Beer-brewing grains turned into delicious dog treats at Brew Biscuits
An amateur home brewer of beer in Holden
By Doug Meehan
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HOLDEN, Massachusetts (WCVB) — An amateur home brewer of beer in Holden, Massachusetts, is now making his mark in the world of delicious doggie treats.
“So, we make the best darn dog biscuits in the state,” said owner Chris Yurkus.
Yurkus is not shy about his dog biscuits business. Brew Biscuits are a hit with both pooches and people.
They are not for human consumption, but Yurkus partners with breweries and distilleries from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He collects leftover grains from the brewing process and upcycles them into tasty dog treats.
“I generally will start with about 10 gallons of grains. That could end up making 3,000 to 4,000 cookies in a batch,” Yurkus said. “They’re all made the same in that they all have peanut butter, flour and egg, but then the grain mixture does change.”
Even though the end-product of the brewing process contains alcohol, there’s no booze in the biscuits.
“I get that question all the time,” Yurkus said. “So, before alcohol was even produced, there’s no hops. There’s nothing to harm a dog.”
Wilson, the family’s beloved K-9, serves as the company logo. It was early in the company’s history that the handmade treats needed to pass very important “lab” testing.
“He would follow me around and hope for failure at every point of the process that I would drop a cookie,” Yurkus said.
Wilson died six months ago, but Yurkus believes the pup’s spirit lives on in every bag that bears his lovable face.
“The feedback I get all the time is my dog is so picky, but they love your treats,” Yurkus said.
Brew Biscuits is teaming up with the Worcester Animal Rescue League at the annual Brew Woo, which will be held on April 18 at the DCU Center.
A raffle for a Brew Biscuits Buddy Bundle will be offered, and a $1,000 donation to the rescue league will be named in the grand winner’s honor.
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