How to Dry and Prepare Spent Grains
We love brewing a nice malty batch of beer at home, and I’m guessing you might as well. But what do you do with the leftover grains? It seems a shame to throw them away!
Our solution – dry them and add spent grains to your baking recipes.
Spent grains are lower in sugar because it is extracted through the mashing and sparging process. But there are other health benefits of spent grains. When compared to regular barley – a well-known whole grain – spent grains have higher percentages of protein and dietary fiber which become concentrated in the grains after the brewing process. Even better, spent grains have additional vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium.
Mr. Brew’s typical malt bill looks like this:
2-row
Caramel 15-60L
Specialty malts like chocolate and Special B
Small amount of Carapils
Additions of caramel malt or chocolate malt make more complex spent grain flour while adding a touch of sweetness. I separate my chocolate grains and use them for specific recipes after we’ve brewed a darker beer.
Drying Spent Grains
After brewing, leave the grains to strain any additional liquid for approximately 20-30 minutes (or until you’re finished brewing).
Line two to three baking trays per 1 gallon batch with tin foil. The grains will stick otherwise and be a pain to clean up.
Spread the grains evenly onto the baking sheets in a flat layer. You do not want the grains too thick or they will take forever to dry. If you don’t have enough baking sheets, put the grains in the fridge to prohibit bacteria growth and dry them in batches.
Put your trays in the oven and turn it to 225℉.
I have dried grains at 200℉ and found that it took too long and they weren’t drying well. I have also tried 250℉ and found that this temperature works well if I am paying close attention. Don’t go past 250℉ as you can burn your grains and are baking them instead of drying them.
After an hour, take the trays out and stir up the grains. They may stick to the tin foil, that is okay.
Return to oven and check every 30 minutes to an hour.
Continue to check the grains until they are completely dry to the touch and no longer stick to the foil. This will take several hours.
Once the grains are completely dry, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool.
Store in a sealed container (I use a ziploc bag) or grind them into flour.
Preparing Spent Grain Flour
After the grains are properly dried, blitz them several times in a food processor in small batches and sift them so you have a fine flour. Store in an air-tight container. I occasionally like to pinch a few of the remaining kernels from my sift and add them to the flour for a bite and texture, but only a small pinch.
Your grains are dried and ready to cook with! If you aren’t sure where to begin, check out our Spent Grain Oatmeal Cookies (Cookies with Pumpkin!) or try your hand at Spent Grain Pretzels for something more savory.
Cheers,
Mrs. Brew