# Grain dust allergies.



## Stouter (23/11/16)

Each time I mill my grain or even measure it out I'm cautious about the dust, I need to vacate the room shortly after or I react. Breathing is shorter, nose runs, etc. Having said that I live in a major grain producing region and should be used to it by some degree with the crap flying about this time of year during harvesting.
Aside from wearing a dust mask I can't see how to get around it.

Anyone have the same problem, have solutions? Do you eventually become desensitised after enough brews?


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## paulyman (23/11/16)

Damn, that sucks. I've not had a reaction to grain dust but I do have allergies to lucerne hay and whatever else. Some days during spring I need to dose up twice during the day on antihistamines. Have you tried taking an antihistamine before milling up to see if that helps?


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## paulyman (23/11/16)

Also, although it does sound like a hay fever type reaction, so hopefully the antihistamines work wonders, if they don't work I'd consider seeing your doctor. The "ana " in Anaphylaxis means "again", ie. you have a fairly mild reaction and then your body overreacts on subsequent times and it can be very serious.


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## rude (23/11/16)

Yes mate same I always wear a mask otherwise I get asthma bad
I used to hold my breath but would be short of breath still as it doesn't take much dust for me to go down
Usually 2 days to get over it
It might be telling me to give up brewing but I push on with a mask now to no detriment


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## Benn (23/11/16)

I get hay fever pretty bad, grain dust gets me going nearly every time. Don't get short of breath or anything though.


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## abyss (23/11/16)

I've been taking a Telfast hay fever tablet every morning for the past two weeks and no more runny nose or sneezing.


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## Stouter (23/11/16)

rude said:


> Yes mate same I always wear a mask otherwise I get asthma bad
> I used to hold my breath but would be short of breath still as it doesn't take much dust for me to go down
> Usually 2 days to get over it
> It might be telling me to give up brewing but I push on with a mask now to no detriment


Fark, two days???
I just had a shower and I'm feeling better. I was going to brew it tonight, but I think I'll just get up earlyish tomorrow morning.
My next step is to try milling outside in open air, the Southerly wind is strong in the arvo here. Otherwise I'll stick to this 'night mill, morning brew' schedule.
Not keen on the antihistamines.


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## manticle (23/11/16)

What's wrong with wearing a decent dust mask? It is dust, after all.
I don't react, but if I did, that's what I'd do. Cheap, easy solution.


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## Stouter (23/11/16)

manticle said:


> What's wrong with wearing a decent dust mask? It is dust, after all.
> I don't react, but if I did, that's what I'd do. Cheap, easy solution.


But I'm a man damn it, (cough cough sneeze), and I don't need it, (cough wheeze sneeze fart).


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## droid (23/11/16)

I have reactions to airborne dusts/pollens etc, ever since moving to Vic I get bad nasal congestion with those October winds that pump on through from the West.

after reacting to milling I now wear a dust mask, including when tipping it in to the MLT, then I take it off and brew away as per normal


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## Rocker1986 (23/11/16)

No real adverse reactions from me although sometimes it makes me sneeze if it gets up my nose in just the right spot. With my mill being on a flat piece of wood that completely covers the catching bucket, the dust doesn't end up flying around anyway.


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## manticle (23/11/16)

Stouter said:


> But I'm a man damn it, (cough cough sneeze), and I don't need it, (cough wheeze sneeze fart).


I'm a man and I wear one when sandblasting.
I wear a welding mask when welding, eye goggles and ear muffs when grinding or sawing and a tutu when vacuuming.

PPE - it's the new testicle.


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## adryargument (23/11/16)

My hayfever was shit in Sydney..
Brisbane its amazing.

However grain dust kinder set me off. Also certain hardwood dust. Being a carpenter you just deal with it and move on.

Meh, man up and accept it. Otherwise you may as well become a vegan and lobby signs. Or brew grain free beer? Wine! Become a wine maker!


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## peteru (23/11/16)

I used to be blasé about such things and thought that with allergies you will eventually get used to it. I couldn't have been more wrong about it. You can actually become hyper-sensitive over time. I now have to take H1 and H2 blockers every day for several months after each trigger event.

If you are properly allergic, minimise your exposure, put on a dust mask, goggles, long sleeves and gloves for the 30 minutes it takes to go from weighing out the grain, through milling and getting it wet in the mash tun. Once you mash in, take the contaminated stuff off, put it in the washing machine and have a shower, while waiting for the mash to finish.


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## Brewnicorn (23/11/16)

Few things to minimise dust I picked up from my old man as a cabinet maker when he was polishing. Be careful with keeping grains dry, but moisture in the atmosphere will minimise some dust, if your in a garage or a floor that'll take I splash some water around, or mop, use a spray bottle and spray about. Using a disposable mask that's a bit damp helps and hay fever tabs work but mix up brands every few weeks if you're a proper allergic candidate or combined asthmatic which I'd say some of you know already. 
Hope that's not boring as batshit or patronising - thought it could help. 
Brewnicorn


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## Lethaldog (24/11/16)

My grain mill is on a timber base and it slots nicely onto a 20L bucket, next to no dust but in saying that if it was a problem I would just wear a mask, I'm a plasterer by trade so no shame in wearing a mask, if I didn't wear one at work I'd probably be close to dead by now [emoji106][emoji1]


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