Would you use malt that has been got at by mice?

[tribs]

I have a 25kg sack with around 2/3s left that has been got at by mice. I have googled for hours and cannot get any definitive answer on whether it can be used or not. My LHBS says not, and I am inclined to agree with them although I have found some evidence that it might be ok to be used for brewing. Obviously any bacteria etc is going to be killed by the boil but what of chemicals in the urine etc? Whats the consensus? Are they any experts with some useful information?

Cheers

tribs

[Aleman]

IIRC there is a strict 'published limit for the amount of rodent droppings in malt. . . SO the answer is yes If you are willing to risk it.


Personally I voted no . . . . not through any squeamishness, its just I brew with the best material, so if its contaminated then I'll ditch it.

[steve_flack]

Top Tip. Put sacks of malt in a plastic drum, dustbin etc. 25kg of grain is a mouse magnet.

Oh....and no I wouldn't use it.

[RabMaxwell]

I kept my grain in my brew shed for years & it routinely got raided by the local mice in the winter months. Never done me any harm i keep it under my bed now indoors to stop attracting them now. I reckon your local Home-brew retailer just wants to sell you more of his now expensive malt barley. Would add that my grain is whole i would be more concerned if it was crushed grain with moisture uptake if the seal was broken for an extended period of time

[tribs]

I may add that it is indeed crushed and is 12 months old and could very well have been unsealed for many months. I don't brew too often these days and to be honest I could do with the space, so I think its likely to go. Any tips on disposing of it? Can I stick it in my Green Waste (for composting) bin?

[Garth]

Hi Tribs, I think you can only put plant stuff in there, I don't think anything that has been processed or cooked can go in, we have a green bin for hedge and grass cuttings, but things like peelings, dinner plate scrapings, egg shells, teabags, and spent grain/hops go in me Da's compost bin (also provided by the council, the nice people)

but I may be wrong....

slightly off topic, there was a program on the telly a while back where this bloke composted anything vaguely organic, including a couple of dead cats he 'found' in his garden....maybe you catch the sodding mice and compost them

[Aleman]

I think you can only put plant stuff in there, I don't think anything that has been processed or cooked can go in

That 'rule' is only there because the item could have come into contact with meat. In order to stop the spread of BSE, (and the resulting media scaremongering regarding CJD ), anything that could have come into contact with raw meat products (possibly containing prions which 'cause' the said diseases) is not allowed to be recycled if it can enter the food chain (ie as compost on farmers fields).

All my brewery waste product goes into the Green Recycling bin, as it has not come into contact with raw meat, although when I get the composter going again, a lot of it will be reserved for my usage. Oh, I cover the top of the recycled rubbish with stuff that is allowed so if the waste police are snooping around, they can't complain

[Garth]

ah, I knew there was a reason..

[oblivious]

Also it think people where told to refrain for putting meat/dairy product in composter as it can attract pests

[Jim]

Re the original question - why take the risk? I certainly wouldn't want mouse p*ss in my beer, even if it had been boiled!

[johnmac]

As it was crushed a year ago and has been kept in a shed, exposed to insects and huge temperature changes, I voted no. Though if I was really lacking in cash and beer, I just use the top 50%, because I'm sure the mice wouldn't have bothered to burrow up through it.

[Vossy1]

Tribs I voted no.....from personal experience

On my second to last brew, one of the hounds of hell, that I have the privelege of owning, p***ed against my malt sack (it was out in the garden after I had just weighed the malt for the brew).

4 weeks later I made an oatmeal stout....using the rest of the sack.
Even though I had dried the sack within 10 minutes of the occurence, the p**s obviously got into the malt. I now have 46 ltrs of mouldy tasting stout

You have to laugh....lifes too short

[Graham]

Tribs I voted no.....from personal experience

On my second to last brew, one of the hounds of hell, that I have the privelege of owning, p***ed against my malt sack (it was out in the garden after I had just weighed the malt for the brew).

4 weeks later I made an oatmeal stout....using the rest of the sack.
Even though I had dried the sack within 10 minutes of the occurence, the p**s obviously got into the malt. I now have 46 ltrs of mouldy tasting stout

You have to laugh....lifes too short

While we are not on the subject of hops, I know wrong forum, but I know you are into dogs (whoops). Are you aware of hop toxicity in dogs. I am sure you are, but I'll just point out that some dogs have snuffed it after eating spent hops from home brewers. It seems that Greyhounds, Labradors, golden retrievers are most susceptible.

[Vossy1]

While we are not on the subject of hops, I know wrong forum, but I know you are into dogs (whoops). Are you aware of hop toxicity in dogs. I am sure you are, but I'll just point out that some dogs have snuffed it after eating spent hops from home brewers. It seems that Greyhounds, Labradors, golden retrievers are most susceptible.

Wise words indeed for any brewers with 4 legged friends

JIC it's not common knowledge, common substances also dangerous to dogs are: Chocolate, raisons and certain nuts

[johnmac]

Ah that would be why my whippet used to crash out across the pub floor after he'd had a half of Manns Brown in a clean ashtray. Good job it wasn't Directors that he took a liking to.