How Gin Waste Is Helping Farms and Gardens Grow 🌱
Turning leftovers from distilleries into something amazing — with the help of microbes!
What happens to all the leftover liquid and grain after a bottle of gin is made? You might be surprised to hear that it's not going to waste — it's helping gardens grow, feeding animals, and even improving compost!
At Agriton UK, we love seeing natural, simple solutions in action. And this is a great one: gin distilleries using Effective Microorganisms (EM) to turn waste into something useful. Here's how it works:
One of our customers
🍸 The Liquid Leftover: Gin Stillage
After gin is distilled, what's left is a warm, slightly acidic liquid called stillage. In the past, this would have been thrown away. But now, distilleries are cooling it down and fermenting it with EM-1 or Actiferm (two of our popular microbial products).
The result? A liquid full of good bacteria and nutrients — perfect for pouring onto compost heaps or soil to boost life below the surface. Think of it as a “super tea” for your horticultre passion.
🐄 The Grain Leftover: Spent Grains
Distilleries that use grain (like barley or wheat) end up with a big pile of wet, cooked grains after the gin is made. It smells a bit like porridge — and it turns out, cows love it!
By mixing the grain with Organo Fresh (our EM product designed for animal feed), farmers can keep it fresh and safe for longer. That means less waste, healthier animals, and a happier planet.
🌿 The Botanicals: What Happens to the Juniper and Herbs?
Gin gets its flavour from botanicals like juniper berries, citrus peel, and herbs. After they’ve done their job, they don’t go to waste. Some distilleries are composting them — and even feeding them to worms!
Yes, vermicomposting (composting with worms) turns those spent botanicals into rich, dark worm compost that's packed with nutrients. You can use it in your veg patch, on houseplants, or even sell it locally.
💡 Why We Love It
We’re all about soil life and natural cycles here at Agriton UK. This kind of “waste not, want not” approach is exactly what we encourage — and our EM range (like EM-1, Actiferm, Organo Fresh, and Bokashi products) makes it all possible.
It’s simple, natural, and it works.
Want to Try It?
If you're a distiller, farmer, gardener, or compost-lover and want to see how these microbes can help you reuse more and waste less — just give us a shout! We're always happy to help with tips, products, and support.
