Spent grain disposal - what do you do with it?

[brewbrew]

I'm interested to know what other brewers do with spent grain.

I'm based in the UK and we have kerbside "food waste" collection via a small lidded bucket (OK for kitchen waste - but not big enough for kitchen waste and a batch of spent grain). I did once use the food waste bin - but the grain went solid and the poor recycling guy obviously had difficulty tipping it out (spilt in the road and plenty left in the bucket).

My normal disposal method is to put it in the general waste wheelie bin (in conflict with the council rule about "no food waste in wheelie bins). Even if I put it in a plastic bag, liquid seeps out and the bin stinks (much to the annoyance of my wife who asks for it to be cleaned out).

I have tried composting it with lawn clippings - but it does not seem to break down and I'm concerned about rats feeding on it.

A friend suggested drying it out in buckets and burning on the fire in the winter. I have not tried this - I think it will just go mouldy and stink.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[mozza]

I compost mine and it breaks down quite happily

[guypettigrew]

My kerbside food bin is a 23 litre one. I use a compostable bag to line it. It easily takes up to 6kg of spent grain and the hops from a normal brew day.

Because of the bag the grain seems to drop out of the bin with no trouble. There's always a bit of leakage, so I just wipe it out and leave it to dry until next brew day.

Does your council do the 23 litre size bins?

Guy

[aamcle]

I use the green garden waste bin for want of a better option.


Aamcle

[vacant]

I used to hand my spent grains over the hedge to the farmer who fed it to his dexters or rare breed poultry. Since he died, grain now goes into the compost. It decomposes just fine. The bin is on a concrete slab to prevent rats getting in.

[guypettigrew]

I never managed to get the spent grain to compost down properly. Perhaps because I was brewing every fortnight and it was too much for the compost heap to handle.

Guy

[gobuchul]

One of my neighbours keeps chickens.

I give it to her for feed, apparently they love it.

[bitter_dave]

I have tried composting it with lawn clippings - but it does not seem to break down and I'm concerned about rats feeding on it.

I'm quite new to composting (started earlier this year) but as I understand it you need to balance 'green' and 'brown' forms of compost: https://www.recyclenow.com/reduce-waste ... ng-compost

If it's just grass and grain perhaps this is why it isn't breaking down?

[Rusticus]

I give mine to my son in law who feeds it to some of his animals, he's a bit of a hobby farmer.

If he forgets to collect it I put it on the compost heap, but it gets well mixed with other things from the allotment, a solid lump of it will not rot down properly. It gets mixed again when the heap is "turned". Never had a rat problem with it, but there are lots of cats around.

[Trefoyl]

Another composter here, but in the winter when our composter is cleaned out I just toss it into the woods behind the house.

[Digby]

Pre lockdown I used to take the grains to someone in the village who keeps chickens, geese and goats. They all loved munching on the stuff. For the moment the grains go in the food waste or green bin.

Well worth trying to spot if anyone near you keeps animals as a lot of folks will be grateful for even a few kilos of free food to supplement the expensive stuff. You may even end up being given some free produce in return.

Matt

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[Jocky]

I've got a couple of large compost bins that were left in the garden when I moved in, so all the grain goes in there.

At this point I think my compost heap is mostly grain, with some leaves and grass clippings in there too.

It all rots eventually, but I can at least leave it all quite a long time.

[hebbstar]

I used to put it on the composter but I got worried about rats. So now I just chuck it on the garden borders. Been doing it years, seems to condition the soil.

Cheers

Paul

[alexlark]

I put mine in the food recycling, I got a larger bin so less of a problem.

[Kingfisher4]

With a small Millstream in the back garden, I always ladle a few scoops into the Millstream, to feed the minnows. These in turn attract the Kingfisher to the garden!
I scatter the rest on areas of weed or moss in the back lawn. The mallards and moorhens then eat it over the course of two or three days, ripping out the underlying moss or weeds.
Feels a very balanced, useful disposal system.