Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Another possible use for spent grain?  (Read 2806 times)

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Another possible use for spent grain?
« on: March 05, 2014, 11:28:51 am »
I have been thinking a lot lately about alternative building techniques (nope not a BFI thread, just hold on).

One of the things I researched in the past is icochanvre or fibercrete. Basically it utilizes the silica found in plant stems in place of part or all of the sand in a normal lime morter or concrete recipe. Weeeeellll i got to thinking about spend grain, mostly silica rich husks left when we are done with them especially if I were to rinse the grains well to get any residual sugars out.

Could one then mix this with some hydrated lime and sand and make a fibrecrete like product? BrewCrete?
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline dkfick

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1054
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2014, 11:37:13 am »
I have no clue to your actual question... But I can say the spent grains I spill in my parking lot (live in a condo) seem to dry into concrete on the parking lot... ;-)
BJCP A0936 National Beer Judge and Mead Judge
Cicerone Certified Beer Server
AHA Member
CRAFT Homebrew Club
Sons of Liberty Homebrew Club
HBT "mors"

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2014, 11:56:55 am »
I have no clue to your actual question... But I can say the spent grains I spill in my parking lot (live in a condo) seem to dry into concrete on the parking lot... ;-)

that's a good sign! the condo board must love you  :o
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline dkfick

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1054
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2014, 12:03:25 pm »
I have no clue to your actual question... But I can say the spent grains I spill in my parking lot (live in a condo) seem to dry into concrete on the parking lot... ;-)

that's a good sign! the condo board must love you  :o
Yes they blame me for rotting out the dumpsters with my spent grain... Now I have to bag it all vs just dumping it in the dumpsters... Pain in my butt ;-)
BJCP A0936 National Beer Judge and Mead Judge
Cicerone Certified Beer Server
AHA Member
CRAFT Homebrew Club
Sons of Liberty Homebrew Club
HBT "mors"

Offline weithman5

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1681
  • naperville, il
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2014, 02:24:34 pm »
fun idea.  if there is a local engineering school bring the grains to the civil engineering lab.  they do fun tests like slump tests etc to evaluate concrete.  would be a reasonable project for them.  however, i doubt it is the most cost effective use of spent grain.
Don AHA member

Offline pinnah

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1323
  • Wesloper, CO
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2014, 02:54:16 pm »
 :). I like to think about alternatives.

Seems I recall one of my buddies who is RPCV from west Africa somewhere that they used grain husks in adobe bricks for building.

Maybe spent grains from brewing has too much goopy stuffs still in it?  ??? ie, not pure husks.   
Just blabbing out loud here like a BFI thread, but it seems that stuff might not lend itself to a solid composition? Maybe drying it would render it more useful.



Offline kmccaf

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 622
  • Kyle (Champaign, Hensley Township, Il)
Kyle M.

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2014, 03:13:06 pm »
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/building-better-bricks-brewing-beer-180949298/?no-ist=

Something like that?

That's kind of the idea, well the part about including the grains in bricks anywy, not the part about the beer bottles which is a different story entirely.

:). I like to think about alternatives.

Seems I recall one of my buddies who is RPCV from west Africa somewhere that they used grain husks in adobe bricks for building.

Maybe spent grains from brewing has too much goopy stuffs still in it?  ??? ie, not pure husks.   
Just blabbing out loud here like a BFI thread, but it seems that stuff might not lend itself to a solid composition? Maybe drying it would render it more useful.




i was thinking about the goopy bits and I don't see why it would be a problem if you got most of the protein out and residual converted starches with a solid rinse with plain water. but it's not going to cost me much to experiment with it, the price of some lime and some sand really.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2014, 03:25:08 pm »
This seems like a cool idea. Now I'd like to build a spent grain adobe oven!

I found this about natural fiber concrete. I'm thinking spent grain wouldn't add strength, but should work as bulk in non-strength applications (like my oven).

http://people.ce.gatech.edu/~kk92/natfiber.pdf
« Last Edit: March 05, 2014, 03:32:10 pm by mtnrockhopper »
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline jeffy

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4222
  • Tampa, Fl
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2014, 06:54:24 pm »
:). I like to think about alternatives.

Seems I recall one of my buddies who is RPCV from west Africa somewhere that they used grain husks in adobe bricks for building.

Maybe spent grains from brewing has too much goopy stuffs still in it?  ??? ie, not pure husks.   
Just blabbing out loud here like a BFI thread, but it seems that stuff might not lend itself to a solid composition? Maybe drying it would render it more useful.

I love your comment on the blabbing BFI thread.  You have to be around for a while to get it.
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
Homebrewing since 1990
AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member
BJCP judge since 1995

Offline reverseapachemaster

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3777
    • Brain Sparging on Brewing
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2014, 08:48:20 am »
Wouldn't you need to extract the silica out of the husks first?
Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing: Brain Sparging on Brewing

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2014, 08:50:06 am »
Wouldn't you need to extract the silica out of the husks first?

I don't think so. When making isochanvre from hemp hurds they are just chopped and mixed with lime and sand. It's experimental for sure.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline pete b

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4134
  • Barre, Ma
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #12 on: March 08, 2014, 07:00:10 pm »
Dried out it might replace perlite mixed with clay slip in the insulating layers of a clay oven. I doubt it would be more effective,( maybe mix with perlite) but I would like the idea of having my spent grains in there when I bake bread and pizzas. Here's a slide show we made when we made our clay oven a few years ago. Might not work on some mobile devices. : http://www.slideboom.com/presentations/218324/Building-a-wood-fired-earth-oven
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.

Offline euge

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8017
  • Ego ceruisam ad bibere cervisiam
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #13 on: March 08, 2014, 10:50:20 pm »
Nice oven. Thats a lot of work!

Jon I think spent grain might be useful in slipform casting that takes place over a long time period. Every batch you add another tier. After a year you have an entire wall.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: Another possible use for spent grain?
« Reply #14 on: March 08, 2014, 10:53:58 pm »
Nice oven. Thats a lot of work!

Jon I think spent grain might be useful in slipform casting that takes place over a long time period. Every batch you add another tier. After a year you have an entire wall.

I like it. first experiments start in a couple weeks.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce