Beer and saving the planet

Brewing, just like many other food and beverage processes, is intensive in terms of energy and water resources. We have a good history of benchmarking good practice in energy and water usage, having organised an international energy and water benchmark for several years. Memberfunded research is now taking this further. We are looking at individual stages in the brewing process to enable brewers to further improve best practice and technologies.

Worts and all

The step of boiling the brewers´ wort is the most intensive in terms of using thermal energy. A questionnaire sent to brewers will enable them to ascertain whether their own performance is good, bad or average. Which heating technologies are most appropriate? Is the brewer in the right ballpark given the scale of their process and evaporation requirements? Is the cleaning schedule right and are raw materials being extracted efficiently?

Cleaning of the brewing equipment is a major user of both energy and water resource. At the end of the fermentation process the vessel is extremely soiled with yeast and protein residues, and must be cleaned and disinfected before the next fermentation. The brewers' questionnaire considers detergent and disinfectant types, the mechanical processes involved and automation aspects, so that brewers can understand their process performance. The detailed benchmarking report will be available for participants in Spring 2015.

Visit the project website here

Support Team
+44(0)1386 842291
support@campdenbri.co.uk