In days gone by, Appleton, Wis.-based Stone Arch Brew House would watch a lot of water go down the drain when it brewed beer.
“Between transferring and cooling the beer, it was at least 300 gallons on days we brewed,” Stone Arch President and Brewmaster Steve Lonsway says. “That’s a lot of wasted water.”
That water is now being put to good use. As part of the restaurant-brewery’s extensive expansion, Lonsway installed a water reuse system - one of a number of sustainable additions that has generated savings and greater efficiencies for the state’s oldest brewpub.
Lonsway explains when the brewery transfers its beer out of the brewing tank the temperature is typically around 210° F. That water needs to be reduced to a pitching temperature of 65°. Enter the formerly wasted water.
“We run the beer through a heat exchanger (AGC ProFlow series) and a series of steel plates,” Lonsway says. “The hot beer goes through every other channel and the cold water goes through the opposite channel and they reverse the temperature. We then gather that water into the same tank and use it to rinse and clean our system. We’re recapturing water that otherwise would have been wasted.”
The benefits of the water reuse system are significant. Lonsway estimates the brewery recaptures 15 barrels of water per brewing session in the summer and nine barrels during the winter months.
“It’s been a huge difference for us,” he says. “Our water bills have gone down even though our production of beer has gone up pretty significantly. Between the labor, energy and water-cost savings, it’s been amazing. We’ve gone up from 1,200 barrels produced to 2,400 barrels produced (yearly) and our water bill went down maybe 5%. With the double in production, that’s monstrous.”
Lonsway notes prior to the implementation of the water reuse system, the brewery was being charged for water based on its sewer use.
“We convinced the water utility that we’re making beer with that water and we’re disposing of a lesser rate of water,” he says. “Now we have a lesser water and sewer rate.”