Discarding Spent Grain & Fermentation Trub In The Garden - Acidity

[QldKev]

I always get in trouble from the missus when I throw the trub on the garden.

She reckons it smells like someone got really drunk and threw up in the garden. ha ha ha

I dumped today's spent grain in the garden. I just got told not to do it in the garden next to our bedroom window. She must not like the smell coming in. :blink:

 

[macca05]

I've found trub to kill the worms in my garden, pretty damn quickly to. Spent grain I don know as I make doggie biscuits out of it most of the time, and he one time I did mix it into the garden, I busted some mice from next door scratching through the soil to get at it. So I don't do it

Pennywise,
Any chance you have a recipe for those doggy biscuits. Would love to be able to use my spent grain for the something other than the bin. I too left a pile in the front yard and for a few days I thought something had died until I realised it was the grain.

Thanks
Macca

 

[scon]

Just dump it in the garden and your dog will have a field day. A great disgestive tract cleaner. Just have a look at the land mines they leave.


Cheers, Hoges.

Just watch it if you decide to First Wort Hop. Apparently hops are poisonous to dogs and this is the particular scenario that'll kill them (ie: they see a big bunch of spent grain, think yum and eat a shitload of it, along with a good hunk of hops).

 

[of mice and gods]

I have a soil pH test kit here, so next time I brew, I'll use that to check the pH of the spent grain (although strips in the pre-boil wort would give a pretty good indication if someone has them for their swimming pool or check's their pH anyway).

I'm guessing it'd naturally be slightly acidic (5.5-7.5), which if added to a soil of differing pH would have to have some kind of effect. However dependant on how much grain, how often and over what area you spread it the effect may vary from very insignificant to mild/moderate. It may also naturally change it's pH during the decay process. It would be interesting to test.

The simplest way to neutralise your grain like other people have said are chooks/worms/compost. I find the trick to the worms is they don't like big thick layers, mix it in with some soil or compost (either way the BSF will find it too). For compost, the biggest thing is getting your mixture ratios right so you don't get stinky-ass-vermin-attracting anaerobic compost. To keep it simple, if you add wet/green stuff, add equal & a bit dry/brown (carbon-y) stuff. Turn it over occassionally to aerate it and you shouldn't have any pests or smells. Those rotating bins are the ducks guts when it comes to easy aeration.

Al

 

[krausenhaus]

This is a little off topic in regard to the acidity issue, but seemed like as good a place as any to post this.

I dump all my grain, trub, yeast cakes etc. into the garden. The other night I noticed this strange cauliflower-like growth that I hadn't noticed the day before:

By the next day, it had gotten more red and was starting to show some yellow:

Later on, it was oozing yellow and smelling pretty offensive (cooked cabbage):

By night, it had become a slimy, stinky slug-fest:


Anyone know what the hell this is?

 

[Rocker1986]

Just watch it if you decide to First Wort Hop. Apparently hops are poisonous to dogs and this is the particular scenario that'll kill them (ie: they see a big bunch of spent grain, think yum and eat a shitload of it, along with a good hunk of hops).

Wouldn't this be mash hopping (or whatever it's called)? My understanding of first wort hopping was that these hops are added after the grains are removed while the wort is still at mash or mashout temps while bringing it to the boil.

 

[NewtownClown]

Wouldn't this be mash hopping (or whatever it's called)? My understanding of first wort hopping was that these hops are added after the grains are removed while the wort is still at mash or mashout temps while bringing it to the boil.

Correct

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

I've found trub to kill the worms in my garden, pretty damn quickly to. Spent grain I don know as I make doggie biscuits out of it most of the time, and he one time I did mix it into the garden, I busted some mice from next door scratching through the soil to get at it. So I don't do it

Pennywise,
Any chance you have a recipe for those doggy biscuits. Would love to be able to use my spent grain for the something other than the bin. I too left a pile in the front yard and for a few days I thought something had died until I realised it was the grain.

Thanks
Macca

+1 recipe please, anything I can do from brewing that's not directly brewing related and helps around the house, helps me fund my inevitable brewery growth =D

 

[431neb]

Spent grain usually goes to the chooks. They seem to hop straight in no matter how hot it is. I worry that it'll burn the silly buggers. I have in the past dumped whole batches of grain on the worm farm (it's an old enamel bath so it's quite large) and never looked to see if they were upset but there is millions of the bastards in there now so I guess it's OK. They tend to get a feast or famine feeding regime anyway.

