No boil beer brewing saves water and reduces carbon emissions

The world’s largest brewer introduces its patent for brewing beer just below boiling temperature to reduce water consumption and CO2 waste.

Anheuser-Busch InBev announced its new, patented method for brewing beer without boiling temperatures. Based on four years of research, the new method injects heated liquids with carbon dioxide. Rather than bringing the liquids to the temperature required for boiling, the new process works at a number just below. Despite being so close to the boiling point, the new technique reduces carbon dioxide emissions as well as water use. The new process reduces CO2 emissions by five percent.  It also reduces water consumption by half a percent, which then also helps to reduce the amount of evaporation produced. The company states the process reduces the amount of evaporated water from five percent to less than one percent.

Boiling helps remove unwanted smells from the final beverage, and the company says the new process does that and more. Injecting gas bubbles into the liquid at a lower temperature also helps the final product stay fresher longer. The technology is available to small and craft brewers free of charge. Large international companies that are direct competitors to AB InBev must pay for the technology. AB InBev hopes all brewers will adopt the new technique within the next 10 years.

Brewers are often leading the way in creating more sustainable methods of production. In Florida, a local brewery is working on the premise that preventing is better than curing. The company produces its six-pack rings from wheat and barley production waste. The result is packaging that is completely biodegradable, compostable and most importantly, edible for marine life. In Amsterdam, a brewery that uses rainwater to brew its beer is also helping the city reduce its flooding. The rainwater is filtered and sanitized before use. How could brewers, farmers and retailers work together to share innovative approaches for fully sustainable production and consumption cycles?