Currently in Russia there are more than 400 factories specializing in the production of beer. In the production process of this alcoholic beverage, a large amount of various kinds of waste is generated. The lion's share of their mass is beer grains. Unfortunately, at present, in most cases, enterprises send it for recycling. Meanwhile, the product is very useful and can be used in various areas of the national economy. Particularly appropriate is the use of pellets as animal feed and fertilizer.
What is a beer pellet
This product is a well-mixed mass, which includes particles of nuclei and shells of grains. Remains beer grains in the process of producing barley wort. The main feature of this secondary brewing product is that it simply contains a huge amount of nutrients and minerals. Therefore, in agriculture, it is used primarily as a source of protein when feeding animals.
Main characteristics
In its normal state, beer grains contain about 80% water. It is impossible to store it in this form for more than three days. After a certain time (depending on the air temperature), the pellet acidifies and loses its useful properties. Moreover, various kinds of toxins begin to accumulate in it. Therefore, transporting this product over long distances is impractical. In order to avoid acidification and reduce the weight of the pellet intended for transportation, it is pre-dried. In this case, from 3-4 tons of wet mass, 1 ton of dry product is usually obtained. There is also equipment designed for the production of granulated beer grains.
Beer pellet composition
Different kinds of useful substances in beer grains really contain a lot. Information on what exactly is part of the dried product and in what quantities can be obtained from the table below.
Element | Indicator (%) |
Proteins | 23.44% |
Fats | 7.75% |
Cellulose | 14.33% |
Ash | 2.5% |
Bev | 43.44% |
Water | 6.87% |
In addition, the composition of beer grains includes such trace elements as:
- zinc - 105 mg / kg;
- iron - 205 mg / kg;
- copper - 15 mg / kg;
- phosphorus - 0.5 mg / kg;
- calcium - 0.37 mg / kg.
Beer grains also contain a very large number of amino acids (glycine, alanine, threonine, etc.).
Granular product
The advantages of such grains are primarily attributed to the long shelf life and low cost of transportation. A granular product is produced as follows:
- the crude pellet is dried;
- hard dry mass is ground into flour;
- compress the granular product into granules on special equipment.
Main areas of use
In agriculture, beer grains are most often used for fattening pigs, cattle and cattle. Thus, one of the main areas of its use is the production of animal feed. Also, grains are often used as fertilizer in the cultivation of cultivated plants. Another area of the national economy in which grains are used is the food industry. Most often it is used for baking flour products for dietary purposes. In this case, it serves as a valuable source of dietary fiber. Sometimes grains are also used as biofuels. Most often in this way it is used by the breweries themselves.
The use of pellets in animal fattening
In pure form, this product is not given to cows, sheep and pigs. Usually grains are simply part of various feeds. In terms of a positive effect on the animal organism, it is considered even more useful than bran. However, it is highly not recommended to feed it in large quantities or in its pure form. Dairy cows, for example, are usually given no more than 6-8 kg per day.
Abroad, beer pellets are often silted in long narrow trenches. We do not use such a technique. However, when feeding pigs in a dry pellet, lactic acid starter is sometimes added. This increases the moisture content of the product and, therefore, accelerates its digestibility.
Application for feeding poultry
Dry beer pellet is used in the cultivation of not only farm animals, but also poultry. Feeding it to laying hens can increase egg production. When beer grains are mixed into the broiler feed, the meat yield increases. In its pure form, beer grains, like animals, are not given. Some of the disadvantages of this product may be that it has a bitter taste. Therefore, the bird does not eat it very willingly. Meanwhile, correcting the situation is not particularly difficult. In private household plots, small quantities of pellets are added to the mash. In large poultry farms it is fed in the form of granular nutrient mixtures. The production of animal feed with the addition of beer grains and their use, thus, allows to increase the income of poultry farms.
Fertilizer application
The use of this product for plant nutrition is considered advisable, since it contains a very large amount of organic substances and trace elements necessary for the development of plants. The absolute advantages of beer pellets as fertilizers include its absolute environmental safety. Moreover, scientists have proved that this product is able to increase the nutritional properties and value of various crops.
Very often, beer pellets are also used by gardeners as fertilizer for plants. In this case, vinasse is usually mixed with green mass of plants, peat, household food waste, etc. After composting, the resulting mixture is used as organic fertilizer instead of manure.
Use as ameliorant
During the years of Soviet power, as a result of the use of ill-conceived farming methods, many previously fertile black soil soils turned into unsuitable for growing cultivated plants salt marshes. Currently, scientists are looking for ways to correct this situation and return such sites to their original state. Organic reclamation of salt marshes using precisely stored beer grains is carried out. When it is introduced into the soil, first of all, the level of acidity of the latter changes. In particular, beer grains eliminate the high alkalinity of the soil. At the same time, it also saturates it with the essential nutrients necessary for the development of plants.
Beer pellet: price
It is not only the presence of a large number of nutrients and microelements in its composition that makes use of this brewing processing product in agriculture. Determines the profitability of the use of grains and its very low cost.
Agricultural enterprises located near the breweries have the opportunity to purchase it literally for a penny. Factories for the production of alcoholic products themselves seek to get rid of grains. After all, its disposal is quite expensive (up to 100 rubles per 1 m 2 of landfill). Granulated beer fraction costs about 10 thousand rubles. per ton. The price of a dry product, depending on the region, is about 5-7 thousand rubles. per ton.
Thus, the use of beer grains allows you to reduce the cost of growing pigs, cattle, small cattle, poultry, etc. and significantly increase the yield of crops. This product has not yet been found particularly widespread solely because of the rapid acidification and the inability to transport over long distances. Meanwhile, it is not difficult to rectify the situation simply by installing equipment in breweries designed for drying and granulating pellets. In this case, the breweries themselves and many agricultural enterprises of the country will benefit.