Gaidin53]

I've tried to feed it to the birds thinking they would eat it but they don't seem to actually eat it. You'd think they would love it!

 

[overdbus]

gave mine to a lady who has chickens ,they seem to like it.

 

[Nwalesmith]

I put an ad on CL and a lady with horses comes by every time I brew.

 

[Chris1272]

They are good for baking with, I have put a cup or two in bread/pizza dough. I have some that I have frozen from a Rye IPA that I want to try and put in a Bagel. come to think of it I may use spent grain from an Oatmeal stout as a bagel topping as well.

 

[mvcorliss]

Everyone in my neighborhood knows when I brew because a day later my wife is going house to house with doggie treats!
Even with that I think my little garden is half soil and half spent grain. I'm working on a couple of friends with chickens!

 

[CastleHollow]

My wife has a bread machine, and she's uses about 1 cup in a multi-grain bread recipe that works pretty well. A couple more cups we use for dog treats, the rest goes to a friend who has horses or gets composted and fed to my hops plants!

 

[Stix]

gave mine to a lady who has chickens ,they seem to like it.

My chickens love it. I start brewing and they think its dinner time!

 

[rv9aguy]

Thanks for the chicken idea, guys. I've got a neighbor with chickens who was really happy to be asked if she wanted the spent grains. My compost heap is full, so this is a great alternative.

 

[Franco]

I put an ad on CL and a lady with horses comes by every time I brew.

To each their own, but I wouldn't ever feed my spent grains to my horses..

The chickens on the other hand, come running when they see me coming with a big old bowl of grain. To the OP, if someone near you raises pigs or chickens, you might be able to barter with them.. (EDIT: I'm always late to the party..)

 

[Weizer]

I haven't gotten into all grain yet, but I just give my used hops to the chickens and they love it! We have 6 dogs, so it will be a great treat for them when I start all grain.

 

[RogerMcAllen]

To each their own, but I wouldn't ever feed my spent grains to my horses..

The chickens on the other hand, come running when they see me coming with a big old bowl of grain. To the OP, if someone near you raises pigs or chickens, you might be able to barter with them.. (EDIT: I'm always late to the party..)

Don't worry, I'm even later.

Finding someone with chickens and trading for farm fresh eggs is definitely your best option.

 

[formula2fast]

It may find its way into oatmeal cookies. The grain is from a chocolate maple porter and still tastes quite delicious.

 

[formula2fast]

So I made my oatmeal cookies with a soft oatmeal cookie recipe from the internet. The recipe called for 3 cups of oatmeal, so I put in 3 cups of my spent grain and 1 cup of oatmeal and added some chocolate chips.

They are the best oatmeal cookies I have ever had, and gave them to a few friends and they had the same opinion. I am sure it was so good because of the type of beer I brewed but I would be that many other beers would taste just as good in cookies.

 

[ChuckO]

I haven't gotten into all grain yet, but I just give my used hops to the chickens and they love it! We have 6 dogs, so it will be a great treat for them when I start all grain.

The grains are OK for dogs, but watch out for letting dogs get to the used hops. Check out this sticky https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/dangers-hops-your-pets-108935/ before letting them get to the hops. Not all dogs have problems, but why take a chance?

 

[formula2fast]

Interesting. I won't be giving it to my dogs, but I wonder why it affects dogs but not humans. I did not read the whole thing, but in just skimming through it, I did not see anything that specifically said why it affects pets but not humans.

 

[bottlebomber]

I give mine to my buddy for his chickens. They start berzerking when he dumps a pail of that stuff in the yard.

 

[bleme]

Chocolate and raisins can kills dogs too. Not every dog and not every time, but Russian roulette has never appealed to me.

 

[Iceman6409]

Has anyone ever made pretzels with their spent grains? If so do you have a recipe to share?

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

Just made some sour dough with the spent grains, it's pretty thick but good. No reason to waste it.

 

[DoubleAught]

I dump all my grain out back thinking birds, squirrels, and any other wildlife would be grateful.....nope. I have about two months of grain in a huge pile out back. On a positive note, I have noticed spring birds getting into it. I hope it's gone before it gets hot outside. Grain and hot sun is a smelly mess.

 

[JimTheHick]

I dump all my grain out back thinking birds, squirrels, and any other wildlife would be grateful.....nope. I have about two months of grain in a huge pile out back. On a positive note, I have noticed spring birds getting into it. I hope it's gone before it gets hot outside. Grain and hot sun is a smelly mess.

I just stirred my compost grains yesterday. Stinky for sure! All that winter brewing is heating up now.