"To alcohol, the cause of and solution to all of life's problems." --Homer Simpson
Beer is a beverage consumed across the world by many cultures. In the United States, beer consumption is a popular pastime with a large economic impact on society. Brewers employ over 2.5 million people in this country, and those people earn about $60 billion which is redirected back into the economy. However, beer has its dark side as well. Brewers have excess yeast that is discarded every year and dumped or used for feeding livestock.
Sierra Nevada brewing company has joined forces with a company known as E-Fuel to convert the left-over beer yeast at Sierra Nevada's Chico, California brewery into ethanol that can be used as a biofuel. E-Fuel is the creator of the Efuel 100, the first home ethanol system. The Efuel 100 will be installed in the first quarter of 2009 and tested in the second. If all goes well, it will be in regular use starting in the third quarter of 2009.
In the past, Sierra Nevada would transport discarded yeast to local farmers to feed local livestock. Last year Sierra Nevada discarded 1.6 million gallons of leftover yeast. Now, Sierra Nevada Brewing company has installed the E-Fuel 100 and will be using biofuel for part of the production process. The E-Fuel 100 costs almost $10,000 to install but will eventually bring a return on investment. [According to this site, using discarded beverage alcohol in the mini-refinery will result in making ethanol as cheaply as 10 cents per gallon!)
In my opinion, this is a great example of how some of the latest technology can make something from nothing. This is a cost-effective way for companies to lower their demand for oil. It is not that I disagree with brewers feeding livestock with discarded yeast, it is that in this day and age energy is a concern for everyone. Using discarded material for energy is more efficient for our economy than feeding livestock is.
--Brady Langelan
