{"id":72,"date":"2015-11-23T14:42:37","date_gmt":"2015-11-23T14:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/projectgreenlancaster.millersville.edu\/?p=72"},"modified":"2019-05-28T15:26:28","modified_gmt":"2019-05-28T15:26:28","slug":"brewing-and-distilling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projectgreenlancaster.millersville.edu\/index.php\/2015\/11\/23\/brewing-and-distilling\/","title":{"rendered":"Unwind with the Environment in Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image created by Emily Bartlett<\/p><\/div>\n

Sustainability is often thought about on the most basic level. This includes practices such as recycling, reusable water bottles, pollution reduction, and minimal electricity use. Sustainability goes much deeper than that, and Lancaster County has demonstrated that over the past several years. Breweries and Distilleries have become much more conscience about their carbon footprint, and Lancaster has a few to offer. These new brewers and distillers have implemented sustainable practices in ways you may not have realized. So next time you\u2019re ready to grab drinks, check out Thistle Finch Distillery, Wacker Brewing Company, Lancaster Brewing Company, or Better World Spirits.<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/projectgreenlancaster.millersville.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Please_Drink_Sustainably_360p.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

Thistle Finch Distillery<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Photo by Emily Bartlett<\/p><\/div>\n

Thistle Finch Distillery and Wacker Brewing Company uniquely share the same space in <\/span>Lancaster city. It only seems perfect, since each of them practice sustainable efforts in making our favorite alcoholic beverages. <\/span>The building, located at 417 W. Grant Street, was originally a <\/span>tobacco warehouse in the 1900s, and is now apart of the National Register of Historic Places in Lancaster County. Andrew Martin, owner, utilized wood from a 1900s barn being torn down in Lititz, PA. This repurposed wood was used for the floors, walls, sliding doors, and even the bar.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Andrew Martin, Thistle Finch Owner : Photo by Emily Bartlett<\/p><\/div>\n

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Photo by Emily Bartlett<\/p><\/div>\n

Thistle Finch believes that local grains should be used in their distilling process. Snavely\u2019s Mill, located in Lititz, PA, provides about 90% of the grains used in producing their award winning white rye whiskey.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Holds water during cooling process : Photo by Emily Bartlett<\/p><\/div>\n

In addition to using local grains, Thistle Finch and Wacker Brewing Company also make a conscious effort to <\/span>reduce\/reuse their water use as much as possible. Cooling water, from the still, is collected and held in a container until the next distilling process, where it is used as mash water. Once the grains are \u201cspent,\u201d meaning the sugars, proteins, and nutrients are extracted from the grains, Andrew donates the mash to a local pig farmer, Tyler Neff. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Tyler Neff, Pig Farmer : Photo by Emily Bartlett<\/p><\/div>\n

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Tyler is another local sustainable farmer, who believes that \u201cwe should be working with the environment, rather than against it” (Personal communication, November 25, 2015). He mimics the natural patterns of animals by rotating pastures and allowing the pigs to roam free. He rotates through typical pig feed pellets and Thistle Finch\u2019s spent mash (a non-alcoholic, liquid form of spent grains). <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This winter (2015), Thistle Finch will begin experimenting with an alcohol burning stove to heat the distillery. During the distilling process, roughly two liters of alcohol is filled with impurities and has an extremely high alcohol content, called foreshots. Instead of discarding the foreshots, Thistle Finch will begin using them as the source of fuel. In doing so, they are reducing waste, saving money, and recycling it back into the distillery. In the future, they also hope to install rainwater collectors to use during the cooling process. This will save money, and reduce run-off into the city (A. Martin, personal communication, November 11, 2015). <\/span><\/p>\n

Learn how to make a Sustainable Mojito<\/a>, using Thistle Finch vodka!<\/p>\n

Wacker Brewing Company <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Photo by Emily Bartlett<\/p><\/div>\n

When Wacker Brewing Company reopened its doors to new management in 2014, they set out to become a sustainable, up-to-date brewery. The bar and other commodities were built from repurposed barn wood in the local area. They also aimed to find environmentally friendly production practices, and create a low carbon footprint. <\/span><\/p>\n

One of the first steps in succeeding this goal was finding a biodegradable cleaning products. These products are safer for the environment, and make the cleaning process easier. They hope to implement an ozone cleaning method, which is the most environmentally friendly cleaning method. This FDA approved natural gas kills bacteria, fungi, and allergens instantaneously. This would completely eliminate chemicals used in the brewing process. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Heat Plate Exchanger : Photo by Emily Bartlett<\/p><\/div>\n

Wacker also focuses on reusing water during the brewing process. Using a plate heat exchanger, they are able to cut back on the amount of water used. As boiling beer enters one side of the thin plates, cold water simultaneously passes through the other side. This yields about 72 degree beer, and close to boiling water, which will be used to start the next batch of beer. This drastically reduces the amount of natural gas used during the cooling\/heating process. If Wacker does begin brewing without pre-warmed water, they are conscious about utilizing the boiler the same day Thistle Finch uses it, to cut down on natural gas usage. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Air conditioner to cool freezer : Photo by Emily Bartlett<\/p><\/div>\n

Avoiding oversized equipment is an easy alternative to running a more eco-friendly <\/span>business. <\/span>Wacker does this by substituting an air conditioner in place of a large walk in cooler.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other sustainable practices include:<\/span><\/p>\n