While some would describe the bread I’ve made with spent brewing grain as bricks, it turns out that spent grains add some pretty impressive insulation value to real building bricks. Details from Gizmodo:
Now, scientists have combined them, fortifying bricks with grains left over from breweries to create bricks that keep a building better insulated. Turns out beer really can keep you warm on a cold day.
Research engineers found that bricks made with 5% spent brewing grains were nearly 30% better insulators, and just as strong as traditional bricks. The improved thermal performance comes from the tiny pockets of air trapped in the clay when the grains are mixed in. Polystyrene pellets achieve the same effect, and are used in some bricks currently. But synthetics cost money to produce, while spent grains are either fed to livestock or, more often, sent to a landfill. And beer's worldwide popularity means there's a nearly limitless supply of leftovers ripe for the taking.
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