[Joe Sr.]

http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/carbonation/PumpSystem.htm

Here's the CO2 recovery and pump thing.

That's interesting. The coolest thing I learned on my recent tour of the Sierra Nevada brewery is that they capture their co2 from fermentation, so they went from 4 trucks a week of co2 to 4 trucks a year. It's a fascinating idea and I wish us homebrewers could have something like that so we could limit the amount of co2 we have to buy. I think it'd be a bit pricey and maybe too complicated for me.

I'm not spending enough on CO2 to make this worthwhile.

[beersk]

I suppose that's true. Just be nice to not have to worry about wasting co2 or using too much on whatever. I guess it's not a huge deal either way.

[Joe Sr.]

I don't mean to be so dismissive.  I think it's a pretty cool idea and I'm impressed that someone put the time and effort into engineering a way to recover and reuse the gas.  Hell, I remembered the website from 10 years or so ago.

I only have time and energy for so much, though.

[Stevie]

I know of a few breweries that capture their co2. No idea how widespread it is.

[HoosierBrew]

SN has been out front on green brewing for a long time. All the better reason to like them.

[morticaixavier]

SN has been out front on green brewing for a long time. All the better reason to like them.

I suspect it's less about money and more about this for SN. I'm sure over time the system would pay for itself but that's not the main goal.

[denny]

I'm not spending enough on CO2 to make this worthwhile.

I agree.  I've got a 20 lb. tank that I get filled once a year, sometimes twice.  At $15 a pop, it's not worth my effort to do anything more difficult.

[denny]

SN has been out front on green brewing for a long time. All the better reason to like them.

I suspect it's less about money and more about this for SN. I'm sure over time the system would pay for itself but that's not the main goal.

They have several things, like their composter, that will never see a financial payback.  It's more about their philosophy.

[hopfenundmalz]

http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/carbonation/PumpSystem.htm

Here's the CO2 recovery and pump thing.

That's interesting. The coolest thing I learned on my recent tour of the Sierra Nevada brewery is that they capture their co2 from fermentation, so they went from 4 trucks a week of co2 to 4 trucks a year. It's a fascinating idea and I wish us homebrewers could have something like that so we could limit the amount of co2 we have to buy. I think it'd be a bit pricey and maybe too complicated for me.

At beer camp they pointed out that the esters and alcohol has to be removed to get the purity of CO2 they need ( we know that air locks don't just smell like CO2).

[hopfenundmalz]

I know of a few breweries that capture their co2. No idea how widespread it is.

It is very widespread in Germany, as the recovered CO2 can be used for carbonation under the Reinheitsgebot.

Where do you think breweries like Sierra Nevada sourced the equipment from?

[klickitat jim]

http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/carbonation/PumpSystem.htm

Here's the CO2 recovery and pump thing.

That's interesting. The coolest thing I learned on my recent tour of the Sierra Nevada brewery is that they capture their co2 from fermentation, so they went from 4 trucks a week of co2 to 4 trucks a year. It's a fascinating idea and I wish us homebrewers could have something like that so we could limit the amount of co2 we have to buy. I think it'd be a bit pricey and maybe too complicated for me.

At beer camp they pointed out that the esters and alcohol has to be removed to get the purity of CO2 they need ( we know that air locks don't just smell like CO2).

This one time, at beer camp...

[yso191]

http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/carbonation/PumpSystem.htm

Here's the CO2 recovery and pump thing.

That's interesting. The coolest thing I learned on my recent tour of the Sierra Nevada brewery is that they capture their co2 from fermentation, so they went from 4 trucks a week of co2 to 4 trucks a year. It's a fascinating idea and I wish us homebrewers could have something like that so we could limit the amount of co2 we have to buy. I think it'd be a bit pricey and maybe too complicated for me.

At beer camp they pointed out that the esters and alcohol has to be removed to get the purity of CO2 they need ( we know that air locks don't just smell like CO2).

This one time, at beer camp...

Jim said, "Here.  Hold my beer and watch this."

[klickitat jim]

Ive done that