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Spent Grain: How much will I have?

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  • Spent Grain: How much will I have?

    Starting to work with some farms to see who is interested in our spent grain. I'm thinking of putting the grains in 55 gallon drums, as that would work for one of the farms I have been in contact with. I'm trying to get a rough estimate on how many drums one batch would fill, but really have no idea. We have a 10BBL system, so say a batch has 500-600lbs of grain, any ideas on how many drums that would fill?

  • #2
    I fit 700lbs of wet grain into three 50 gallon trash cans and one 33 gallon trash can. or one macrobin. this is for a 10bbl system

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    • #3
      4-5 depending on how close to the rim you fill it, because 1) it gets freaking heavy and 2) if you have to hand truck it around you can't only go 5/6 full.

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      • #4
        Spent grain for 10bbl system

        Depending on the brew ( 490# to 1000# grain bill ) we have between 4 and 7, 55 gallon plastic drums. We keep 2 dozen or so on hand to cover up to 3 to 4 brews per week. Our farmers like them to be no more than 3/4 full so they can handle them better. They return barrels from the previous brew each time they pick up a batch unless it is 2 or 3 days in a row then we run close.
        Marty

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        • #5
          I assume you have a fork lift to move them as they will be heavy as hell. If we move a 55 gal by hand its only about 1/3 full. Even if you put a full drum on a pallet you still have to roll it 1 edge on the pallet then tilt it up. TOOHEAVY for this old brewer.

          CHeers

          Mike
          Mike Eme
          Brewmaster

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          • #6
            We have a 15 bbl system and can regularly fit a malt bill between 800-900 lbs into four 55-gallon drums. You have to pack them down and fill them full but it fits.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by beerguy1 View Post
              I assume you have a fork lift to move them as they will be heavy as hell. If we move a 55 gal by hand its only about 1/3 full. Even if you put a full drum on a pallet you still have to roll it 1 edge on the pallet then tilt it up. TOOHEAVY for this old brewer.

              CHeers

              Mike
              We use something similar to this drum hand truck, and are able to handle 55-gallon plastic drums full of spent grain with ease.

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              • #8
                The grain bill for 15bbls of one of our beers totals out to 880 lbs. It will fill three 55 gallon drums packed in well.
                ________
                Cheers,

                David Rodriguez
                Assistant Brewer/Head Cellerman
                Wynwood Brewing Company
                565 NW 24th St
                Miami, FL 33127

                www.wynwoodbrewing.com
                David@wynwoodbrewing.com
                Cell: (954) 471-6588

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                • #9
                  2-3 drums. Try to get as much liquid out as possible in your situation before dumping the grain. Put them on a pallet for transport. It's not fun, but it isn't that hard once you get the technique down.

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                  • #10
                    When I brew I can safely assume 300lbs of spent barley per 55 gallon drum, though this is mounded about 6-12 inches above the top lip and allowed to settle for an hour (it'll collapse on itself and shrink in volume) before being transported. We haul them around on a pallet, because there's no way I want to do more than slide them on the floor.

                    If you're using oats in your recipe you'll take up more volume since they expand more, so I'd have one extra barrel above what you would expect if the recipe was pure barley, just to be safe.

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