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» » SustainabilityWithout clean water, every brewery would be out of business. So maintaining access to clean water is key for anybody in the brewing industry. But how do you as a brewer get involved in advocating for protecting this crucial natural resource? We spoke with an expert on the subject.
In thinking about sustainability and flavor, a California company has been 3D mapping hops to create natural, optimized hop extracts to beers giving brewers a chance to dial in recipes to exact specifications.
“By understanding and being able to pinpoint compounds in hops, triangulate sensory and expectations off of what we think it could be, we have created a more true to type variety,” says Ross Hunsinger, Director of Food and Beverage Innovation for ABSTRAX.
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Climate change is on the mind of every farmer and grower in the Pacific Northwest these days. From the average temperature rising over two degrees over the last several decades, to wildfires, and unusual rain patterns, there is a lot to be thinking about and acting upon not to mitigate problems in the future.
Kevin Quinn of Bale Breaker Brewing in Washington’s Yakima Valley spoke with Beer Edge editor John Holl about this year’s harvest on Loftus Ranch, where the brewery is located, and how they are thinking about the future.
Brewers have long been on the forefront of environmental causes and sustainable initiatives. From recycling to energy efficient equipment, craft breweries have long worked to leave a minimal footprint from a very resource heavy industry.
Recent shock on fuel prices and rising energy costs along with an aging power grid in many states has caused breweries of all sizes to think about alternative energy sources or bringing equipment in house to keep the lights on and taps flowing.
Adding solar or wind options, especially when installing hardware, comes with upfront costs but there are benefits to not only a ledger but also in good will and respect for the planet.
Small brewers have spent the last three years jumping from one business crisis to the next. Inflation is the current hurdle that most are struggling to clear, and that has been coupled with gas prices that were around $5 per gallon for most of the country and even higher in certain cities and regions.
While prices at the pump are dropping and forecasts suggest further easing, the initial sticker shock from earlier this year coupled with the hefty bills that came due are having some breweries re-think their fuel consumption and long-term plans.
There are some basic practices along with forward-thinking that can ease the burden should prices climb high again.
It turns out that cool label on an IPA might actually be a contaminate for the recycling stream.
Over the last two years as draft beer sales have fluctuated around the country, smaller breweries have been scrambling to keep up with packaged offerings, mostly in the form of cans.
Of course, this has led to reports of can shortages and news that some of the manufacturers are working around the clock at existing plants and even building new ones to keep up with a demand that is likely to continue into the future.
The best time to start thinking about a brewery compost program is before it becomes an issue. However, it is rarely at the top of any list for brewers who are contending with all other aspects of the business.
Having a plan in place and knowing local composting options can save time and headaches and ultimately work towards making the brewery and region more sustainable. Given that breweries, and other beverage industry companies, produce a lot of organic waste there are numerous ways to collaborate.
The social media posts were simple but eye catching. Familiar cans of Heady Topper, the flagship beer of The Alchemist, in a group of four, and bounded together by a plant-based can holder.
For the Vermont brewery, the switch to compostable packaging from the familiar plastic snap-on holders signaled yet another step in the company’s sustainability efforts. As brewers continue to think about the effects of climate change, waste, and renewable resources, they are looking for alternatives to the norm.
When news broke last month that Night Shift would cease production in its Massachusetts brewery and move production to a nearby facility, a CO2 shortage was cited. That sent ripples through the brewing industry, some of skepticism and some of worry.
The gas is a critical component in breweries, not only for the fizz that customers expect when opening a can or bottle or pouring a draft pint, but also in brewhouse operations that move beer around and other purposes.
In an informal poll this week among her staff, Amy George, the president of Earthly Labs, an Austin, Texas company that manufacturers equipment that captures carbon dioxide waste, found that clients in southern states, throughout the northeast, and out west in Colorado and California are experiencing shortages in their CO2 supply.
When it comes to sustainability, one issue rises above all others: water usage. Without water, there is no beer. And as any brewer knows, water doesn’t just comprise more than 90-percent of the final product, it’s also used in nearly every step of production. Cold water cools down wort, hot water cleans and sanitizes equipment, water rinses floors and bottles and cans after filling. All the way down to employee hand washing and rinsing glasses in the tasting room, water is ubiquitous.
With the impacts of adverse weather and climate events on the rise, having an understanding of your water footprint is key to managing this critical resource in the future.
Long before SingleSpeed Brewing Company opened its second location inside of a once abandoned Wonder Bread factory in 2017, founder Dave Morgan had been thinking of ways to reduce the brewery’s carbon footprint and focus on recycling and sustainability.
“We were fortunate that we had the opportunity to set it up the way we wanted to do it,” says Morgan of the Waterloo, Iowa location. “We knew there would be waste streams but in designing the plans we could reduce those as much as possible.”
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