Yo ho ho 'n' a bottle o' scum

New Belgium beermakers to brew algae-based biodiesel

Posted by Sarah van Schagen at 1:55 PM on 13 Feb 2007

Read more about: food | business | biofuels

beer cap New Belgium Brewing Co. is known for its Fat Tire Amber Ale and a number of other bubbly bevvies. But you'll want to think twice before chugging the company's latest concoction: the ecofriendly microbrewery is teaming up with energy startup Solix Biofuels to brew biodiesel from algae. (Yeah, I pirated the headline -- arrr ... how could I resist!)

Before you choke on your brewski, let me explain why you're in no danger of finding bits of pond scum in your pint glass:

New Belgium isn't bottling the stuff; instead, they're providing CO₂ -- a byproduct of fermentation and boiler operations -- that helps the algae grow. After several weeks, the microorganisms are harvested and their oil is extracted and refined into biodiesel.

If the project succeeds, it will show that algae can produce 100 times more oil than soybeans. Says one bioenergy expert, "The nice thing about algae is they have the potential of yielding about 10,000 gallons of oil per acre, whereas soybeans can produce 50 to 100 gallons per acre." Plus, it's fun to say your car is powered by pond scum.

For story: Yo ho ho 'n' a bottle o' scum
3 Comments | Post a Comment

Shiver me timbers (whatever the hell that means)

I will be buying their beer from now on ...and drinking it. We need to get something like algae going before the last rainforest is gone. Imagine an algae-biodiesel plug-in hybrid, complete with soot traps and air pollution controls. Ahhhh. Of course, corn-based ethanol is a stepping stone to this ...not!

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 7:31 PM on 13 Feb 2007

Green Beer

I live in Fort Collins and make it to the New Belgium Brewery often. I would encourage others to go if they are in town. They are the most environmentally conscious company I know of. They are 100% wind-powered and seem to consider the environmental impacts of every business decision. Check out their committment to sustainability:

http://newbelgium.com/sustainability.php

Plus, they make some damn good beer. Try 1554 and if you get to the brewery, drink some La Folie.

by chermak at 7:44 PM on 13 Feb 2007

My new beer!

That settles, while previously I liked fat tire, but it wasn't my #1 official beer of choice, I have now changed. Fat Tire is now my beer.

Who says sustainability doesn't help income =)

by Shawn at 10:51 AM on 14 Feb 2007

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