Beer-to-water ratios, eliminating second rinses and steam recapture, are now common parlance among brewery managers more used to talking about mash tubs and fermentation vessels.
The UK beer industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years, thanks to a booming craft brewery sector. But despite this, four brewing giants – Anheuser-Busch InBev, Heineken, Carlsberg and Molson Coors – produce a sobering 88 per cent of all the beer drunk in the UK.
While most of their water stewardship programmes are focused on more water-stressed areas of the world, water efficiency in their UK operations is also a priority. Heineken, for instance, with breweries in Manchester, Tadcaster and Hereford, cut water use by 3 per cent during 2016-17, and looked beyond the brewery walls to the way in which their beer is dispensed.
Their SmartDispense system reduces the frequency of beer line cleaning, cutting water and chemical use by 75 per cent, and in 2016 the company estimates water saved amounted to 35 million pints.
Making beer is a very water intensive process, so wherever we can lessen the impact and use less, it helps brewers save some money, and helps the environment too.
Article originally published on Raconteur
Read the full article here
If you are an innovative or environmentally-concious brewer you might be eligible for R&D tax credits. If you are Making; changing; improving or attempting to overcome technical or manufacturing problems are all indicators for eligibility for R&D relief.
Have a look at our eligibility guide on R&D tax relief in Breweries & Whisky Manufacturing for more information.
