[KIS]

Originally Posted by h.h.

Nice job Tad!

I'd like to know more about using spent grain. Currently I'm getting around 100 gallons a week.
I was going to start a new thread, but figured I'd give this one a bump.

spent grains don't have the same enzymatic activity as malted but I believe they would be a good food source in a worm bin or compost pile.

[P-NUT]

My worms didnt seem to like spent beer grains as much as flies and other bugs so bury it in the bin or be prepared. Also dont put too much or it can heat up the bin. I think composting is a better idea. Too much in your soil can cause weird growth too. My kids planted okra where I used to feed spent grains to my pigs and they look strange and distorted but are still thriving.

[KIS]

Originally Posted by P-NUT

My worms didnt seem to like spent beer grains as much as flies and other bugs so bury it in the bin or be prepared. Also dont put too much or it can heat up the bin. I think composting is a better idea. Too much in your soil can cause weird growth too. My kids planted okra where I used to feed spent grains to my pigs and they look strange and distorted but are still thriving.

Those are really good points regarding burying the material and limiting amounts. Thanks for bringing that up.

Side note, part 2 of my interview with Clackamas Coot is now live and available for download.

[PaulieWaulie]

Just listened to it yesterday. Love how he just went off on this rant bitching about industry products one after another while your just going along listening, not sure how to give input. got some good stuff out of it though. Thanks for doing these!

[h.h.]

Originally Posted by P-NUT

My worms didnt seem to like spent beer grains as much as flies and other bugs so bury it in the bin or be prepared. Also dont put too much or it can heat up the bin. I think composting is a better idea. Too much in your soil can cause weird growth too. My kids planted okra where I used to feed spent grains to my pigs and they look strange and distorted but are still thriving.

Good advice.

My pigs and birds barely touch it. It seems a bit hot for the worms. The flies love it.
I'm getting truckloads of horse manure, I think I'll start mixing it in. Thanks.

[KIS]

Originally Posted by PaulieWaulie

Just listened to it yesterday. Love how he just went off on this rant bitching about industry products one after another while your just going along listening, not sure how to give input. got some good stuff out of it though. Thanks for doing these!

Fair point. It's hard to stay on topic sometimes, but I hope there was some worthwhile information. I know some of the future ones will be more focused on certain topics. Thanks for checking it out.

[Microbeman]

Originally Posted by KIS

spent grains don't have the same enzymatic activity as malted but I believe they would be a good food source in a worm bin or compost pile.

Just be sure they are 'beyond' germinating or you could have a big mess in worm compost.

[Microbeman]

One little note I should make after listening to Coot's interview I noticed him talking about farmers' not being able to afford to plant alfalfa year after year. (if I heard correctly) Coot likely has not been involved in that end of things.

Alfalfa is generally planted only once every 10 to 30 years depending on the farmer, soil, etc. It is a vibrant perennial sending roots deep. We over-seeded our field a little but basically maintained and cut it from 1985 to 2010 after it was originally seeded around 1978.

[trichrider]

Originally Posted by Microbeman

One little note I should make after listening to Coot's interview I noticed him talking about farmers' not being able to afford to plant alfalfa year after year. (if I heard correctly) Coot likely has not been involved in that end of things.

Alfalfa is generally planted only once every 10 to 30 years depending on the farmer, soil, etc. It is a vibrant perennial sending roots deep. We over-seeded our field a little but basically maintained and cut it from 1985 to 2010 after it was originally seeded around 1978.

my take on that was: "didn't need to plant every year" as in 'it comes back as hard as the bock14 comfrey'

just what i understood him saying. i'm often wrong tho'

oh, also, thanks for the thread...

[Microbeman]

Originally Posted by trichrider

my take on that was: "didn't need to plant every year" as in 'it comes back as hard as the bock14 comfrey'

just what i understood him saying. i'm often wrong tho'

oh, also, thanks for the thread...

It is a little hard to decipher. You may be right. This is what I was unsure of. I'm often wrong as well.

"But those soils are some of the richest volcanic soils in the world literally and alfalfa, because you don't plant it every year, you’d go broke, you're ever priced alfalfa seeds?"