I've also put whole loads into a compost tumbler along with the krud that was in there and a heap of vegie scraps. It coped OK.

I think the only one of those systems that could cope with a fortnightly or weekly brew would be the chooks.

Currently I'm experimenting with tipping the yeast cake and rinsings under my lemon tree. No adverse reaction after about 6 or seven brews.

On the topic of waste yeast. The Japanese use a system called "Bokashi" that uses yeast and other micro-organisms to break down food scraps in a bucket resulting in liquid fertiliser and a "compost" of sorts that can be added to the soil.
Brewers yeast is favoured by some to accelerate the composting of plant material.

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

Dog biscuits: http://byo.com/food-recipes/item/2368-grains-to-treats-last-call

Last time I had no eggs, I used honey to help bind. Was good, according to McKinley.

I also like doing variations on this for the humans: http://brewsmith.com.au/spent-grain-beer-bread-healthy-and-sustainable-and-did-we-mention-delicious/

 

[real_beer]

Similar dog biscuits: http://www.love2brew.com/Articles.asp?ID=268

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

This is a little off topic in regard to the acidity issue, but seemed like as good a place as any to post this.

I dump all my grain, trub, yeast cakes etc. into the garden. The other night I noticed this strange cauliflower-like growth that I hadn't noticed the day before:

1.jpg
By the next day, it had gotten more red and was starting to show some yellow:

2.jpg
Later on, it was oozing yellow and smelling pretty offensive (cooked cabbage):

3.jpg
By night, it had become a slimy, stinky slug-fest:

4.jpg

Anyone know what the hell this is?

It's a fungus. I've seen it before - I was convinced cats were vomming in my front yard, but I was told it's not so...

 

[GalBrew]

Be careful if you live in the burbs, not sure you or your neighbours will appreciate the rat infestation. :blink:

 

[Bribie G]

I dispose of all my spent grain in the communal landscaping - I was actually asked to do this by the body corp lady who looks after the gardens, when she realised that I was a good source of mulch.

I let it cool then thoroughly mix with the soil and spread a layer of existing mulch over the top to hide it. No offensive smells. If you just dump it, then it will turn to a fungus sludge, often with fine hairy filaments all over it.

Yeast trub goes down the toilet. Yeast is a fruit fly magnet and if you have neighbours with fruit trees they will be less than impressed. I used to pour it down the sink or laundry tub and ended up with fruit fly (vinegar fly) infestations in the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms. Took weeks to eradicate them.

 

[angus_grant]

Thanks Bribie. I generally tip the yeast trub down the outside drain and then tip the hot water + cleaner from the fermenter down the drain as well afterwards. Not had a noticeable problem with fruit flies after doing this.

I'll tip the yeast trub down toilet on the very odd occasion I don't clean the fermenter straight away..

 

[431neb]

Had to kill some time in Bunnings today. Whilst I was there I spotted this stuff on the shelf. The bag looks a lot like milled grain. It sure doesn't look fermented as the label says.




Have a read of this for a quick explanation of "Effective Microorganisms". Brewers are all over some of this stuff already.

Isolate your next infection!!

http://www.hawaiihealingtree.org/how-to-make-your-own-em-1-inoculant-and-bokashi/

 

[adryargument]

I dump 12KG of spent grain in a pile in the corner of the yard.
Just wash it down very well after you remove it from the mash tun to clear any remaining sugars that are 99% of the skankyness.

 

[Greg.L]

This is a little off topic in regard to the acidity issue, but seemed like as good a place as any to post this.



Anyone know what the hell this is?

Might be a coral fungus. Perfectly harmless.

 

[macca05]

Dog biscuits: http://byo.com/food-recipes/item/2368-grains-to-treats-last-call

Last time I had no eggs, I used honey to help bind. Was good, according to McKinley.

I also like doing variations on this for the humans: http://brewsmith.com.au/spent-grain-beer-bread-healthy-and-sustainable-and-did-we-mention-delicious/

Similar dog biscuits: http://www.love2brew.com/Articles.asp?ID=268

Thanks fellas. I know what ill be doing after my next brew day. Making my dog salivate

 

[punkin]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=spent+grain+dog+buscuits