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Alaskan Brew Crew at the Forefront of Conservation
May 12, 2006, 10:38

In 1893, fourteen years after the invention of the light bulb, mining companies assisted in building hydro-electric infrastructure, supplying Juneau with electricity. By harnessing the abundance of rain, snow and glacial melt water, Juneau has been “green” for more than 100 years! The same hydroelectric power that lit the mines, homes and breweries during the gold-rush era still powers Alaskan Brewing Company and the rest of the town.

Brewing green and in a remote location, inaccessible by road, Alaskan has been at the forefront of conservation not only out of respect for the environment but also out of necessity. Costs of barging materials up the Inside Passage actually make seeking out recycling opportunities cost effective. Adding two Carbon Dioxide (CO2) recovery units allows Alaskan to be self-sufficient by recycling the CO2 that is given off naturally during fermentation and used to press out tanks after cleaning. “We’ve only brought CO2 up about three or 4 times in the past 10 years,” says Alaskan Plant Manager, Curtis Holmes. “Only when we have a planned shut down or equipment install, do we have the need to import any.”

CO2 is a greenhouse gas so the capture of this fermentation by-product becomes doubly valuable. “As people who love living in the wilderness, it only feels right to go to extra lengths to protect the planet we call home,” says Holmes.

The first small brewery in the country to install a CO2 recovery/liquification system, the Alaskan Brew Crew was also the first small brewery to install a grain dryer. The system dries the spent grain that is left after the brewing process and the dried grain can be used as fuel, reducing the breweries reliance on fossil fuels. “Shipping our grain out was only possible if it was dry so we send it to Washington State to be composted or used as cattle feed,” he says.

Holmes also notes that Diatomaceous Earth or DE as it’s called in the trade is coupled with effluent solids like dead yeast and composted locally for topsoil. “Our Brew Crew has been instrumental in driving ideas and efficiencies for our unique location.” An in-house committee spearheads the recycling of cardboard, paper, cans, glass and shrink-wrap.” In fact, many crew investigate recycling ideas on their own as they tie into their interests. One crew member does stained glass art with bottles and another employee conducted experiments using worms to aid in composting. When asked how it went, Holmes laughs and says, “It was great until we got a long cold spell and then they froze solid.”

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