Weevils in Grain, response from AustinHomeBrew

[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.