Brewer’s grain is the seed that is left over after the mashing process in beer brewing. Cereals such as barley, wheat, rye and oats are used for this. In the mashing process, they are soaked in hot water to extract sugars and other fermentable compounds, after which the grains are separated from the liquid wort. Spent grains are rich in proteins, dietary fibers and some residual sugars. According to a recent survey, the disposal of spent grains is becoming more and more of a problem. Some breweries deliver spent grains to farmers for use as animal feed. The difference with standardized and certified industrial feed makes this solution less and less efficient. The disposal of brewer’s grains therefore leads to economic and ecological problems, since landfilling is the only option for disposal.
Our project aims to explore various applications for polymers from brewer’s grains and to provide a sustainable and innovative approach to brewer’s grain management.