Weevils in Grain, response from AustinHomeBrew

[CCBrewer]

So I sent off an email to Austin Home Brew Supply on some grain I bought 2 months ago and had stored in a air tight container (I thought I would be brewing by now) but decided to expand and change my setup and get a pump.

I checked yesterday and the bags had weevils... NEVER had this happen with any of the 48/50ln sacks of grain I have purchased. (so far). Checked all three they are fine.

Below is the response I got in a email... sounds like B.S. but I need some input.

"Hi, (CCBrewer) –

Unfortunately, there are weevil larvae in almost every batch of grain. Generally, if they’re stored in a temperature and humidity controlled environment (between 50-60F) and kept airtight, you shouldn’t have problems with the larvae maturing.

Though it’s aesthetically unappealing, you can brew with the grain as it is. The extra protein from the insects will actually give some benefits in terms of head retention in the final product.

Regards,
Adam C. Lipscomb
Customer and Brewing Support
Austin Homebrew Supply"



("there are weevil larvae in almost every batch of grain")

So they are knowingly selling grain with weevil's?



I am not sure if this is correct, however I have seen it mentioned that " ingesting rice weevils can lead to an E. coli infection or possibly many other diseases depending on what the weevils have been feeding on."


Thoughts?

 

[bob1852]

Anyone that sells grain is knowingly selling weevils.

 

[RDWHAHB]

Austin Homebrew's response is spot on.

 

[JuanMoore]

Yup, grains have weevils, period. I would try to limit the amount live weevils consumed, but they're pretty tasty once soaked in hot water, boiled, and fermented into beer. No worries of e-coli at that point either.

 

[Sock]

Grain is the dirtiest stuff out there. That's why we boil the hell out of it.

 

[thatjonguy]

I think I would rank weevils low on the list of what potentially gross things have happened to that grain before you got it.

 

[Whut]

Send it to me, I'll brew it. I'll let you know if I die.

 

[truvr]

You are going boil, which will kill any bugs. I'd mash those little bastards and make them into beer!

 

[RachmaelBenApplebaum]

Happens to flour from the grocery store too if left long enough. No biggie, but if it is a problem, pick out the bigger chunks and rest easy.

 

[PRE66_6TART]

reminds me of this post from another thread

Growing up on a dairy farm, the bugs do not surprise me.

Grain has mold, fungus, feces, urine, bugs, weed seeds, dead animal carcases (rat, mice, racoon, possum, etc...), maggots from rotting carcases, (grease, oil, fuel from farmers machinery), foreign grain seeds, animal vomit, viruses, rotting grain, crickets, grasshoppers (live), bird sh**, etc... you name it, it's probably in there.

It's some of the dirtiest stuff you can imagine... then it's "cleaned" (more like sifted) by the combine and a fanning mill.

There are certain limits of these things that will be tolerated when the farmer sells their grain at the market or mill.

Of course it's suppose to be stored under sanitary conditions. The "grainery" we had was well over 100 years old and had about 2 feet of rotten grain onto which we placed each years new harvest. Of course each years harvest contributed to that rotten layer on the bottom.

When entering the grainery, one could here rats, mice and racoons scattering and see the signs they left sitting on top of the grain.

The working conditions were really poor, (no one should have to breath dust from these things)...

I remember going to load straw at an old timers farm. He spotted a racoon in the straw mow and grabbed a pitch fork, repeatedly driving the pitch fork through the animal until it was dead. Now a racoon is a fierce creature but that didn't stop this old timer. I had never heard an animal screech and snarl so loud. Of course he threw the dead carcass next to the pile of oats in his "grainery" saying he would get rid of it after loading the straw.... This was called "forkin' 'coon" and even Little House on the Praire has a reference to it when Chuck Ingalls, carrying a pitch fork, says to his wife, "I'm going to fork 'coon!"

So yea, good times on the farm.

 

[Cathedral]

I love posts like this. And I will always post the same thing:

You want an eye opener? Look up "Food Defect Action Levels."

Here you go, direct from the source:

http://www.fda.gov/food/guidancereg...mation/sanitationtransportation/ucm056174.htm

WHEAT
Insect damage
(MPM-V15) Average of 32 or more insect-damaged kernels per 100 grams

Rodent filth
(MPM-V15) Average of 9 mg or more rodent excreta pellets and/or pellet fragments per kilogram

SIGNIFICANCE: Aesthetic

HOPS
Insects
(AOAC 967.23) Average of more than 2,500 aphids per 10 grams

SIGNIFICANCE: Aesthetic

Note the "aesthetic" part: these are the allowable levels before things start to look bad, not before they start to induce illness.

 

[CCBrewer]

That's what I wanted to know.


I had not seen this issue addressed anywhere, so I wanted to make sure.


I'll let those little Bastards Boil in that case.


(Thanks Austin Home Brew Supply for giving me MORE "Head") hehe

 

[krackin]

On the up side, if you have bugs you aren't contaminated with pesticide residue.

 

[Schol-R-LEA]

On the up side, if you have bugs you aren't contaminated with pesticide residue.

Or least not enough residue to kill the weevils, so it probably won't harm you. Much.

 

[The_Nid_Hog]

You can either try to separate them out or boil them in place. It's a question of the lesser of two weevils.

 

[Psycotte]

You can either try to separate them out or boil them in place. It's a question of the lesser of two weevils.

Dammit you beat me to it.....

 

[Babybatch]

You can either try to separate them out or boil them in place. It's a question of the lesser of two weevils.

