weevils

Zambi

Zambi

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So, I got weevils in my wheat malt :(
It's not easy getting new, so I don't want to throw it out.
I have packed it in ziplock bags and cleaned the box it was in thoroughly.
I was thinking of putting the bag in the freezer to kill the little buggers!
Can I keep them there permanently?

And when using the grains?
Should I sift out the flour? Or just use as is?
I use biab and the bag has a fairly thight weave.
Should I increase the amount used?
Like 10 or 20 % more than the recipe?
Anything else I should look out for?

Note: I will just call those beers "protein enriched" ;)
 
I’ve experienced this just once (that I know of). Put your malt in the freezer for at least 4 days which will kill the buggers and their evil offspring waiting to hatch. Another option is to put you malt in airtight container(s) and purge with CO2. I don’t use CO2 in my brewing process so I went the freezer route.

Regarding usage, I had a minor infestation so I just used the malt. However, if you have a major one where you think you need to add additional malt, I would consider dumping it.
 
Somehow managed to move all to my already overfull freezer!
As an aside: what's a serious infestation?
I've had worse thsn this in my flour and I still keep using it (after sieving)
Note that replacement of grains is not easy for me (as mentioned). No homebrew shops in the country. Only way to replace is by somebody going to South Africa by car...
And with current travel restrictions, thsts not happening in a hurry.
Hence my reluctance to throw anything out!
 
Just my opinion ZS, but if all of the endosperm is fully eaten out of 10% or more of the grain, it's serious. There is nothing to convert in a hollow kernel. And you can tell if you are handling hollow kernels. If just some of the endosperm is eaten, then there is still conversion to take place. As I said, just my opinion.
 
Yup, freezer. And the hot water / boil will sterilize everything, so if the thought won't bother you, neither will the weevils.

Many cultures eat insects, and you'll be merely steeping them anyway, no? Weevil tea.
 
Yeah that sucks! Terminix, the U.S. based bug killing company suggests the freezer too but they go 6 days. Here's a link to Penn State's Ag extension on weevils..there's some good prevention tips lower down the link. I like the freezer as a pest killer as a preventive idea before storing things dry at ambiant

https://extension.psu.edu/weevils-on-stored-grain

Hang in there Zambi! You can do this!
 
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Thanks all!
They will stay in the freezer till after the new year's party ;)
The thought of weevils doesn't put me off at all. Most will get out at the end of the mash, thanks to the biab bag. The others will be boiled for an hour.
I'm going to look at the figures of my wheat beer, and see if I can roughly calculate how much extra to use.
Maybe I should try for a 100 % wheat beer? Aim for lowish IBU's and if the gravity is much lower than expected I will have a wheat-ipa :p:rolleyes:
 
Thanks for the link @Ward Chillington
I'm now thinking of putting future grain deliveries in the freezer for a week.
A friend of mine sells ice blocks. I'm sure I could use a little corner for 1 or 2 bags of grain (in bins of course)
 
Donoroto said:
100% wheat just sounds wrong. Add some barley so I can sleep at night.

But I don't know of a real reason all wheat would not work.
Click to expand...

I would think that 100% wheat would be thick as clay and be hard to lauter, even with BIAB.
 
Here in the US, when people have a dislike for one of the Light American Adjunct Lagers, they will often call it "weasel piss." Assuming that weevils emit some waste as they chew grain, his beer might be appropriately called Weevil Piss.
 
Try it! Don't let these boys and their dogma get you down :) let us know what happens and we can all learn from it
 
BarbarianBrewer said:
I would think that 100% wheat would be thick as clay and be hard to lauter, even with BIAB.
Click to expand...

I was thinking of 100% wheat malt with no rice or oat hulls to help with lautering. But what about a course grind on the wheat malt? Would that leave enough husks intact to perform the same task as rice/oat hulls? Maybe just coarse grind 1/3-1/2 of the malt?
 
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