Pass on your spent grain!

[pankin'pole]

If any AG brewing forum members have smallholders nearby they would be well pleased to have spent grain passed on - my pigs love it! The price of grain and animal feed in general has rocketed - so for the smallholder a few free meals are welcome.
Unfortunately any mashing in a kitchen would exclude it as pig feed - DEFRA regs.
My kids did ask if this would make the sausages taste of beer!

[erebus]

Unfortunately any mashing in a kitchen would exclude it as pig feed - DEFRA regs.

I have to ask, but why does mashing my kitchen prohibit my from giving spent grains on? What's the different between my kitchen and my garage for instance? Is my kitchen technically more dirty than my garage?

[edit1now]

I suppose the kitchen won't have been certified as a place for the hygienic preparation of animal feed - like I think you can't sell (commercially) cakes baked in a domestic kitchen.

[erebus]

Well no, there's (I'd hope) a big difference between food for humans and food for animals. I realise that me baking some cakes in my kitchen and trying to sell them on is a big deal, but why on earth does is me giving my spent grain on a big problem... God I hate the law sometimes.

[pankin'pole]

Yup it does seem nonsensical at first - but feeding catering waste to farmed animals has been illegal since 2001 - cooked or raw, from catering establishments - and household kitchens are included (even if you are a vegan household!). The aim is to keep animal products out of the food chain. Foot and Mouth and Mad Cow for example are thought to be as a result of poor feeding practices.
If you mash up in your garage - no matter how filthy - no problem.
It's getting a bit off topic for which I apologise, but if anyone is interested:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20052347.htm#9

[SteveD]

I've been composting my spent grain (and hops) and there is a small farm nearby - I'll pop in and see them - sod the law, it's an ass in this case.

1) It's not animal feed.
2) the process takes place in a mash tun not used for any other purpose, which could be sited anywhere.

I'll just say, 'oh, I mash outside.' Once in the brewshed, the problem goes away.

[erebus]

The aim is to keep animal products out of the food

Totally understand, yet again it's a case for law > common sense, but what ever we have to comply, I mean it's not like I'm brewing scrumby with authentic dead rat or anything.
Either way, all the best Mr Pole I give my best for you and your pigs. If you need anyone to double check your sausages for a beer taste I'd be happy t try and even buy them. I'll take a couple of links off the one of the right if that's possible.

[ColinKeb]

and who remembers the pigswill bins at school? a few heads were pushed in there including one attempt at mine IIRC

[Madbrewer]

I'm not totally sure I if am onto something here and even if I am, I wonder why I am (slightly) defending this law when I absolutely agree that what we do should be feedable to pigs! However could it be an offshoot of the tightening up necessary to prevent CJD? IIRC the cause of that problem was found to be meat products in animal feed, which was fed to herbivores. Although I could be wrong AND having said that why would it 'then' make it ok if it was made in the garage then?

[steve_flack]

Where would I find a smallholder? I hate throwing my grain in the bin.

[Vossy1]

Not sure but if there are any community farms nearby try them.
Our council runs a nearby farm...I must try them

[Stonechat]

It doesn't have to be a smallholder. Mine used to go in the brown wheelie bin for the council to take away and turn into compost, along with all the garden waste. I now empty the spent grain into a bucket and drop it off at a fellow allotmenteer's place for him to feed to his hens. Apparently they love it. If the brew has had any dark grain in like black malt or roast barley, which might be bitter I still put that in the brown bin, because I wouldn't want any bitter flavour to be imparted to eggs, which I are the best dippy eggs ever, with nice orange coloured yolks!
I did try composting the spent grain down the allotment, but the compost bin became like Tower Hamlets for mice

[maltymike]

I have to comment at this point as a commercial pig farmer. There are two sides to this one. Food waste is a great way to feed pigs cheaply, and has been for centuries. Unfortunately most kitchens now contain food from around the world where diseases such as Foot & Mouth and Classical Swine fever are rife. These diseases would not harm us but if there was any cross contamination onto the likes of used malt which was then fed to pigs uncooked the whole thing has the potential to explode into a major disease outbreak. Diseases in pigs travel very rapidly and are very expensive. The two diseases above would cost the government (tax payer) a lot of money hence the regulations!

[subsub]

I'm a smallholder and always feed my spent grain to most of my stock. Anything that is potentially going to market gets standard feed

[J_P]

Nice looking Porkers there Pankin, it's an ambition of mine to raise my own pigs for food, I'll bear this thread in mind if I ever realise my dream!