Making best out of leftovers: Bengaluru chef upcycles spent grains on Beer

Chandra Prabhu | NT

Bengaluru: Bengaluru is home to a lot of pubs and breweries. Also known as the Beer hub of India, the city attracts a lot of corporate workers to have a drink out.

Reportedly, 12,000 kilograms of wheat and barley grains are thrown away after extraction daily.

This is where Bengaluru based ‘Saving Grains,’ steps in, by upcycling these products and producing tastier, much healthier products like cookies and granola.

No better way to save the day, in a time where food wastage has become a global concern.

Reports say, food waste in landfill produces methane, which is more dangerous than carbon dioxide.

It all started off when Yorke worked with bread historian William Rubel in the US. “Bakers and brewers worked in close proximity, and shared common ingredients - Grain, Yeast and Water.

The leftover bread with the brewer would be used to brew beer and the brewer would share the leftover spent grains and spent yeast with the baker that would be used in breads,” she explained in an email to News Trail.

This age-old practice was something Yorke wanted to implement in Bengaluru.There are 67 microbreweries, where each produces around 8,000 litres of beer every month, which results in 320 tonnes of spent grain.

One thing that needs to be noted is that these grains are not fermented they are simply soaked in hot water and the carbohydrates are extracted into the liquid and the grains are then discarded.

“That is what we pick up and use,” said the chef turned food researcher. These grains contain around 45 percent fibre and 23 percent protein.

However, limited shelf life, in addition to consumer perceptions are the challenges Yorke pointed out.

“However, we've tackled the issue by fostering preservation techniques by incorporating the wet grain into our creations,” she added.

Increasing awareness of its health and environmental benefits, Yorke said.