I feel slightly embarrassed for not seeing this coming when I should have.


:smack:

 

[The_Nid_Hog]

We aim to please.

 

[krackin]

Probably be a long time before the chance to reuse that will come up. Wish I had thought of it.

 

[CCBrewer]

Finally someone did the master and commander reference ..... I was waiting and waiting....


+1 Assist

 

[iluvmysh]

Send it to me, I'll brew it. I'll let you know if I die.

If you die, can I have your brew equipment? :cross:

 

[CCBrewer]

If you die, can I have your brew equipment? :cross:

2nd in line for the dead man walking's equipment.... Do I hear a 3rd in Line....

 

[hnycrk]

Third.

 

[PRE66_6TART]

How many members are there on homebrewtalk? Statistically speaking, there's probably quite a few of us who die every year. We should get some sort of system going for divvying up their stuff.

 

[ButcherBoy]

If you boil 'em and die I'll give your surviving spouse $150.00 for your all grain equipment + 0.75/lb for remaining grain. But f you survive... you get nothing from me... let me know.

 

[Travestian]

I feel slightly embarrassed for not seeing this coming when I should have.


:smack:

That's what she said!

 

[Toecutter]

exactly what are you considering a Weevil ? I have had a big problem with Pantry moths for some time that I have suspected I brought in with my grain.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

So, Where do I sign up for the dead pool? I'm looking for a good kegging setup......

 

[iluvmysh]

How many members are there on homebrewtalk? Statistically speaking, there's probably quite a few of us who die every year. We should get some sort of system going for divvying up their stuff.

You sound serious...

 

[Indian_villager]

So, Where do I sign up for the dead pool? I'm looking for a good kegging setup......

Deadpool?

 

[Whattawort]

I've used grain infested with weevils a few times. Still got my avg effeciency and the beer was tasty tasty. The only off-putting part was looking at the mash tun when the brew day was over. The larvae look like rice when they get saturated. Meh.

 

[Vaevictus]

exactly what are you considering a Weevil ? I have had a big problem with Pantry moths for some time that I have suspected I brought in with my grain.

Indianmeal Moths? those things are terrible. I had a breakout of those in one house... followed us to the next apartment even though we didn't bring food.
They were hiding in a stack of sealed tortillas or something... they were under the food bits in the bag ... and invisible unless you looked at the bottom :|


Also: Weevil

 

[Epimetheus]

Perform these steps in any order and it will solve your problems with grain weevils:

1. Don't worry, it does not matter
2. Freeze the grain at 0F for 3 or 4 days to kill any eggs, larvae, and mature weevils. (Michigan State U Extension Program)
3. brew with grain


Vaevictus, great image. Photogenic little guy.

 

[DanH]

I think I would rank weevils low on the list of what potentially gross things have happened to that grain before you got it.

Haha lol exactly right!

 

[gizmodog51]

So I sent off an email to Austin Home Brew Supply on some grain I bought 2 months ago and had stored in a air tight container (I thought I would be brewing by now) but decided to expand and change my setup and get a pump.

I checked yesterday and the bags had weevils... NEVER had this happen with any of the 48/50ln sacks of grain I have purchased. (so far). Checked all three they are fine.

Below is the response I got in a email... sounds like B.S. but I need some input.

"Hi, (CCBrewer) –

Unfortunately, there are weevil larvae in almost every batch of grain. Generally, if they’re stored in a temperature and humidity controlled environment (between 50-60F) and kept airtight, you shouldn’t have problems with the larvae maturing.

Though it’s aesthetically unappealing, you can brew with the grain as it is. The extra protein from the insects will actually give some benefits in terms of head retention in the final product.

Regards,
Adam C. Lipscomb
Customer and Brewing Support
Austin Homebrew Supply"



("there are weevil larvae in almost every batch of grain")

So they are knowingly selling grain with weevil's?



I am not sure if this is correct, however I have seen it mentioned that " ingesting rice weevils can lead to an E. coli infection or possibly many other diseases depending on what the weevils have been feeding on."


Thoughts?

hell yeah! extra PROTEIN! what do ya think fuels the ROK army?
800 calories a day of WEEVILS.....tuffest fighting force in asia! hoorah!
we americans drink them ...in beer...after grinding them up first!
yeeee.HAW!

gd51

 

[patthebrewer]

This goes to the core of why beer was the healthiest beverage you could drink for most of human history.....you could literally go out find mud puddle water and turn it in safe potable water by brewing beer with it. Mashing filters, boil disinfects.....don't sweat the weevils

 

[DuckiesRevenge]

How many members are there on homebrewtalk? Statistically speaking, there's probably quite a few of us who die every year. We should get some sort of system going for divvying up their stuff.

Just shared this post with my wife, and she said there are three options.

#1 There is a lottery for the dead person's stuff
#2 Everyone must bequeath their stuff to someone else on HBT

hang on she has to kill some guys in skyrim... she'll let me know the third one soon..

#3 Auctioning off the stuff to everyone else

:-D :rockin:

 

[PRE66_6TART]

Just shared this post with my wife, and she said there are three options.

#1 There is a lottery for the dead person's stuff
#2 Everyone must bequeath their stuff to someone else on HBT

hang on she has to kill some guys in skyrim... she'll let me know the third one soon..

#3 Auctioning off the stuff to everyone else

:-D :rockin:

I like the way your wife thinks. A fourth option is we could each be randomly assigned a member to be the recipient of our brew stuff when the inevitable happens. Sort of like a secret Santa thing. Except for Santa being dead of course.