CO2: RECOVER, RECAPTURE, REUSE (Pub Edit)

BBF’s goal is to be 100 percent CO2 self-sufficient. Now the last piece of Head Brewer Tristan’s dream brewery is finally in place - CO2 recovery - we are one step closer to this goal. We spoke to Tristan to find out how his team will RECOVER, RECAPTURE, REUSE on our path to becoming 100 percent CO2 self-sufficient. Tristan, why CO2 recovery?

For environmental reasons, for cost saving reasons, for why the bloody hell wouldn’t we?!

Quite! How are we gonna do it?

It's simple. We can RECOVER, RECAPTURE, REUSE CO2 with our new Earthly Labs CO2 recovery unit.

We promised our community that moving the brewery would help us fulfil our sustainability goals. Now, down the road in Ashton Vale, it's great to share how we’re making good on that promise!

Exactly. Having this kit is a dream-come-true; it could never have been installed in our old Victorian brewery on North Street. 

How is the installation going?

Brewer Eman has taken lead on the project and has done a great job in turning the CO2 gas produced during fermentation into CO2 liquid to our storage tank.

It is that simple?

Not quite. The amount of CO2 produced during fermentation looks to only get us so far. As a high proportion of our beer is now Infinity 4.6% or Gravity 4.1% (lager is a slow and low-pressure fermentation) and Clear Head 0.5% (alcohol free has virtually zero fermentation) it’s tricky to recover enough CO2 from these brews for the brewery's growing needs.

So how else can we capture CO2, aside from fermentation?

As beer is packaged, the BBTs (bright beer tanks) get filled with CO2, and we can recover this CO2 back into liquid. It is an obvious and reliable source - an 'easy' win!

That sounds smart. Does everything has to go through our recovery unit to be captured?

No, we can also REUSE. For example, the CO2 in tanks can either purge and pressurize other tanks, or CIP (clean in place) - sterlising the tanks after use is vital to avoid nasties getting into the brew which could spoil the beer.

When we transfer beer into tanks we also use CO2. We have to slowly release the CO2 out of the head space to replace it with beer - and to not blow up our vessels!

This CO2 can be used again, via RECOVERY, RECAPTURE, REUSE.

It sounds like we've got all bases covered! Have we had our last fill of CO2? 

We really want to make it through January, aka the biggest month for Clear Head 0.5%! As this beer produces little CO2 - and we will be making a LOT of it - that will be a real test!

So can the only CO2 leaving our brewery be that in keg, can or cask? And not into the atmosphere?!

That’s our goal!

Tristan Hembrow, BBF Head Brewer