Four brewmasters went out to a bar, one from each of the big three American mega-breweries and a brewmaster from Munich. When they got to the bar, the brewmaster from Anheuser-Busch said, "I'll have a Bud Light," the brewmaster from Coors said, "I'll have a Coors," and the brewmaster from Miller said, "I'll have a Miller Genuine Draft." The German brewmaster ordered a Pepsi. "You're not drinking with us?" the others cried. "Well," said the German, "if you gentlemen aren't drinking beer, then neither will I."
Funny, right? Well, so anyway, what's all this talk about beer power and cans making their appearance in the world of craft beer? How can beer produce alternative energy and help run a facility? And, doesn't beer taste different (as in, not good in comparison to other containers) when it's poured out of a can?
Spent grains from brewing (which are having a more difficult time making their way over to farmers lately, because of stricter regulations now in play) are being used as bio-waste to create steam and bio-gas, which can provide energy for breweries to make more batches of beer. Cool, huh? The grain-to-fuel conversion method of beer power is reported to re-capture 50% of the energy used to make beer!
Personally, I think this is a marvelous step to be looking into taking for the brewing industry. There have already been some trends in alternative energy for various breweries around the world (for example, New Belgium Brewing out in Colorado running on wind energy), but this takes things to a whole new level. Not only is energy consumption reduced, but much of the waste along with it! This is definitely something to keep an eye on.
So, really? Cans? What gives? Well, I've got to say, I never thought I would be drinking great beer out of a can...ever. But, it looks like this is going to start becoming more and more popular in the world of craft beer - and here's why: First and foremost, aluminum cans use much less energy than bottles, and they are also less expensive to recycle; the Can Manufacturers Institute reports that more than half of all aluminum cans are recycled, and this saves 95% of the energy used to manufacture the cans from raw ore. They're also lighter (20 lbs. for a case of cans versus 35 lbs. for a case of glass bottles), smaller, and thus use less fuel to transport. It doesn't take cans nearly as long to get cold as it does bottles, so this cuts energy costs for refridgeration too. Another concern is oxidation and light contamination. A properly sealed can battles the risk of exposure to light and UV very effectively, which could otherwise result in a "skunked" beer from the breakdown of hop compounds. They also protect the beer from oxidation, which can contribute to "skunkiness" as well, much better than bottles and caps (which are more expensive).
But what about taste? Canned beers aren't what they used to be. Today, they are made with a food-grade lining, so the metal never actually touches the beer. There is a slight taste difference, though...at least in one particular case: New Belgium Brewing kicked things off with canning its flagship beer, Fat Tire (which is a remarkable beer, by the way), and has reported that it tastes a little different than it does in the bottle. The reason is that a little extra yeast slurry is added to the cans before they're sealed. The thought behind this procedure is that the cells will consume any residual oxygen left in the head of the can, so it doesn't react unpleasantly with the beer; however, a panel of expert tasters couldn't detect a "discernible difference" between the two versions, but a minority stated that the canned version had a "slightly richer mouthfeel."
Breweries such as the aforementioned New Belgium Brewing and Brooklyn Brewing have already started experimenting with canning. The only main issue, however, is that setting up one's microbrewery to start canning is an expensive venture, so we may not see this taking off as quickly as it probably should - but you never know!
Peace and Love!
Spent grains from brewing (which are having a more difficult time making their way over to farmers lately, because of stricter regulations now in play) are being used as bio-waste to create steam and bio-gas, which can provide energy for breweries to make more batches of beer. Cool, huh? The grain-to-fuel conversion method of beer power is reported to re-capture 50% of the energy used to make beer!
Personally, I think this is a marvelous step to be looking into taking for the brewing industry. There have already been some trends in alternative energy for various breweries around the world (for example, New Belgium Brewing out in Colorado running on wind energy), but this takes things to a whole new level. Not only is energy consumption reduced, but much of the waste along with it! This is definitely something to keep an eye on.
So, really? Cans? What gives? Well, I've got to say, I never thought I would be drinking great beer out of a can...ever. But, it looks like this is going to start becoming more and more popular in the world of craft beer - and here's why: First and foremost, aluminum cans use much less energy than bottles, and they are also less expensive to recycle; the Can Manufacturers Institute reports that more than half of all aluminum cans are recycled, and this saves 95% of the energy used to manufacture the cans from raw ore. They're also lighter (20 lbs. for a case of cans versus 35 lbs. for a case of glass bottles), smaller, and thus use less fuel to transport. It doesn't take cans nearly as long to get cold as it does bottles, so this cuts energy costs for refridgeration too. Another concern is oxidation and light contamination. A properly sealed can battles the risk of exposure to light and UV very effectively, which could otherwise result in a "skunked" beer from the breakdown of hop compounds. They also protect the beer from oxidation, which can contribute to "skunkiness" as well, much better than bottles and caps (which are more expensive).
But what about taste? Canned beers aren't what they used to be. Today, they are made with a food-grade lining, so the metal never actually touches the beer. There is a slight taste difference, though...at least in one particular case: New Belgium Brewing kicked things off with canning its flagship beer, Fat Tire (which is a remarkable beer, by the way), and has reported that it tastes a little different than it does in the bottle. The reason is that a little extra yeast slurry is added to the cans before they're sealed. The thought behind this procedure is that the cells will consume any residual oxygen left in the head of the can, so it doesn't react unpleasantly with the beer; however, a panel of expert tasters couldn't detect a "discernible difference" between the two versions, but a minority stated that the canned version had a "slightly richer mouthfeel."
Breweries such as the aforementioned New Belgium Brewing and Brooklyn Brewing have already started experimenting with canning. The only main issue, however, is that setting up one's microbrewery to start canning is an expensive venture, so we may not see this taking off as quickly as it probably should - but you never know!
Peace and Love!
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