Brewing beer creates CO[sub]2[/sub], which as we all know is a greenhouse gas. What is the carbon footprint of a typical batch of homebrew? Of microbrew? Of commercial brews?
Let’s see: a home brew batch is usually around 5% v/v alcohol content and 5 gallons.
5 gallons -> 18.927 L
18.927 L * 0.05 = 946 mL of alcohol
946 mL of alcohol * 0.789 g/mL = 747 g of alcohol
747 g of alcohol / 46 g/mol = 16.2 mols of alcohol
Assuming that the bulk of the alcohol is produced via glucose fermentation:
C6H12O6 —> 2 CH3CH2OH + 2 CO2
2 moles of CO2 is produced for every 2 moles of ethanol produced.
16.2 mols of alcohol -> 16.2 mols of CO2
16.2 mols of CO2 * 44 g/mol = 713 g of CO2 per batch.
About the same amount of CO2 produced by burning 0.087 gallons of gas.
So basically homebrew is better for the planet than driving to the store for a 6-pack.
Perhaps more to the point is that the carbon released during fermentation is that which was “bound” by the plant (barley, wheat, etc.) during its growth. So brewing is net carbon-neutral.
Well, some of the carbon is still in the brew, right? It still has carbohydrates in there, and sugars contain carbon. Even after you consume it, some of it will be bound in you, or your non-respiratory waste. Doesn’t that make it a net carbon negative?
What about the energy involved in malting,mashing,lautering.etc.?
Shit, it’s been awhile, I better put a batch in the fermenter and do my part to save planet earth.
Now, it’s starting to make sense. :smack:
Prohibition and busting moonshiners wasn’t about keeping people from drinking, it was to prevent global warming.
True. But eventually you and all your waste products will decompose. Organic processes tend to “turn over” carbon on a rather short cycle - it’s challenging to bind carbon for a truly long time.