What to do with spent mash??

[BeSocial]

We are a distillery that is going to be opening in the next couple months in North Carolina. I wanted to ask around and get some good ideas of what other people in the industry are doing with their used mash. I have a pretty good idea, but to make it better id love to hear some other techniques that people use. it will be 100% corn mash. Thanks in advance! 

[3d0g]

Put a classified ad in the local paper. Livestock farmers will fight each other for free feed.

[Southernhighlander]

You can sell it to hog farmers.  My grandfathers hogs were always happy because they always had a little buzz from eating his spent mash.  Happy hogs make good bacon ;o)  You can sell the spent mash to hog farmers.  If you get yourself several of the 270 gallon polypro totes you can unload the empty's the farmer brings back and load the full ones he is taking.  You want to try and get them to pick up everyday that you distill if possible.  They mainly care about the protein and your spent corn mash will have plenty of that.  Try to get at least 50% of what you paid for the grain.  If you cannot find a hog farmer to buy it.  You can usually find a row crop farmer to give it to.  The row crop farmer can put it on his fields for fertilizer, but he probably will not pay you for it.  There are a lot of hog farms in NC.  I would run an add in your local paper..

[BeSocial]

5 minutes ago, 3d0g said:

Put a classified ad in the local paper. Livestock farmers will fight each other for free feed.

Thank you! We will look into that.

[BeSocial]

1 minute ago, Southernhighlander said:

You can sell it to hog farmers.  My grandfathers hogs were always happy because they always had a little buzz from eating his spent mash.  Happy hogs make good bacon ;o)  You can sell the spent mash to hog farmers.  If you get yourself several of the 270 gallon polypro totes you can unload the empty's the farmer brings back and load the full ones he is taking.  You want to try and get them to pick up everyday that you distill if possible.  They mainly care about the protein and your spent corn mash will have plenty of that.  Try to get at least 50% of what you paid for the grain.  If you cannot find a hog farmer to buy it.  You can usually find a row crop farmer to give it to.  The row crop farmer can put it on his fields for fertilizer, but he probably will not pay you for it.  There are a lot of hog farms in NC.  I would run an add in your local paper..

Thank you! That's great information!

[Simon13]

A local crofter is picking up our draff for his sheep and a farmer is using our pot ale as fertiliser.

In the UK we have to jump through some hoops before our co-products enter the food chain (EU regulationswhich covers training labelling and safety) but most of the farmers don't seem to know/care and it seems to be un-enforced.

[Tom Lenerz]

2 hours ago, Simon13 said:

In the UK we have to jump through some hoops before our co-products enter the food chain (EU regulationswhich covers training labelling and safety) but most of the farmers don't seem to know/care and it seems to be un-enforced.

Technically under the FSMA here in the states we have the same, but there is a blanket exemption for breweries and distilleries. This exemption was called into question a few years ago,  but ultimately industry won for now, it could become an issue again in the future though.