Reclaimed water beers showcased at upcoming California Craft Beer Summit

Improved water treatment and water reclaimation processes are the next big thing in brewing — especially important in places like California. Seismic Brewing Co., Barrel Brothers Brewing Co. and Cambrian Innovation are releasing two new collaboration beers to advance that discussion at the CCBA California Craft Beer Summit in Sacramento from Sept. 7 to 9.

The first beer (Water is the Essence of Wetness) was brewed the traditional way, with city water, and the second beer (Wetness is the Essence of Beer) was brewed with water reclaimed by Cambrian Innovation’s EcoVolt MINI — followed by a reverse osmosis system, it recovers up to 95 percent of that process water for reuse.

“We wanted to brew beers that would really highlight the quality of the water,” said Wes Deal, co-founder and brewmaster at Barrel Brothers Brewing. “We’re excited about what we’ve come up with and look forward to hearing feedback at the Summit!”

According to the Brewer’s Association, the average water use ratio is around 7:1. Seismic’s ultimate goal is to achieve an industry best ratio of 2:1. Since opening their doors in May, they have already achieved a ratio of 4:1. Core to achieving their goal is Cambrian Innovation’s EcoVolt MINI, a containerized treatment and reuse system. The EcoVolt MINI at Seismic has treated over 215,000 gallons of process water since Seismic began production in May of this year.

Wastewater enforcement issues for craft breweries: From permit issuance to notices of violation

“As soon as the California Craft Brewer’s Association asked us to showcase our water conservation efforts at the Summit, I knew we had to take it to the next level and brew with reclaimed process water,” said Pat Delves, director of sustainability and logistics for Seismic. “Our goal is to help remove the ick factor from people’s minds and educate them about the possibilities of water reclamation and reuse. We believe that by combining education, best practices and innovative technology, we can continue to move the ball forward and help other breweries do the same.”

Seismic typically uses the reclaimed process water for cleaning and boiler feed and even pours the water at local events. For the Summit, they decided to take things to the next level, collaborating with Barrel Brothers Brewing in Windsor, Calif., to brew Water is the Essence of Wetness and Wetness is the Essence of Beer, both hybrids of a traditional Helles Style Lager and an American Pale Lager.

“Seismic’s commitment to sustainability and, more specifically, water sustainability, truly sets them apart,” said Matthew Silver, founder and CEO of Cambrian Innovation. “They’re our first customer to begin brewing a beer with the water reclaimed one of our EcoVolt solutions. We can’t wait to try it!”