T o get beer from barley to the foamy quaff in your pint glass is a resource-intensive process. And in an arid state like Arizona, water usage is, understandably, in focus. Craft brewers have responded in a variety of ways, using recycled water to make beer, integrating less water-intensive grains into their brews or choosing to support organizations that keep Arizona water flowing. But what about that barley? The grains that go into a beer can represent the majority of the waste — making up about 85% of the byproducts created by the brewing industry. To lessen their impact, many brewers are finding partners to take this “spent” grain, keeping it out of the landfill and in the hands of people who feed Arizona. Where grain fits in the brewing process At its most basic, beer brewing is a large- scale version of barley tea-making. Goldwater Brewing Co. brewmaster and co-owner Chad McClelland breaks down the process. He gets pallets of grain delivered to the brewery every week to brew beer; each batch takes about 500 to 1,000 pounds of grain. That grain is added to hot water. The steeped liquid that’s subsequently drained off is called wort. “If you want to think of a big pot of oatmeal, that’s kind of what it looks like,” McClelland says. “Sugar comes out of the grain, and we use that sugar in our beer. Beer is basically wort that ferments, and wort is this grain sugar that comes out of that grain. Once that all liquid is through the system, we’re left with not 500 to 1,000 pounds of grain; now it’s wet, so we’re left with a couple thousand pounds.” At this point, McClelland, like other brewers, is presented with a choice. “We can either throw that in the dump, or we call farmers,” he says, noting that offering up spent grain is something he’s done “since batch number one.” ‘It’s like ice cream’ Brewery leaders say that spent grain is often something farmers and ranchers seek out from breweries because the cereal maintains its nutritional value. recycled water to make beer, integrating less water-intensive grains into their brews or choosing to support organizations that keep Arizona water flowing. But what about that barley? The grains that go into a beer can represent the majority of the waste — making up about Where grain fits in the brewing process Where grain fits in the brewing process Where grain fits in the At its most basic, beer brewing is a large- scale version of barley tea-making. Goldwater Brewing Co. brewmaster and co-owner Chad McClelland breaks down the process. oatmeal, that’s kind of what it looks like,” McClelland says. “Sugar comes out of the grain, and we use that sugar in our beer. Beer is basically wort that ferments, and wort is this grain sugar that comes out of that grain. Once that all liquid is through the system, we’re left with not 500 to 1,000 done “since batch number one.” ‘It’s like ice cream’ Brewery leaders say that spent grain is often something farmers and ranchers seek out from breweries because the cereal maintains its nutritional value. Arizona brewers and farmers team up to reuse spent grain, closing the gap between glass, farm and table. by Sara Crocker Moon River Beef’s cattle are pasture-raised and either grass- or grain-finished. Those that are grain- finished eat a mix of grasses, seeds and brewers’ spent grain. (Photo by Moon River Beef, Agricultural & Beer Vectors by Vecteezy) >> p 19