Stone & Wood perform the miracle of turning water into beer on a regular basis, but how about turning the wastewater from that process back into pure water, then into beer again? In celebration of the United Nation’s World Water Day on Sunday 22 March, the local independent brewery will be offering a beer using purified wastewater to promote recycling water and water efficiency, in line with this year’s theme.
The one-off limited Pilot Batch beer will be available at Stone & Wood’s Tasting Room in Byron Bay, from Sunday 22 March. The recycled wastewater beer, named Beer-Water Beer, is a 4.7% summer ale, brewed using wastewater – that is, the excess water used in the brewing process that wasn’t turned into beer – processed through Stone & Wood’s ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis (UFRO) system.
Installed early 2018, the UFRO system turns brewery wastewater into perfectly usable water by stripping out all impurities, turning the hazy beige wastewater into crystal clear H20.
When The Echo visited Stone & Wood three months ago, we heard that they currently only use this reclaimed water for utilities and cleaning at their Murwillumbah brewery, but, according to their Sustainability Manager, James Perrin, there’s no reason other than stigma that stops them brewing with it.
‘All water is essentially recycled in one way or another’, James said. ‘If done properly, it is completely safe and harmless.
‘In Australia, we have a history of rejecting recycled water initiatives, yet we are one of the driest places on Earth. The water that comes out of the reverse osmosis process is as pure as you can get – great for brewing!’
James said the key to normalising the idea of recycled water is changing attitudes.
‘My hope is that by using perfectly good recycled water in this beer, it will start to overcome the stigma, and change people’s perspectives on what sustainable water management could look like,’ he said.
‘We think people who come to our Tasting Room and try this beer on World Water Day, Sunday 22 March, will be very surprised,’ James said.
Stone & Wood Tasting Room. 100 Centennial Cct, Byron Bay | stoneandwood.com.au
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