What do you do with your spent grains?

[Cavpilot2000]

My understanding is that they have a high protein content left.

Yeah, I think there's some protein (I don't know that I'd go so far as to say "high protein"), cellulose (basically undigestible plant fiber), and very little carbohydrates/ sugars.

 

[nobadays]

Friend's chickens think this stuff is crack! He says they follow him around as soon as they -"smell?" it! He's not even sure how they know but says they don't go crazy for their regular mash...

 

[Sillybilly]

I didn't start noticing the smell until the pile got pretty large. With the volume of beer I make, I was adding grain to the pile faster than it could decompose. It got to the point where guests at a BBQ or around the fire pit would ask what smells like vomit. Maybe I was doing something wrong, I don't know.

Just curious, do you just have a spot you pile it up or is it in a compost bin? Also, is it mixed with other stuff or just grains.

For me, (with very limited researched to back up my process), I compost in black 60 gallon plastic bin, along with food scraps, some yard scraps, cardboard, sometimes add soil and use a shovel to "stir" it... ill say weekly but more like whatever i get around to it. I am just bored and curious as to how others do it.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Dump in the woods,Be carefull with the dog. My dog eats so much grain she pukes..in the house. Now I kick leaves over the top to stop her from eating it

 

[fatherdan]

I also dump in the woods behind me. nothing has even attempted to eat them??

deer tracks in them, that's about it.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Dump in the woods,Be carefull with the dog. My dog eats so much grain she pukes..in the house. Now I kick leaves over the top to stop her from eating it

I'm sure mine would if I gave her that much. Then again, she is a bottomless pit for food, so I have to restrict her intake on all food or she would overeat EVERYTHING.

 

[dryboroughbrewing]

Put them in the pre-paid envelopes that I get sent daily offering me great deals on credit cards/mortgage rates.

 

[woo_pig]

Pig feed

 

[Homercidal]

Made dog biscuits again yesterday. A small percentage of total grain, but the dogs seem to like it. Just need to find a recipe that binds well. The past few batches have not stuck together properly. They tend to flake apart. maybe needs to cook lower and slower and longer.

 

[apl_seed]

The deer love them. I've seen 4 of them share a 14 lb pile and other times I've watched them fight over it. Its hilarious to see them headbutting and kicking each other. They don't care what kind of grain either. Stout or pale ale grains, doesn't matter which.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

After making a loaf or two of grain bread, I give the rest to a friend with chickens, and they also make dog treats with them.

 

[BNolt17]

Homercidal this is the recipe that I have been using. Cutting the heat to 200 and baking for a few more hours is key. I usually bake them at the end of the day and when the 3 hours is up, just cut the heat and let them sit in the oven overnight. And don't make them too thin, the thin ones break up easy.

http://www.eckraus.com/blog/how-to-make-spent-grain-dog-treats

Made dog biscuits again yesterday. A small percentage of total grain, but the dogs seem to like it. Just need to find a recipe that binds well. The past few batches have not stuck together properly. They tend to flake apart. maybe needs to cook lower and slower and longer.

 

[z-bob]

I only bake them [dog biscuits] for about 20 minutes at 300°, but then I put them on a food dehydrator overnight.

 

[nasty_rabbit]

Dog biscuits or granola bars. The only difference is I add honey to the granola bars.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Homercidal this is the recipe that I have been using. Cutting the heat to 200 and baking for a few more hours is key. I usually bake them at the end of the day and when the 3 hours is up, just cut the heat and let them sit in the oven overnight. And don't make them too thin, the thin ones break up easy.

http://www.eckraus.com/blog/how-to-make-spent-grain-dog-treats

This is the recipe I use.
The egg is optional - I've made them without and they hold together just fine.
I roll to about 1/4-3/8 inch thick.

 

[brewprint]

I didn't start noticing the smell until the pile got pretty large. With the volume of beer I make, I was adding grain to the pile faster than it could decompose. It got to the point where guests at a BBQ or around the fire pit would ask what smells like vomit. Maybe I was doing something wrong, I don't know.

