Bugs In LHBS Grain, Is this acceptable? Options

[5thape]

I got a new job last week so I had to switch LHBS. I stopped by friday night after work to buy the ingredients for the Belgian Wit I was going to brew. The next morning after I poured the grains into the mashtun I noticed things moving inside the plastic bag the grain was in. There were several little bugs wiggling inside. I look inside my mashtun and sure enough there are the rest of them trying to crawl underneath the grain. They looked like ants but with flat bodies. I said, "WTF!!!!???", called the LHBS and told them what happened. The guy on the other line goes, "Oh heh, don't worry about them it won't affect your beer. We do what we can to keep them out of the grain but they always seem to get in there. If it really bothers you, you can come back in and we'll give you a free pound of grain." I didn't feel like making a huge deal out of it so I said no thanks and decided never to buy grain from them. Yes he was right it probably wouldn't affect my beer but I'm very big on cleanliness and maintaining the best standards of quality in all my homebrewing ingredients. Using grain that's been the home to insects is just really unappealing to me. Have you guys experienced this? Am I overreacting?

This post has been edited by 5thape: May 27 2007, 11:05 PM

[BikeBrewer]

You're going to have protein haze (IMG:style_emoticons/brewboard/wink.gif)

[JonesZ]

The Sh*t should roll up hill in this case. You should complain to the LHBS and he should complain to his grain supplier. No its not a huge deal, but its still unsightly. I do draw the line at mouse turds littering the store though. I used to drive 10 miles past my LHBS to go to a 'clean' LHBS. The dirty one closed due to an untimely and unfortunate death of the owner. (IMG:style_emoticons/brewboard/sorry.gif)

[Rez]

I've never bought grain w/ bugs in them. Considering the cost of grain, I'm surprised they only offered to give you a free # of grain and not your entire purchase. It won't affect your beer but if you found the same bugs in your cereal, would you continue buying that brand? I personally consider it a problem and am a clean freak like you. If I can manage to keep the bugs out, they should be able to also. Just the thought of bug feces in my beer doesn't sit well with me....

Go back to your old LHBS if you can.

[elkshadow]

This would be absolutely unacceptable for me. I don't care if it affects the beer or not. I would never brew with grain that had bugs in it. Period.

"We do what we can to keep them out of the grain but they always seem to get in there"?!?!? How about a lid with a paper weight on it? Amateurs...

Find another source. Unless you like mashing bugs. (IMG:style_emoticons/brewboard/hehe.gif)

[killroy]

I got some flaked oats a while back. Opened the bag and all kinds of weavels (what you described) were running around. I used it anyway. Now I have a weavel infestation in my house. They don't seem to like regular barley though.

[Boo Boo]

This would be absolutely unacceptable for me. I don't care if it affects the beer or not. I would never brew with grain that had bugs in it. Period

I think I'd have to agree with this.

I know bugs in grain may be common in some local places, and I do say MAY, but I have never seen any in my grain. And I have read threads where people have brewed using such grain.

I dunno, I guess it woulld depend on a decision I would have to make at such a time if I were to get a sack containing bugs, I guess.

[Salsgebom]

My question is how does that HBS store their grain? Sacks of grain do not come with bugs in them, and if they took it from the sack and packaged it immediately, bugs wouldnt have the chance. They must be leaving their grains out, which not only gets infested but will also go stale quickly.

[al_bob]

I would tie that bag up and get it out of your house. Otherwise you'll have the problem Killroy has. An infestation, that you may never be able to eradicate. I would tie it up and return it to the LHBS. Let the bugs stay at his place. I would never shop with him again. His laid back attitude is a glimpse of his attention to detail.

Ask if he would like to pay for the exterminators to come to your house. Those things can end up in all your other food. Be careful.

[zymot]

The main reason I don't buy 50 lb bags of grain I don't want to worry about bugs. I am willing to pay more to pass that duty the LHBS owner.

Those bugs and the answer from the guy on the phone would make get my supplies from some one else. Just about anyone else.

zymot

[tileman]

My LHBS has thrown out grain that was questionable I didn't see anything but he thought he did and 45 lbs of grain hit the trash quickly, the next hr was spent looking at everything else in the store. Nothing else was found but he was very thankful that nothing was sent out of his store that was bad

[BrewerGeorge]

I don't know what I'd do if I found weevils in MY grain (probably flood it with CO2 and use it). However, I would NEVER accept buggy grain from an LHBS.

[msiler]

The owner of my LHBS found some bugs in one bag a while back and condemned all opened bags in the store to his own personal use. The way he talked it may be a legal issue selling buggy grain.

[dagomike]

Yeah, you're buying grain, not bugs so I wouldn't accept it. I would expect at least a refund. Like Killroy said, I would mostly worry about them getting into my house and/or my grain supply.

Note that the eggs are already in the grain, so unless they've got the capacity to control the environment of their storage, sooner or later they'll get bugs. I think most LHBS just do the best they can and when they find a bad sack, they toss it to keep it from getting into other grain. If the LHBS is knowingly selling grain w/ bugs, then time for a new grain supplier.

[cdh]

Toss the bag into the microwave and nuke it for a while. That should make the bugs and bug eggs dead... then take the buggy crap back and demand a refund.