Dried Spent Grain

Dried spent grain is a compact waste output left behind after malt and/or grain is mashed and filtered in a brewery. Dried spent grain is mainly composed of barley husk (aleurone layer and pericarp layer), embryo residue, protein, and minerals. When drained, it usually contains about 28% protein, 8.2%fat, 4% carbohydrates, 17.5% fiber, and 5.3 % minerals. When wet, water is 75% to 80% by mass. What is wasteful to the brewer is valuable to the farmer. Dried spent grain makes an outstanding animal feed in regards to its rich nutrients, and most livestock finds it very tasty when fresh.  

 

It is of particular value to ruminants (such as cows that partially digest their food by chewing) on account of more resistance than other feeds to protein degradation in the rumen (the fermentation chamber for the microbes that ingest the feed). Dried spent grain is also well suited for silage (a method of fermenting and storing cattle feed). It does not require any additives and produces high-quality silage with optimum pH and minimum protein breakdown.