I spread them out very light and evenly because of the smell if they're in a big pile. They're all over my yard/flower beds.

 

[brewprint]

After making a loaf or two of grain bread, I give the rest to a friend with chickens, and they also make dog treats with them.

What's your recipe here and how many grains are in those two loaves?

 

[soccerdad]

Backyard chickens are kind of a thing right now. The wife has 11 birds that give us about 5 or 6 eggs a day. So if you have a neighbors with birds ....

I tend to feed them about a pound hot and fresh on brew day and put 10 or so pounds in one pound packs in the fridge .. great treat. When we let the birds out to run a bit they can be lured right back to the coop with a pound of spent grain. Bigger yogurt or cottage cheese containers work great to store them, so we are not feeding plastic bags to the landfill. If not kept cool they will get stinky, but my daughter's pigs love them fresh or stinky.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Yard debris bin and eventually super-cool fuzzy mold and fly orgy fairgrounds.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

What's your recipe here and how many grains are in those two loaves?

This double recipie has 1 cup moist spent grains, which seems to be a good amount for most people. I have used as much as 1cup for one loaf but it was too much for hubby. You certainly can add more, just remember to adjust the water down about 1Tbs per half cup grains. The recipe is here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=7856332&postcount=1547

There is also a spent grain bread thread on the forum. If you visit you'll find that many people have many different approaches, this one works for me and isn't so time consuming. Enjoy.

 

[day_trippr]

I dump spent grains in our compost pile, which invites all kinds of critters (there's quite a menagerie out here in the boonies).
This time of year the deer get to it pretty quickly...

Cheers!

 

[tallfirbrew]

I've made great bread, you can dry it and grind it into flour, dried works good for bird feed as well. Chickens or just wild birds. Deer love them, as do cows, pigs, horses.

 

[Jimbodaman]

I'll make dog treats if we're getting low but mostly I just dig a hole and cover back up (to keep dog out).

 

[YeastFeast]

Dog treats:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.deschutesbrewery.com/dogs-life-ruff-spent-grain-dog-treats/amp/

 

[z-bob]

Dog treats:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.deschutesbrewery.com/dogs-life-ruff-spent-grain-dog-treats/amp/

That looks like the recipe I use, but I use cheap peanut butter from Aldi instead of fancy PB. Last time I added a pinch of garlic powder. Sometimes I have to add a little water to get a workable dough. And, I put them on a food dehydrator to turn them into rocks instead of baking them for so long.

I have a bag of grain in the back of my pickup from Saturday (to keep it cold) that I need to do something with before the squirrels and birds and raccoons find it and tear up the bag...

 

[Homercidal]

I guess i have to turn the heat down and cook longer to dry them out. Maybe lay down some parchment paper to make them peel off easily. I was going to use it last time, but I thought we were out (We weren't, the wife just moved it for some strange reason...)

 

[pshankstar]

I made dog treats with them once, but I should look into it again. Or like one person said, place a scoop into the food bowl for them too. We have some friends who have chickens or friends of friends with chickens, so one of them usually take them. The last resort is into the wooded area at the back of my property. I'm sure the critters get to the spent grains.

 

[sbartelski]

What's your recipe here and how many grains are in those two loaves?

https://www.homebrewsupply.com/learn/making-spent-grain-bread.html

This is the recipe that I use, and after trying a couple of other ones, including drying and milling, this is the tastiest and easiest to make. In fact, now after every brew I will make three freezer bags, each with three cups of wet spent grain. Straight into the freezer, then when my wife makes bread we will take out one the thaw about four or five hours prior. Note that the three cup portion makes two reasonably large loaves. But don't worry, they don't last long.

Stefan

 

[mashinary]

I put mine in the garbage can, and then imagine seagulls at the dump enjoying them... Kaaakkaaaaakkaaaaa...

 

[geo1976]

I trade my buddy spent grains for eggs, his chickens love them. Then i dry some grind it in the food processor and make dog treats.