"Crafting" Solutions to Waste from the Beer Brewing Process

As the resident new guy at Oliver Russell, imagine my excitement when one of my first assignments was to write a blog about BEER. Very nice! Then imagine my surprise when I learned more about the subject: the wastewater created by the brewing process. Well, I can get very excited about positive environmental stories, and that's exactly what I'll cover as there is a growing trend for brewers to find solutions to reduce the amount of waste involved in the brewing process. And here's the kicker: they aren’t just reducing; they are also working to reuse the wastewater produced to create energy.

First, a quick step back to visit my relationship with beer. I remember the first time I really enjoyed a beer. It was a Keystone Light keg. Before that amazing moment, I drank guzzled beer just to get it down. My tastes have changed quite a bit since enjoying that Keystone Light, and I credit my move to Boise 10 years ago, Kahootz (my favorite local pub), and the rising craft beer scene for this transition. Nowadays you’re more likely to find me drinking local microbrews, specifically brown ales or porters, with a newfound willingness to try anything new and local.

The change in my personal consumption in beer is akin to the rest of our country—Americans like craft beer and the industry continues to grow as a result. Craft beer recorded 18% growth in 2014, and is projected to grow again in 2015 with mid-year production increasing from 10.6 million barrels in 2014 to 12.2 million barrels in 2015. Overall beer production was up 0.5% in 2014 with production a little over 197 million barrels produced in the U.S. When considering each barrel of suds is 31 gallons of beer, the math equates to an impressive number of gallons brewed.

With the increasing volume in production, there also comes a significant amount of waste byproducts. Brewing requires a lot of water. In fact, a typical brewery uses up to 10 gallons of water to make one gallon of beer. (The industry average is 6-8 gallons of water per gallon of beer.) Most of the unused and wasted water is used during cleanup and rinsing operations. With a finite resource like water, some brewers and engineers are stepping up to create sustainable solutions for the brewing process and the waste.

One company, Waste2Watergy, has partnered with Widmer Brothers Brewing for the past two years utilizing a prototype that uses patented technology designed to clean wastewater and turn it into electricity. While Widmer Brothers’ water usage ratio is considerably less than the industry average (4.2 gallons), the goal of this technology is to reuse the treated water instead of sending it to the City of Portland for treatment. If the technology is scalable, this will create a considerable reduction in wasted money and water, with the positive by-product of actually creating new energy in the process.

Other companies, like Pasteurization Technology Group (PTG), are finding solutions for craft brewers to be more sustainable throughout the brewing process. PTG has a system that disinfects wastewater while creating renewable energy. The technology can reduce electricity and heating costs in breweries by more than 50 percent while reducing wastewater and sewer charges. Alaskan Brewing Co. is an example of a craft brewer utilizing similar technologies to turn waste by-products into steam to power their brewery's operations.

Brewers like New Belgium, Full Sail, Lagunitas and others are taking major strides reducing their water footprint by reducing water in their production process or repurposing waste. (Full Sail, for instance, requires just 2.5 gallons of water to make a gallon of its beer.) Historically, waste grains were turned into animal feed or compost, but now they're being utilize for much more sustainable solutions for craft brewers. 

These efforts, paired with the country’s ever-increasing craft beer demand, are creating an exciting time for environmentally conscious brewers and consumers alike. As more and more craft breweries open across the country and find sustainable solutions to cutting waste, it’s even more rewarding for beer drinkers who care about the environment. For that, I guess there’s no better way to close but than to say, “Cheers!”

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