After he devoted nearly four years to perfecting the art of brewing, former construction worker Kenny Thacker founded Beer Hound Brewery in 2014. The dog-inspired brewery became the first craft beer establishment in Historic Culpeper and gained significant attention for its tasty microbrews. Its tap list now catalogues well over a dozen varieties of porters, brown ales, IPAs and seasonal stouts, all named after famous hounds from history and cinema.
With dogs at the epicenter of Beer Hound’s operations, brewery team members quickly realized a need to give back to their four-legged patrons. The solution became to repurpose spent grain into dog treats.
Beer Hound’s signature Spent Grain Dog Biscuits are brewer-tested and served for free at the brewery’s weekly Yappy Hour, held every Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. The snack is derived from a traditional homebrewer’s recipe and can be easily recreated at home following the steps below. To ensure the freshest ingredients, Beer Hound recommends purchasing spent grain from a local brewer.
Spent Grain Dog Treats
Recipe courtesy of Beer Hound Brewery
Ingredients
4 cups spent grain
2 cups flour
1 cup natural peanut butter, or peanut butter powder
2 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Blend together spent grain, flour and peanut butter.
Add eggs and honey. Stir until mixture achieves consistency of a dry bread dough.
Coat a clean surface with flour and pat out dough. Dough should be about 1/2-inch thick.
Use cookie cutters to create desired shapes.
Place dog treats onto a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 225 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional two to three hours, allowing treats to dry out.
Beer Hound Brewery is located at 201 Waters Pl. #102, Culpeper. Visit BeerHoundBrewery.com for more on their beer.
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