Brewers' Spent Grain
Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) is the major by-product of the beer industry, representing around 85% of the total by-products generated [1]. Beer is the fifth most consumed beverage in the world, resulting in an average annual global production of 39 million tonnes of BSG.
BSG is a byproduct of the brewing process. Beer begins with a mash of barley (and sometimes other grains) and hot water, which after an hour or so of enzymatic activity, converts the grain’s starch into sugar. It is then drained and rinsed to extract that sugar. That’s what we as a brewer want: sugar, which is the starting place for fermentation. Left behind are the starchy endosperm, residual protein and whatever residual sugars the process couldn’t rinse away.
Recycling By-Products
The uses of BSG is pertinent, not only from the brewer who can benefit from the valorisation of this by-product, but also from an environmental perspective as the recycling and re-use of industrial wastes and by-products have become increasingly important.
Tasty Animal Feed
These protein and fibre-rich leftovers are excellent feed for everything from cows to chickens. Redchurch works with local farmers who collect the grains and use them to feed their animals.
Feed Hygiene Approval
Redchurch is registered as a Hygenic Feed Supplier with Essex Trading Standards. This is designed to help ensure that feed provided to animals is safe and that those feed products can be traced in the event of a safety incident.
What Redchurch Say
Tony Porter - Commercial Director at Redchurch, said "It's great that can recycle this waste product in such a useful way.