A Granular Vision for Brewing - Part 1

Brewing is by definition holistic.  No part of the process can be understood, or function, without the entire system.  As brewers, we spend our time studying the interaction between grains, yeast, air, and alcohol.  We carefully craft a finished product, and carry it through to it's finished state.

But a system must be efficient to survive.  Beyond our holy grail of the perfect brew, what can we do to improve the system?  Create synergies or cycles that can reduce cost?  Utilize by-products for further endeavorers?  We're already heading in that direction.  Lets see where we are:

Spent and Waffling

Started our day with these today.  Based on this Waffles I recipe we just replaced 1/4 of the flour with spent grain flour.  Really nice flavor, I would say less like whole wheat than malty flavored.  The grains were today were the last of the Wide Eyed Cowboy, saving the porter grains for bread...

We didn't do a whole lot with the grains.  

1. Dried them in the oven for a couple days after we got them.  
• We have a gas oven, and the pilot keeps the oven at a steady 100 degrees.
2. Froze them till we needed them
3. Ground them in our blender
• We have a Vitamix, but a regular blender might do ok

Release the Yeast

Also anxiously awaiting the results of the Wild Eyed Cowboy.  Licking Retriever Brewery has cleverly pitched their second beer onto the yeast cake of the first.  Now that we have the yeast starter kit, I'm anxious to try some variations with trying to revive yeast from the cake in the flask as well.

- Holmestarr Brewing Coop