Beer Powered Beer: Turning Spent Grain Into Fuel

Brewing in Juneau, where there are no roads in or out of town, and in Alaska, where farming is not widespread, it can be a challenge to dispose of spent grain properly. In Southeast Alaska, it can also be a challenge powering the 100-barrel brew system sustainably without relying heavily on fossil fuels. So, in the mid-90s, we put our heads together and created the first-ever grain dryer and biomass boiler that burns 100% spent grain and is entirely self-sufficient. This not only allows us to dispose of our spent grain on-site in a sustainable way, it also cuts our energy expenditure to power the brewhouse by at least 50%. It's one part of our work to keep Alaska green and brew as sustainably as possible. After all, we can't really rely on the sun for solar power here. 😉 In this video, Curtis Holmes, plant manager at Alaskan Brewing Co., walks through how this process works and the nearly 30-year history behind it.