Weevils

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JellybeanCorncob
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Weevils

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

A couple of weeks ago I bought a 55 lb bag of organic non GMO cracked corn. I opened it up last week to find weevils. Kind of pissed me off because the organic corn is much more expensive than normal corn. I store all my grains in a Rubbermaid trashcan with a tight lid. Luckily my other grains were in large ziplock bags. No infestation in those. I’ve put the whole bag of infected corn in a large trash bag and sealed it tight. The in laws are going to get 55lbs of the finest cracked corn to feed the birds, plus a little extra protein in the form of weevils. Is there anything else I should do other than scrubbing the rubber can out and sealing the infected corn? This is my first experience with the little bastards.
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Re: Weevils

Post by yakattack »

Why not flood the grain and container with co2? Kill off the bugs and mash the corn.
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Re: Weevils

Post by SaltyStaves »

They were there long before you bought the corn (the eggs).

They will float in the fermenter. Scoop them out and carry on.
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Re: Weevils

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

yakattack wrote:Why not flood the grain and container with co2? Kill off the bugs and mash the corn.
Yak: How would you go about doing this?
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Re: Weevils

Post by still_stirrin »

Weevils...the "natural predator" of cereal grains. And unfortunately, if you're "infested", they'll have already laid their eggs in the grains. So, they'll only repopulate.

You could fumigate your grain storage area...but that would put poison in your grains which you'd extract into the wash...not good. CO2 will kill live beetles, but it won't necessarily eliminate the eggs.

What I've done is to put the sack of grains into the freezer. That'll kill the live critters and help stabilize the grains until you can use them. But it requires a freezer space (hardware for the SoH to remind you about).

But here's a hopeful note....the weevils, although annoying, won't affect the flavor of your spirit (much). Since they do eat the grains, especially the part that we convert to fermentables, eventually they can deplete the potential of your product. But, in the short term, they won't appreciably affect the final product. Certainly, what they do to the ferment won't affect the distillate.

My suggestion is to use the grains as soon as possible. And even if the critters become "floaters" in your fermenter (they can't swim worth a damn), once you run the liquor to the boiler, you'll leave them behind.

The biggest PITA, according to my SoH, is that they CAN infiltrate other cereal grains in your home. Like, breakfast cereal. Or even the pancake mix you have on the shelf. Opening the box of cereal and finding "movement" is not what you want to face first thing in the morning. And all the little "beetle shells", although not harmful to eat, are not appetizing.

As an all grain brewer for years (even decades), I have been faced with weevils on several occasions. A nuisance...but not debilitating. You can deal with it. Just get those grains into the fermenter as soon as possible. And be sure to clean up the bins you usually store your grains in. Clean it all out and you'll be OK.

Weevil eggs are naturally in grains.......ESPECIALLY in "organic grains"...because they don't use pesticides in the fields. It's just a part of nature.
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Re: Weevils

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

SaltyStaves wrote:They were there long before you bought the corn (the eggs).

They will float in the fermenter. Scoop them out and carry on.
I’ve had no problems before I bought the bag of corn. I understand about the eggs but I believe they were in the corn already.
Mashing that much corn at one time is impossible for me. My setup will allow me 14 to 16 lbs for one mash.
So let’s say I don’t have the corn anymore. Is there anything more than scrubbing my storage container and a visual check?
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Re: Weevils

Post by still_stirrin »

JellybeanCorncob wrote:...I’ve had no problems before I bought the bag of corn....
A "new brewer", I'd say. You've been "lucky" to this point.

Weevils are a natural part of all grain brewing. At some time, sooner or later, every all grain brewer encounters them. You just have to learn how to deal with them.

Have you had fruit flies in your distillate yet? They will come calling sooner or later too. So, don't be surprised.
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Re: Weevils

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

Thanks SS:
As a child I remember finding bugs (weevils) in flower. After that my mom kept all grains and flower in sealed containers and plastic bags. I do the same now with food in the house. All my future grains in the shed will be in sealed in plastic or ziplock bags. I guess there’s gonna be some more protein in my next batch of Bourbon!
I’ll give my storage area a good cleaning and not let any grains sit out unless I’m going to be using them soon.
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Re: Weevils

Post by cob »

this is not the last time you will encounter weevils.

co2 in the storage container is the simplest control.

put weevils in the search bar and see that you are far from alone
Last edited by cob on Sun Oct 29, 2017 2:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Weevils

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

still_stirrin wrote:
JellybeanCorncob wrote:...I’ve had no problems before I bought the bag of corn....
A "new brewer", I'd say. You've been "lucky" to this point.

Weevils are a natural part of all grain brewing. At some time, sooner or later, every all grain brewer encounters them. You just have to learn how to deal with them.

Have you had fruit flies in your distillate yet? They will come calling sooner or later too. So, don't be surprised.
ss
We studied the reproductive cycles of fruit flies in collage. It was a sight to see after a week or so how many fruit flies had hatched. Then 48 hours they are sexually mature and the cycle continues. Don’t know what’s worse. One day insects will rule the earth.
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Re: Weevils

Post by yakattack »

Jbc ss has given you some wise words there. Take his words to heart.

As for co2ING your container thats easy and there's many options. You can use the co2 from your ferments via a hose into the bottom of the storage containers.

A co2 tank for carbing beer or a soda stream type machine. A paint ball tank with some fittings and a valve.

This is one of the main reasons not to grind the grain to far in advance.
HDNB wrote: The trick here is to learn what leads to a stalled mash....and quit doing that.
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Re: Weevils

Post by Boda Getta »

Proceed as normal, the mash will be distilled twice. Just don't think about it.

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Re: Weevils

Post by TDick »

boda getta wrote:Just don't think about it.
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I find myself saying that a lot when I go out to eat.
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Re: Weevils

Post by Kareltje »

Your weevils are of a different kind than mine. I have the maggots and small moths.
But the advice of still stirring is still sound.
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Re: Weevils

Post by Chixter »

I had those in a bag of corn....not as big though. I guess I had the lesser of 2 weevils. Sorry, I had to.

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Re: Weevils

Post by Truckinbutch »

At my house SOH is 'Speaker Of the House'. My spouse .
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Re: Weevils

Post by RedwoodHillBilly »

JBC, where did you buy your corn? I bought 2 bags of whole corn at Mountain Feed yesterday, and one of them had some kind of small bugs in it. They survived the 1st pass through the hammer mill, don't think that they survived the 2nd. I know damn well that they didn't survive the drowning in boiling water. I guess that I'll have to do another mash next weekend to use the other half bag of corn I still have. Oh, well shit happens, I just considered them yeast nutes. Mash tasted pretty good and is fermenting well. No harm no foul.
Last edited by RedwoodHillBilly on Sun Oct 29, 2017 6:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Weevils

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

Redwood:
I bought min at Scott’s V feed. Wonder if they buy from the same supplier?
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Re: Weevils

Post by RedwoodHillBilly »

JellybeanCorncob wrote:Redwood:
I bought min at Scott’s V feed. Wonder if they buy from the same supplier?
I don't know. I'm too cheap to buy the organic, what I buy is the "Farmers Best" brand from Oakdale. The bugs in mine looked like small mites, not weevils. Didn't look too hard, didn't care, as I was going to mash immediately after grinding anyway.
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