Fizz Dispense Optimization Group

Brewer to turn spent grains into energy

perfectpinthunt — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 12:22:54 +0000

By John Roach

The U.S. government is giving a nearly half-million dollar grant to a beer maker in Alaska that aims to install a first-of-its-kind boiler that is fueled entirely by spent grain.

All brewers are confronted with mountains of spent grains — mostly barley. Many get rid of the waste by routing it to farmers for animal feed, a noble service that can help grow a steak to accompany your fine ale.
For the Alaskan Brewing Co. in Juneau, this has involved an added step, since the closest market for its grains is a long-distance, boat-ride away in Seattle.

To keep the grains from decomposing during transport, the brewery first dries them in a machine that is heated by a biomass burner that uses about 50 percent of the spent grain as a fuel source.

Now, with the help of the $458,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America program, the brewery is installing a machine that will use the dried grain to power a biomass steam boiler.
“The new boiler will eliminate the brewery’s use of oil in the grain drying process and displace more than half of the fuel needed to create process steam,” the company said in an emailed statement.

Brewers use process team, for example, to boil the sugary water called wort, created when sugars are extracted from the grains, a key step in brewing beer.

The boiler will cut the brewery’s overall energy use from oil, and corresponding carbon emissions, by more than 70 percent, according to Alaskan Brewing Co.
The system also eliminates the need to ship the grain south to cattle around Seattle, Ashley Johnston, a company spokeswoman, told me.

The grant is one of eight announced Thursday by the agriculture department, all of which are aimed at helping rural businesses to lower energy costs so that they can stay competitive and, potentially, hire more workers.
In total, 52 projects received over $31 million in grants and loan note guarantees through the program this year. The grants can finance up to 25 percent of a project’s cost.

Source: MSNBC

America is drinking more wine than ever

perfectpinthunt — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:50:28 +0000

For the first time ever in 2010, wine lovers in the United States sipped more of the grape than any other nation — including France.

BY FRED TASKER
FTASKER@MIAMIHERALD.COM

Aren’t we getting sophisticated? The United States last year, despite wars, government deficits and a punky economy, overtook France to become the world’s biggest consumer of wine.

We drank 330 million 12-bottle cases in 2010 compared to 321 million for the French, according to California-based industry consultants Gomberg, Fredrikson & Assoc.

We’re not ahead per-capita, of course. The average French aficionado drinks five bottles a year to every one downed by an American. But we’re going up – at least 1 percent a year for the past 17 straight years. And they’re going down – by 14 percent since 2006.

Full Article at Miami Herald

Who’s Drinking Wine? A Look at the Wine Market Council’s Latest Survey

perfectpinthunt — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:32:00 +0000

The news is good for winemakers according to the recent presentation by the Wine Market Council. The council’s sixth annual U.S. Wine Consumer Trends presentation confirmed that this new year marks 17 years of consecutive growth of wine consumption in the U.S.

John Gillespie, president of the Wine Market Council revealed that wine consumption continued to grow through two recessions, albeit at reduced rates. In 2010, U.S. consumers downed 276 million cases of table wine. But it is the core wine drinkers that really keep the numbers high. This group, defined as those who drink wine daily, several times a week or about once a week, is about 20 percent of the population (approximately 46 million U.S. adults). This dedicated group accounts for 91 percent of all wine consumption. Marginal drinkers defined as those who drink wine less often than weekly represent 31 million U.S. adults.

