I realize everyone uses their spent grains for chicken feed, compost or making dog treats, but I throw mine away. Even after a dozen AG brews, I haven't perfected my disposal and am looking for suggestions. I like to empty and clean my MT while the boil is going but the grains are still pretty hot at that time and if I throw them in a garbage bag, they burn through and create a mess. If I throw them in a container, then I have to handle them twice (to put in a garbage back once cooled), which I don't want. What's the most easiest and most efficient way to dump 10-18lbs of grains - in the garbage?
Spent Grains
- Thread starter sbsmann
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Are you using a paper bag? ==(8-0 The grain shouldn't be hot enough to melt a plastic bag. It will weaken a plastic bag.
How about this: line a 5 gallon bucket with a kitchen garbage bag. Dump the grain in that and tie it off. Later when it is cool, you can pour it (bag and all) into the trash.
How about this: line a 5 gallon bucket with a kitchen garbage bag. Dump the grain in that and tie it off. Later when it is cool, you can pour it (bag and all) into the trash.
Wilserbrewer will make a polyester voile bag to fit your MT. You can just use that to dump with your grass clippings.
You need the heavy duty contractor bags
I use these https://www.homedepot.com/p/HUSKY-42-Gal-Contractor-Bags-50-Count-HK42WC050B/202973825
Drop my grains in and clean mash tun.
I use these https://www.homedepot.com/p/HUSKY-42-Gal-Contractor-Bags-50-Count-HK42WC050B/202973825
Drop my grains in and clean mash tun.
Silver_Is_Money
Larry Sayre, Developer of 'Mash Made Easy'
For some time now I've been spreading spent mash grains across my back yard. My chickens can only eat so much.
2nd this. Even large leaf bags do the trick.
OP
OP
sbsmann
Well-Known Member
Thanks guys. I think you found the root of my problem in using cheap-o garbage bags. Ironically I have some of the thicker contractor bags in the basement that I never thought to use. I will now!
SoCal-Doug
Well-Known Member
If you know anyone that owns horses, toss it their way. Its seriously horsey crack. Horses love anything grain and anything sweet. Mine will push down fences to get to my spent grains.
imasickboy
Drinkasaurus extraordinarius
Re-sparge with cold water, and let the water run out into the grass. Then dump your less-hot grains.
I trade eggs to the other guys in our club for their grain. They put it in a bucket on their porch, I run by, dump it in my 25 gal barrel in my truck, leave them some eggs. Everyone is happy, lol
LarMoeCur
Well-Known Member
Why bother with the garbage? I throw mine right on my grass. If I fling it just right the coverage is good and I can walk away. If I fling poorly I have to get out the rake and spread it out. It's grass food in a week or two.
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2013
- Messages
- 7,732
- Reaction score
- 14,789
I second the Wilser bag approach. I do BIAB so it's build into the process to have it easily ready to walk out back and compost or yard-post or whatever.
I do that too in the summer. Wife would kill me if I broadcast it in the winter after the snow falls. (I may try it with a little to see if the birds eat it)
Just dump the grain in a pile on the rocks near the pool, out of the way. Don't spread it out too much; you don't want it to dry out. Nobody will notice it...
(where's the "devil" smiley?)
Staticsouls
When will the beer be free?
Trash bag in a bucket. Use dish washing gloves, and a plastic bowl to beat the heat.
smurfjuice
Well-Known Member
I just throw mine into the gardens. great compost ...
DurtyChemist
Well-Known Member
Contractor garbage bag in the garage trash can. The trash bags are cheap if you buy them at Costco but you can find decent deals on “$—/bag” and realize it’s costing you $1 or less to dispose of everything and save a lot of time cleaning up for cheap. Throw all the paper towels, grain, hops, grub, extra sparse water, etc. in the trash, tie it up and toss it in the trash can. It’s even easier when you brew Sunday mornings and it doesn’t sit around for very long because trash comes on Monday.
I dump the mash tun on the driveway. After it cools and loses some moisture I shovel into plastic bags from grocery store and throw them in the trash. Only problem is keeping dogs out of it while it cools.
ancientmariner52
Well-Known Member
I live on five mostly wooded acres, and my neighbors mind their own business. I just dump my mash tun in a different spot every time.
It must be healthy, cause one time I took a rake and turned the pile over a couple weeks later. There was all kinds of life goin' on under there.
It must be healthy, cause one time I took a rake and turned the pile over a couple weeks later. There was all kinds of life goin' on under there.
I live on a farm, in the middle of nowhere, a few miles from the Canadian border. The nearest neighbor, in any direction, is 2 miles away. I dump my spent grains in the trees along the upwind side of our farm yard. The deer love them.
Mark
The deer here in Maryland seem to want nothing to do with my grain. My yard ends in a forested area populated with lots of deer (see a couple a week up against my fence). I dunno my spent grains a few meters into the treeline outside my fence where I see the deer and each time I go back the piles of grain still remain. Finicky deer, I guess.
On a whim I advertised spent grain on our local online yard sale FB page...I had people calling me right and left to come get the grain. I took the first offer - eggs for grain - but took down the contact of an animal rescue who take in livestock too. I have composted it but it breaks done slower than I like and fills my composter pretty quickly. Undoubtedly good for the garden/lawn/wild birds.
Cheers! Don
Cheers! Don
Similar threads
