Keeping your sack clean

[IsonAd]

It gets itself into hot and sticky places and by the end of the day it's often covered in all sorts of crud. So how do you get it looking like new so your missus doesn't mind looking at it and, if you're lucky, handling it from time to time.

Of course I'm talking about your grain bag. I've been BIABing for a couple of years now and usually just rinse out the spent grain after mashing, mostly throwing it in a bucket of water while i'm cleaning up the other equipment then giving it a bit of a thrashing in the water and whipping it around my head like a lasso before hanging it on the clothesline for anywhere from 2 days to 4 weeks depending on how lazy I am (my missus doesn't like handling my dirty sack).

The bags I use are the cheaper $10 ones that have served me well but they're all starting to fray a little I'm thinking there must be leftover sugars still on the bag that probably doesn't do it much good. I've heard of people putting it in the washing machine and even dishwasher so am wondering how other BIAB folk look after their sacks.

 

[Fu ManBru]

Pretty much what I do. Rinse as best I can in hot water and hang on clothes line for a week or two. Rain and UV radiation seems to do the trick.

Also give it the ol' "sack sniff" test.

 

[GrumpyPaul]

Yep. The Lasso Method for me too. Followed by the flick it like a wet towel in the men's change room. (Being careful not to get anyone in the other sack of course).

If I've got a fermenter soaking in perc it goes on there. Keeps it nice and white.

Not that there's anything anything wrong with a brown sack...

 

[gap]

I just shower every day. Keeps my sack clean.

 

[pajs]

Empty to the chooks or compost, turn it inside out, quick rinse, then chuck in the washing machine. Works fine. Have only had one incident with a mouldy sack from being slack, and there's no going back once it's turned on you.

 

[Yob]

another thread that I expect Cocko to have started

 

[pcmfisher]

Just wipe it on the curtains.

 

[wobbly]

Just wipe it on the curtains.

And wait for her to come down off the ceiling!!!

Wobbly

 

[mosto]

Empty to the chooks or compost, turn it inside out, quick rinse, then chuck in the washing machine. Works fine. Have only had one incident with a mouldy sack from being slack, and there's no going back once it's turned on you.

Same method except after rinsing my sack I chuck it a bucket of boiling water and napisan. Comes up nice and white. I use the same method for my BIAB bag .

 

[Dazzbrew]

Empty it on the garden bit of a rinse under the tap hang out to dry over night then into the dirty laundry basket prior to a trip through the washing machine.

 

[Rocker1986]

It just gets a rinse with warm water to get as much of the spent grain off it as possible (after it has been dumped up in the yard somewhere), then hung on the clothes line. Once dry I just brush off any remaining grain bits and leave it in my urn til next brew day. Occasionally I give it a soak in perc just to keep it from getting too cruddy.

 

[Bribie G]

Resolve brand jock itch cream. About 8 bucks.

Otherwise hit with perc overnight.

 

[antiphile]

Resolve brand jock itch cream. About 8 bucks.

Otherwise hit with perc overnight.

So, I'm guessing you've given up on the ol' chainsaw and wait 'til it grows back technique?

 

[SBOB]

Do people find the dumped grain in the garden ends up selling really bad after a couple of days?
A couple of brews ago I just dumped it on top of the garden, but by the next weekend the smell was really bad so now it just goes in the green waste so I don't have to smell it.

 

[andy@67]

Never had an issue with spent grain smelling, mind you the chooks usually have it well and truly disposed of within an hour of it being deposited in their coop.

 

[antiphile]

To be honest, SBOB, it doesn't seem to smell too bad, but for several days afterwards it seems to be like a fruit fly reunion around that area. Then it looks like a fungal fun time for the rest of the week. If I was energetic enough, I'd dig it in, but that sounds like too much work.

 

[Blind Dog]

Same method except after rinsing my sack I chuck it a bucket of boiling water and napisan. Comes up nice and white. I use the same method for my BIAB bag .

Brings tears to the eyes

 

[Blind Dog]

Do people find the dumped grain in the garden ends up selling really bad after a couple of days?
A couple of brews ago I just dumped it on top of the garden, but by the next weekend the smell was really bad so now it just goes in the green waste so I don't have to smell it.

Yep, reeks and flies love it. Mine now goes to a mate's chooks, bin, or compost tumbler. Probably about 1/3 each

 

[Rocker1986]

Dunno about it smelling, I don't go up there again until the next time I brew, usually by then the previous lot has disappeared anyway.

Back when I was with my ex, we used to use the spent grain to make dog biscuits.

 

[Kingy]

When I was washing my sack I use to rinse under the tap then it went through the wash with all my soiled brew towells. Then stored in a container with the towells untill next brew day.
I gave my 4 chooks there first dose of spent grain (about 5kgs worth ) and they demolished it. Next time I'll give them 10kgs and see how that goes.
Other than that I put my grain in a plastic bag in the general waste bin. If I just dump it in there or the greenwaste bin without a bag it goes bad pretty quickly and leaks out the bottum and stinks pretty bad.