Craft Breweries Bet on Sustainable Technology

by John Wiegand (MiBiz) ... The independent family-owned businesses also often take the long view on the investments, worrying less about immediate ROI in favor of finding workable solutions to persistent problems. That’s led to opportunities for scientists and entrepreneurs working to develop those cutting-edge sustainable technologies.

One of them is Jakob Nalley, a Ph.D. candidate at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station in Hickory Corners, who is developing a process to use wastewater produced by breweries to grow algae, a microorganism that can then be used to produce biofuel more efficiently than corn or other plant-based sources.

Since brewery wastewater is full of yeast, spent grain and other organic matter and nutrients, it provides an ideal environment for algae to grow, according to Nalley.

Bell’s has already invested substantial capital in sustainable technology such as a biodigester project, which cuts the total cost of water usage at the brewery, Modic said. The biodigester, which it uses to convert leftover organic matter from the brewing process into burnable methane, has been operational since December 2014. On average, the biodigester processes 100,000 gallons of wastewater daily.

Oftentimes, craft brewers are not looking for the latest technological breakthroughs, but rather for existing technologies scaled to fit their operations and budgets.

For example, while large domestic producers have installed technology allowing them to capture carbon dioxide produced during the brewing process and reuse it in their operations, smaller craft breweries to date have not been able to afford the systems.

Most small-scale craft brewers typically vent their carbon dioxide rather than reuse it. But they could be reusing that carbon dioxide to carbonate their beers and to purge their conditioning tanks, versus buying it, according to Samuel of CASEQ.

“There is not an economically viable way for brewers to capture carbon in-house,” Samuel said. “It’s not financially sustainable, and that’s where we come in.”

CASEQ is developing carbon-capture technology that would decrease the physical footprint of carbon-capture technology while lowering the price point. When finished, the technology will capture the gasses released from the fermenting tanks, separate the carbon dioxide from the other substances and store it, Samuel said. READ MORE