DB brews biofuel from beer by-product

Brewing boffins at DB Export are backing a brainwave to turn beer by-products into biofuel. The company hopes to produce an initial batch of 30,000 litres of ethanol, which will be mixed with regular petrol to create “DB Export Brewtroleum”. It has been testing and refining its processes since February, and eventually wants to make the fuel commercially viable.

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If the initial pilot is successful, the biofuel will be made available to the public through a major fuel retailer. DB’s research and testing found ethanol could be stripped from the yeast slurry of the brewing process and distilled to produce high-grade bioethanol.

Yeast slurry was usually distributed to local farmers for stock feed, but was often thrown out because of the sheer volume produced.

As bioethanol is more environmentally friendly than normal petrol, the company is marketing its plans under the tagline “drink beer and save the world”.

The first sample of bioethanol will be ready for testing in a few weeks.

DB Export’s head of domestic beer marketing, Sean O'Donnell, said the brainwave was generated “over a few beers”.

Brewtroleum is the first of several ideas-over-beers that the company will roll out in coming months as part of a new marketing campaign.

The “Made by Doing” campaign pays tribute to the brewery’s founder, entrepreneur Morton Coutts, who built an x-ray machine at age 12 and invented the continuous brewing process.

How is “Brewtroleum” produced?

- Ethanol is stripped away from the yeast slurry

- The ethanol is distilled and refined to 99 per cent purity

- 10 per cent ethanol is mixed with 90 per cent petroleum

- The end product is 98 octane fuel that can be used in any petrol engine

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Source: stuff.co.nz