¿Qué son los granos agotados?

Where do spent grains come from?

Spent grain is what is leftover after breweries have made beer. Did you know that every six-pack of beer uses approximately one pound of malted barley and other grains? From that one pound of dry malted barley and grain, it produces 1 1/4 pounds of wet spent grains. Every year in the US alone, 20 Billion pounds of brewers' spent grain is created.

Unfortunately, breweries discard most of the spent grain because they have no way to store or efficiently transport it. It is estimated that four million dump trucks of spent grain get wasted by breweries in the US annually.

How to transport and store spent grain?

Once the grain is spent, it can be stored in a DuraGreen FDA-approved bulk bin instead of being discarded. Spent grains contain a large number of proteins, sugars, and minerals that can cause microbial growth if the gain is not refrigerated, frozen, or quickly dried. If the spent grain stays at room temperature too long, it can turn sour. DuraGreen FDA-approved bulk bins can be taken straight into large refrigerated storing areas. 

Tenemos varios tamaños de contenedores para granel de pared sólida que son ideales para almacenar y transportar granos agotados. Están aprobados por la FDA y fabricados con material no poroso que es fácil de limpiar y en donde no se reproducen bacterias.

Four ways to reuse spent grains

Repurposing spent grains has started picking up in popularity in recent years, and below is a list of the most popular uses for spent grains.

1 - Compost

La manera más sencilla de reutilizar el grano agotado es que trabaje como abono. Spent brewery grain is classified as nitrogenous waste, meaning it is high in green matter such as grass clippings and leaf matter or straw. Remember to use a 2:1 ratio of green matter to brown matter.

A simple way to use spent grains as compost is to put them directly in the ground. Mix the spent grains into the soil of your vegetable gardens and flower beds.

2 - Dog treats

Los granos agotados se pueden usar como relleno de galletas caseras para perros. HOPS ARE TOXIC TO DOGS, do not use spent grains that have come into contact with hops. Do not make treats from spent grains that were used to make wheat ale. Barley and oats are popular treats for dogs.

3 - Livestock feed

Los granos agotados son una buena fuente de alimento complementario para animales como caballos, cerdos, ovejas, vacas y gallinas. If the spent grain is wet, it must be used quickly because it will spoil quickly. Si el grano está enmohecido o parece haber cambiado de aspecto, no se lo dé al ganado. Put it into compost. Spent grains are not a replacement for traditional feed and should not be the bulk of the animal's feed. 

4 - Baking

¿Sabía que puede usar granos agotados recientes para cocinar y hornear? The grain can be used wet after most of the liquid has been pressed out of the grain. El grano agotado húmedo se puede usar en pequeñas cantidades para añadir textura y sabor al pan y otros alimentos panificados.

Dried spent grains can be dried and ground into flour. Para secar el grano agotado, es necesario dedicar varias horas usando un horno convencional. Tiene que esparcir los granos agotados en una bandeja para hornear que tenga un grosor de media pulgada. Set your oven's temperature to its lowest setting, around 170°F, and place the cookie sheet of spent grain in the oven. Keep the oven door cracked so that the moisture of the spent grain can escape. Check the progress of the grain every so often to stir the spent grain to check the moisture content and ensure that you are not burning the grain. El objetivo es secar el grano agotado sin llegar a cocinarlo o quemarlo.

Cuando el grano agotado está seco, se puede moler para hacer harina. Se puede hacer con un molino de granos, una procesadora común para alimentos o hasta con un molinillo de café. The setting of your machine and duration depend on how fine you want your flour to be. Once you are happy with the consistency of the flour, you are ready to bake.

Do you have questions about solid wall bulk bins?

Solid wall bulk bins are the ideal solution for all spent grain storage and transporting needs. DuraGreen solid wall bulk bins are durable and long-lasting for repeated usage year after year, and they are also recyclable. If you don't see a bulk bin that will fit your specific application, we offer custom solutions. ¿Tiene preguntas? Call 513-489-2244 to speak to one of our knowledgeable account managers.

Data source: University of Bucharest Romanian Biotechnological Letters (PDF), Wheat ale spent grains dangerous to dogs