Making bread with spent grain

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by FlowerPowerQueen724, Apr 13, 2014.

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  1. FlowerPowerQueen724

    FlowerPowerQueen724 Initiate (0) Apr 13, 2014 New York

    My husband and I just finished brewing today and I have a good amount of spent grain. Does the grain need to be dried out? Should it be damp? Do I need to make the bread right away or can I make it tomorrow? Any help would be great or if you have a a good recipe that would be easy for a first timer to try.
     
  2. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    There have been occasional threads about your question, but if you do a search and don't find anything then they may be in the archives. You could also try the Food & beer forum.

    I doubt that you want the damp grain to sit around until you've researched this, so you might want to freeze the grain for now.
     
  3. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
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    It needs to be dried. I wouldn't keep it around wet. It'll get FUNKY fast.
     
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  4. JrGtr

    JrGtr Pooh-Bah (1,775) Apr 13, 2006 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    I've kept it damp in the fridge for a day or two before making bread, but I wouldn't keep it any longer than that.
    Generally I try to make it that day, or the next morning.
    I also do freeze the spent grains (not all of them) in a baggie for later use.
     
  5. kjyost

    kjyost Initiate (0) May 4, 2008 Canada (MB)

    There is a ton of lactobacillus on grain husks. If you leave it alone when moist, it will create lactic acid. Odds are you don't want that, so throw it out or dry it out in your oven.

    Personally, I extract ~75-80% of sugars so I throw my grist away.
     
  6. Marshall_ofmcap

    Marshall_ofmcap Initiate (0) Jul 17, 2013 Colorado

    if you use it wet you have to adjust the rest of the liquid in the recipe. there is also not a lot of flavor after the sparge, but they do add some good texture. I mostly dump the spent grain in the garden where, when the snow melts it will be turned into vegetables.
     
  7. BumpkinBrewer

    BumpkinBrewer Pundit (993) Jan 6, 2010 Massachusetts

  8. Sorgasm

    Sorgasm Initiate (0) Aug 20, 2007 Oregon

    My gf always makes the bread that evening while it's still moist. She tried drying the grains a couple of times but we weren't as happy with the result...
     
  9. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,421) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    If you're not planning to use it the same day, then either dry it or freeze it.
    A lot of people will tell you to toss it simply because the flavor and nutritive value have been significantly depleted by the mash. All you're left with is the nutritive equivalent of cardboard. In the vacuum in which they formed this recommendation, I won't argue with that. But, if you're looking for a blast of fiber/roughage, this is a perfect source. Particularly when you consider that the most common alternative is to toss it (essentially, it's free). If I'm making muffins or whole-grain bread on the same day, I'll throw a handful of this stuff in the mixing bowl, wet - no adjustments to the recipe are necessary (don't overthink this - it takes the fun out of it). Otherwise, it goes in the vegetable garden - it loosens the soil nicely.
     
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  10. Mullen2525

    Mullen2525 Zealot (627) Dec 9, 2012 Massachusetts

    I've used spent grain to make flour to use as beer batter for fish/chicken.
    Run in through a food dehydrator same day to dry out then blend into flour. It's a little bland by itself but battering with beer and adding some spices it fries up quite nice.

    not sure about bread though.
     
  11. FlowerPowerQueen724

    FlowerPowerQueen724 Initiate (0) Apr 13, 2014 New York

    Well here's the finished product. I hope it tastes as good as it smell and looks!! [​IMG]
     
  12. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    You're just going to leave us hanging? :slight_frown:
     
  13. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,313) Nov 20, 2005 England
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    Before you spend time and use ingredients it's worth just tasting a sample of the spent grain.I always find it totally featureless (which means that, as intended, all the malt flavour has gone into the beer) and would be unlikely to improve any bread. It isn't called "spent grain" for nothing.
     
  14. cavedave

    cavedave Grand Pooh-Bah (4,157) Mar 12, 2009 New York
    In Memoriam Pooh-Bah Trader

    OTOH my friend Mike makes an Irish Soda Bread with his spent grains that is some of the most delicious, finely textured breads I ever have tasted.
     
  15. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,421) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    The benefit is in the fiber and roughage. To that end, this is is a pretty incredible ingredient.
     
  16. kennyg

    kennyg Initiate (0) Dec 31, 2007 Illinois

    Maybe that's why making it into dog biscuits is such a good option, that's what I plan to do. Right now I just dump it in the back garden and the dog usually eats about 1/4 of it before he gets tired of it.
    PLEASE NOTE : NEVER FEED SPENT HOPS TO YOUR DOG THEY WILL GET VERY SICK>
     
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  17. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Funny that you should say that about the dog and getting sick. I usually put my spent grain in the compost pile, but this last time I didn't feel like walking 100' thru 18" of snow to get there so I put it on the ground under the bird feeder (it's right next to the house and I have a shoveled path to get there). I figured that either the birds or the deer that frequent my yard would eat it, but it just sat there undisturbed for a week or so. It's gone now, but I don't know why it took them so long. Maybe they realize that there are no appreciable nutrients there? (Or maybe it was the opossums that finally ate it.) From now on, the grain is going into the compost pile.
     
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