CLEARWATER – Gas is an inevitable byproduct from beer, regardless of whether you’re brewing it or drinking it in a keg.
It is usually just waste. Big Storm Brewing Co., 49th Street N Clearwater found a way to make the most of carbon dioxide from the brewing process. Clearwater used barrels to capture the gas and then purified it to carbonate and package more beer.
This is the rare intersection, where what is good in the environment is also good in business, stated LJ Govoni (Big Storms president).
Carbon dioxide is emitted by large fermenting tanks that are silvery and shaped like pencil tips at most small breweries. The gas is emitted through hoses into buckets filled with water. Brewers monitor the bubbles to determine the phases of beer-making.
Govoni said it was like belching.
Big Storm began trapping carbon dioxide in barrels in January. The containers are attached to a refrigerator-sized machine back at the brewery, which filters the gas out and strips it of moisture. The carbonation process is what gives finished beer its fizzy kick.
One of the main causes of global warming is carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Scientists say that brewery emissions are not the type scientists recommend people reduce to avoid the most damaging consequences of climate change. They are much smaller than they appear. These come from burning fossil fuels which adds carbon to the atmosphere from material that has remained underground for millennia. Andrew MacIntosh is a University of Florida food science professor.
Carbon dioxide is created when microorganisms in barley break down sugar. This is an essential step in the production of alcohol. It is similar to breathing. MacIntosh stated, “Whatever eats the Barley will be returning the CO2 back to the cycle.”
Some carbon dioxide is good; others are necessary in the atmosphere.
MacIntosh stated that Big Storms will help the environment, even if it doesn’t directly address the problem of global warming.
Its efficient, and it means that we dont have to use less environmentally-friendly ways to generate the CO2, he said.
Breweries emit emissions that are almost pure, which makes it easy to capture and reuse. MacIntosh stated that the system could still teach scientists lessons about how to capture more difficult carbon, which is necessary to reduce global warming.
MacIntosh explained that looking at the low-hanging fruit is the best way to find solutions for some of these major problems.
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According to the Brewers Association, an industry trade group, craft brewing in Florida has a greater impact than $3 billion on the economy. MacIntosh predicts that more places will soon try to reuse carbon dioxide as Big Storm. Proof Brewing Company, Tallahassee Already has a similar system in place.
Earthly Labs, located in Texas, makes the carbon-capture apparatus. Govoni stated Big Storm is unique because it has a distillery. This will enable Earthly Labs expand beyond breweries.
Susan Glickman, a longtime advocate for clean energy and director of Florida Clinicians for Climate Action said that the brewery is setting a good example.
It’s great to see a local, independent company like Big Storm get involved in solving this problem, she said. What they learned will help other companies do the same.
Govoni estimates that the carbon-capture system’s cost is six figures. According to Govoni, Big Storm is poised to become the largest independent brewery in the state by the end of this year.
While recycling lowers the amount that the company purchases from vendors outside, it isn’t enough for all Big Storm beer carbonation.
Cost savings are just one benefit. Joel Moore, head of brewing, said that the brewery’s carbon dioxide is purer than any Big Storm can buy.
Customers will enjoy tastier beer, he stated.
This story was produced in partnership the Florida Climate Reporting Network. It is a multi-newsroom initiative that was founded by The Miami Herald, The South Florida Sun Sentinel and The Palm Beach Post. The Orlando Sentinel as well as WLRN Public Media, the Tampa Bay Times, and The Tampa Bay Times.