Seismic Brewing, Barrel Brothers Brewing, & Cambrian Innovation To Brew Beer with Reclaimed Process Water

“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.”

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. Followed by a reverse osmosis system, it recovers up to 95 percent of that process water for reuse.

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, CA 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. The beers use the same recipe, with one major difference: the first was brewed with city water, and the second was brewed with reclaimed process water from the EcoVolt MINI.

“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 Company. “We’re excited about what we’ve come up with, and look forward to hearing feedback at the Summit!”

“Seismic’s commitment to sustainability and, more specifically, water sustainability, truly sets them apart,” said Matthew Silver, Founder & 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!”

About Seismic Brewing Company

Our Seismic Mission is to brew uniquely flavorful, outstanding craft beer, while re-writing the books on sustainable brewing. We love beer, and we love living in Sonoma County. From our Pilsner to our IPA, each of our beers has been brewed true to style, but with our own Northern California twist. Because we want to preserve the privilege of living in this beautiful region of the world for the next generation, we are pioneering new brewing tech and utilizing renewable energy to help establish new benchmarks of sustainable brewing.