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  • Spent Grain Issues

    Our sewer department thinks too much grain is going down the drain and wants to fine us for it. What is going down the drain is the tiny portion of grain that comes out of the mash tun after we've emptied it and rinse/cip it. They want us to come up with some sort of filter to capture the small amount making it down the drain...anyone else have this problem??? Any ideas on how to do this?

    Thanks,

    Alan
    Shamrock Brewing Company
    Meddling City aka Pueblo, CO

  • #2
    That's ridiculous. I have never heard of such a thing. It really surprises me that you are getting that kind of treatment in such a brewery friendly state. I have heard of breweries having to have yeast dump tanks and inline ph adjustment to keep from sending a lot of live yeast into the water system, but never a gripe about grain.

    What kind of grain use are you seeing on an average week? How much would you estimate hits the drain? Have you invited them to watch the process?

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    • #3
      Our brewery used to have a "private" sewer (AKA septic tank), and I used to tie a nylon mesh bag to the drain hose prior to sending the last runnings to the "drain". It was similar to the kind of bag you might use in a washing machine for delicates. It would screen most of it out.
      Paul Thomas
      Brewer
      Sockeye Brewing
      www.sockeyebrew.com

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      • #4
        We had the same problem on start up with the City. They allowed us to put in drain covers that would filter out the grain before it went down the drain. We then scoop it up and send it out with the rest of the spent grain. Pain in the butt but they agreed to it.

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        • #5
          Hose it out the door and down the street drains and then put a fiery bag of Poo on the doorstep of your local Sewer Department.
          Mike Hall

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          • #6
            Always the diplomat, Mike!
            Glacier Brewing Company
            406-883-2595
            info@glacierbrewing.com

            "who said what now?"

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            • #7
              There are some nice bags at McMaster that are for filter housings and have a hand hold strap.. The one I use fits perfectly on the mash tun drain around the triclover. An elbow helps it to fill easily. Maybe they are more concerned about kettle trub but don't know the difference?

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              • #8
                Thanks!

                Thanks for all the advice, I'm going to mull over ideas and figure something out. I especially like Mike's idea, what kind of poo do you recommend? I brew 1-3x weekly, 7 bbl batches, so anywhere from 350-1200 lbs of grain total. Amount that goes down the drain is probably a few handfuls per batch.

                Previous owners brewed here for 9+ years and I have no idea about what they did; also the city couldn't tell me the last time the "scoped" the sewer with a camera. We had to replace a bad grease trap, so I'm thinking that if the previous brewer was allowing more grain down, and grease was getting through AND live yeast putting BOD strain on the system the potential for buildup was large.

                I told the city sewer guy that I'd be willing to spray it out the front to the gutter; that the grain would attract pigeons which would attract birds of prey making for an "urban wildlife refuge" - he didn't laugh.

                As beer friendly as Colorado is this town is "the land that time forgot", the city govt is hopeless.

                The health department is right across the alley, so we get lots of visits. The kitchen was written up for having 0 ppm chlorine in the silverware soak tray even though we informed them we were using quaternary ammonium. They were also concerned about the water I was using to brew with - the stuff from the tap!

                I have a few big nylon bags that I'll try first!

                Thanks everyone!

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                • #9
                  This brings up as story...In the early '80's a man named Jim Schlueter had a brewery in Sacramento. He was not particularly fond of authority figures. One day he was visited by a newbie health inspector. She walked around the brewery with a clipboard writing down violations-at least like the "0 ppm chlorine" mentioned above. When she came to the mill area, she had a disgusted look on her face and wrote down "rat droppings near mill." Jim reached down, picked one up, and while looking her straight in the eye, put the kernel of black malt in his mouth and chewed it. She screamed and ran out, never to be heard from again.
                  Maybe this would help?

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                  • #10
                    I know Jim, he's a funny guy, I lived in Sacramento in the early 90s. He also built the first brewery I worked at. I pulled the rat poop trick on the manager of the last brewpub I worked at, she came down and told me to clean up the rat droppings on the shelf by the malt bags...I ate a few then offered her some. Good times...

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Alan Stiles
                      I know Jim, he's a funny guy, I lived in Sacramento in the early 90s. He also built the first brewery I worked at. I pulled the rat poop trick on the manager of the last brewpub I worked at, she came down and told me to clean up the rat droppings on the shelf by the malt bags...I ate a few then offered her some. Good times...

                      What if you tried to pull that hijink again bit this time it really was a rat poop???? hummm
                      www.Lervig.no

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                      • #12
                        The rat poop - chocolate malt gag...I like it and can't wait to use it!
                        -Beaux

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                        • #13
                          I do my best Homer Simpson imitation....MMMMMMM rat poop.

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