[Digestion] Beer Brewery waste as feedstock in anaerobicdigester

[Duncan Martin]

No doubt this would work - but the fibrous husks of the barley are slow to 
digest - and liable to cause dense sedimemt layers and blockages - esp at 
small (micro-brewery) scale.

(I have bitter experience of an 80 cu m AD  trial at a whisky distillery 
some 30 years ago that was bedevilled by same. Admittedly we were TRYING to 
digest the stillage, so weren't as prepared for solids as we might have 
been - and there were always enough solids carried-over to make a nuisance 
of themselves.)

BUT is there a flaw in the underlying logic?

BOVINE digestion is better suited than anaerobic digestion to brewers' 
grains / spent grains / draff / whatever-you-call-it-wherever-you-are - and 
it's a good feed supplement for cows. Farmers are usually willing to pay a 
reasonable price for it too - so unless your micro-brewery is in downtown 
Manattan, I'd make a serious search for a farm outlet. Provided distances 
aren't too great, the economics are likely to knock AD out altogether. AND 
you don't need to tie up a heap of capital in an AD plant that's marginal to 
your main business.

If no local cows, look for goats, sheep etc in urban farms. Or just about 
any ruminant in your local zoo.

Best regards

Duncan J Martin

Chair
Republic of Ireland Centre
Chartered Institution of Wastes Management

================================
CONTACT DETAILS
Duncan J Martin, PhD, CEng, CSci, MIEI, MCIWM, MIChemE
24 Townsfield, Cloughjordan, N Tipperary, Ireland
Mobile: +353 86 8377 906
Home: +353 505 42087
Email: duncanjmartin at eircom.net
================================







----- Original Message ----- 
From: "JGBellHimself" <jgbellhimself at yahoo.com>
To: "Eric Fitch" <fitch at springstreetgarage.com>; 
<digestion at listserv.repp.org>
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 3:56 PM
Subject: Re: [Digestion] Beer Brewery waste as feedstock in 
anaerobicdigester


> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Eric Fitch <fitch at springstreetgarage.com>
> To: digestion at listserv.repp.org
> Cc: fitch at alum.mit.edu
> Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 7:36:25 AM
> Subject: [Digestion] Beer Brewery waste as feedstock in anaerobic digester
>
>
> Hi David,
> I just read your April 2006 posting to an anaerobic digestion listserv 
> about a beer brewery using the barley for power.  What ever became of this 
> project?  I have the same interest.
> Best Regards,  -Eric Fitch fitch at springstreetgarage.com
> 617 224 8747
>
> Now..., that IS interesting.
> Missed it, but will look back.
> What with all the micro breweries in the PNWoUSoA...
> and the new interest in any, and all, source material...
> there is US money for that kind of project...
> What DO we know..., and WHEN did we know it...
> and, if you and I both knew what we needed to know....
> what do we know....?
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> Any questions? Get answers on any topic at www.Answers.yahoo.com.  Try it 
> now.
> _______________________________________________
> Digestion mailing list
> Digestion at listserv.repp.org
> http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_listserv.repp.org
>
>
>
> -- 
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.1.412 / Virus Database: 268.18.0/689 - Release Date: 15/02/2007
>
>