Spent grain stored inside brewery question

[Triose]

I've seen breweries grain out into large totes lined with plastic sheeting that they can tie at the top. Keeps your totes clean and keeps odor inside the bag

[nickfl]

Our farmer happily picks up day of at the approximate time we are raking out the mash. I don't think this is an unreasonable thing to ask of your farmer considering the amount of free feed they are getting. See if you can find someone who is willing to do this, usually there are enough people looking for free feed that you should be able to get someone who is willing to conform to your needs.

[Thirsty_Monk]

I use 55 Gal barrels for spend grain. If you close them immediately after cleaning MT you can go day or two.

[El Podo]

Yes, I am familiar with them as I currently work for a brewery. My bigger issue is if I can contain the odor with a simple room (dry wall) or if I would need to get really fancy with the room's construction.

Spent grain starts to break down and stink within 8 hours if left in our grain cart indoors, even in semi-arid Colorado. Honestly, I think you're better off doing your best to coordinate same-day pickups. Cleaning the bins between each use might help mitigate the odors, but the smell is only going to be compounded by a closed room.

[wailingguitar]

Regarding the smell issue, while this is not a fix, it does help. I discovered if you run a bunch of cold water through the mash after your done with it, it does cut down on the smell... Like I said, doesn't FIX it, but helps. I discovered this working for a brewpub where if I pulled mash as soon as I was done with it, I had to roll those nasty bins through a full dining room. Not good for customers! Bad layout at that place.

[Brewer53]

Yes, I am familiar with them as I currently work for a brewery. My bigger issue is if I can contain the odor with a simple room (dry wall) or if I would need to get really fancy with the room's construction.

[Bainbridge]

And they get, you know, filthy.

[gbrower]

Smell is going to be real bad. One way to help could be to knock out your brews right before pick up. You might have a hard time with the local health dept with trash bins inside too.

[Brewer53]

Hi folks,

I am looking at a building to start my brewery that is perfect in all but one way... there is not a space outside for a large trash bin (dumpster) and a place for spent grain bins. One idea is to build an enclosed room adjacent to the outside wall and cut an entry way (overhead door) which could be accessed from outside so we could roll out the bins and dumpster when trash service and the local farmer comes to pick up the spent grains.

Has any done or seen this? There are a few concerns of course, mainly smell of the spent grain and trash bin during summer months seeping into the brewery.

We will have a 15 bbl system and produce 1000 bbls in year one.

Thanks.