Full Article

Investigator Exclusive: Contaminated beer found at popular pubs

perfectpinthunt — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:32:42 +0000

Local TV Station does investigation into draft line cleanliness. Here are the test results:

Restaurant/Bar Lactobacillus Count

Winking Lizard 1

Melt 30

Panini’s 37

Tail Gators 45

Herb’s Tavern 75

Harry Buffalo 93

Clevelander 75,000

Johnny Malloy’s 75,000

Cornerstone 109,000

Ruby Tuesday 115,000

Source: WKYC-TV

U.S. BREWERY COUNT PASSES 1700

perfectpinthunt — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:45:16 +0000

The Brewers Association’s Membership Coordinator and Brewery Detective Erin Glass keeps an eye on brewery openings, closings, transitions and breweries in planning. With so much interest in craft brewing today, there is a lot more detective work and a large number of calls and emails to breweries in planning, those on the cusp and those recently opened.
Many startups join the Brewers Association during the planning phase to access our resources and the expertise of the network and remain members after becoming operational. U.S. operational brewery membership is now at 1,218. Total brewery membership, when international breweries, contract brewing companies and breweries in planning are added, is 1,619.
The count is at 1,701 operating breweries in the U.S. There are 9 percent more breweries in the U.S. than a year ago. As I blow the dust off the historical records, it appears that there were 1,751 breweries in 1900 and 1,498 in 1910. So we have more breweries than we have since around 1905. My resource for these data points is The Register of United States Breweries 1876-1976 (compilers Friedrich and Bull). There certainly are a lot more diverse brewing styles being offered today, particularly by craft brewers, and I’m betting quality is far greater now than then.
At the end of March during the general session of the Craft Brewers Conference, I will present the number of breweries that operated for some or all of 2010, which will be a higher number than the current count, as it will include breweries that closed in 2010. Another interesting number will be the breweries opening count.

Paul Gatza

Coke Secret Recipe

perfectpinthunt — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:26:21 +0000

The secret recipe

Fluid extract of Coca 3 drams USP
Citric acid 3 oz
Caffeine 1oz
Sugar 30 (it is unclear from the markings what quantity is required)
Water 2.5 gal
Lime juice 2 pints 1 qrt
Vanilla 1oz
Caramel 1.5oz or more to colour
7X flavour (use 2oz of flavour to 5 gals syrup):
Alcohol 8oz
Orange oil 20 drops
Lemon oil 30 drops
Nutmeg oil 10 drops
Coriander 5 drops
Neroli 10 drops
Cinnamon 10 drops

US Beer Importers Top 10 in 2010

perfectpinthunt — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:37:51 +0000

1. Mexico
2. Netherlands
3. Canada
4. Germany
5. Belgium
6. Ireland
7. United Kingdom
8. Jamaica
9. Italy
10. Dominican Republic

Source: Brewers Asscoiation

Product Launch – US: Thomas Kemper Soda Co’s Naturally Diet Soda

perfectpinthunt — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:38:30 +0000

Thomas Kemper Soda Co’s Naturally Diet Soda
Available – From the end of January/beginning of February
Location – At retail grocers and natural food stores in the western US and Whole Foods Markets nationally. Plans are to expand to mid-west and east coast markets by the end of 2011.
Price will be approx. $5.99 for a six-pack and distribution to Whole Foods Markets
Thomas Kemper’s Naturally Diet Soda contains “all-natural ingredients” and “no artificial sweeteners or colours”. It is sweetened with stevia

Brewers Association Releases 2011 BEER STYLE GUIDELINES

perfectpinthunt — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 02:49:16 +0000

Every beer connoisseur needs to know the current beer styles and their descriptors. Find the link to the PDF at the Brewers Association website.

Bartender, I’d Like a Classic, or Maybe a Specialty Drink

perfectpinthunt — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 15:10:40 +0000

Now, basking in the glory of its first Michelin star, Longman & Eagle restaurant and whiskey bar is trying to up the ante. With a background in fine dining and a worldly approach to flavors, Longman’s principal bartender, Derek Alexander, has taken gourmet out of the kitchen and put it behind the bar.

On a recent morning, which started by stirring a pot and ended with pouring a drink, Mr. Alexander offered his ideas on rye’s resurgence, reinterpreting the classics and creating the perfect winter cocktail. This interview has been condensed and edited.

Full Interview link