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Brewery Wastewater Treatment

ABSTRACTThis paper discussed the manufacturing overview of beer production. From the

understanding of the overall process, waste streams were determined: (a) spent grains, (b) diatomaceous earth sludge, (c) yeast surplus, (d) waste labels, and (e) wastewater. Their possible environmental impacts were assessed and their disposal methods enumerated. The overall wastewater treatment process was discussed to explore the biological processes integrated in it. In brewery industries, both aerobic and anaerobic processes are used. The study discusses the theoretical background on this biological process. An assessment of key parameters of brewery wastewater was then made.

INTRODUCTIONThe beer-making industry is a thriving business in the beverage market. It is a

steady market in the sense that there are regular drinkers as well as occasional drinkers. The economics of the beer-production process can be greatly enhanced with waste minimization and taking advantage of the by-products inherent in the process. Beer is the fifth most consumed beverage in the world (Fillaudeau, Avet, & Daufin, 2006). This is in relation to tea, carbonated drinks, milk and coffee. Approximately 23 liters per year is consumed by the average person. The popularity of beer among consumers makes the market stable amidst the tax laws levied upon alcoholic drinks.

Beer is a staple alcoholic beverage in different countries. The process of making beer, brewing is an interesting process to explore as it involves many biochemical processes and unit operations. However, these process results in waste effluents. In this report, the brewing process is explained to characterize the waste effluents produced by the process. The waste streams are assessed in terms of their properties and potential environmental impacts. Moreover, the wastewater treatment process will be explored in detail. This paper also attempts to discuss the layout of the treatment plant, the key operational parameters, and the disposal of end products.

OVERALL BEER PRODUCTION PROCESSBrewing is the production of beer. Beer is an alcoholic beverage usually made

from malted cereal grain (as barley), flavored with hops, and brewed by slow fermentation (Merriam- Webster Dictionary, 2014). It is an art and science that has lived throughout the years. Basically, cereal grains are allowed to undergo fermentation. Popular cereal grains used in brewing include barley, wheat, rice, corn, and sorghum. These cereal grains are the sources of starch. For instance, in Mexico, agave is used as

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starch source for their beer. Also, in Brazil, potato is used as starch source for beer. Hops impart the bitter flavor to the beer. Usually, the product beer has alcohol content ranging from 3% to 30% by volume. Breweries today are focused on product quality and cost effectiveness (Fillaudeau, Avet, & Daufin, 2006).

The general manufacturing overview of beer production can be seen in Figure 1. Typically beer undergoes three major biochemical processes: (a) mashing, (b) boiling, and (c) fermentation and maturation. Also, solid-liquid separation steps are inherent in the process such as (i) wort separation, (ii) wort clarification, and (iii) rough beer clarification.

Figure 1: Manufacturing Overview of Beer Production (Novozymes, 2013)

The process starts with raw material preparation in the form of water, hops, and cereals (Novozymes, 2013). Before mashing, malting is done on a portion of the cereal grains to be used. Malting is the process where cereal grains are made ready for brewing. Cereal grains are added to water and allowed to soak for about forty hours. After soaking, the grains are allowed to germinate for another five days. These are the malted cereals. The malted cereals are stored in a cereal silo, while the unmalted cereals are stored in the adjunct silo. The cereals pass through a mill which grinds the cereals. This milling results in cracking and size reduction of the grains. Better water

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absorption and sugar extraction from the malted grains is achieved. The unmalted cereals are cooked in water in a cereal cooker. The resulting unmalted cereal mash is then added with malted cereals in the mash tun. Mashing combines water and the milled cereal grains in the presence of heat. The mashing step takes approximately one to two hours. The mash undergoes filtration to separate the liquid (wort) from the spent grain. This is the wort separation also known as lautering.

The solution then undergoes the next major step which is the boiling. Hops are then added to the wort kettle. The bitter flavor develops in this step. Boiling also sterilizes the solution to kill unwanted bacteria. The solution passes through a whirlpool to separate the hops (this unit operation is also known as wort clarification). The hot solution is then cooled in a plate heat exchanger. The cooling helps prepare the solution for the next step since yeast can be killed by high temperature.

The last major step in beer processing is fermentation and maturation. In the fermentation tank, yeast is added to the solution. Yeast is a class of fungus of the genera Saccharomyces. It is the primary mover of fermentation in beer making. The fermentation process generally follows three chemical reactions: (a) sugar inversion, and (b) alcohol formation, and (c) Neuberg’s third reaction (Austin, 1984). The first step is sugar inversion which happens during malting. Through enzymes, sucrose is converted to glucose in the presence of water. One mole of sucrose plus one mole of water reacts to form one mole of d-glucose and one mole of d-fructose. In equation form:

C12H22O11 (sucrose) + H2O (water) C6H12O6 + C6H12O6 (d-glucose + d-fructose)

The second reaction which is the alcohol formation is responsible for the alcohol (also known as ethanol) content and effect of the beverage. One mole of glucose decomposes to two moles ethanol and two moles carbon dioxide. In equation form:

C6H12O6 (glucose) 2C2H5OH (ethanol) + 2CO2 (carbon dioxide)

This second reaction is facilitated through the action of yeast on the substrate (the sugars from the cereals). Towards the end of fermentation, the acidity and glycerine content also increase. This is accounted through Neuberg’s third reaction where 2 moles of glucose plus one mole of water reacts to form one mole of ethanol, one mole of acetic acid, two moles carbon dioxide, and 2 moles glycerine. In equation form:

2C6H12O6 (glucose) + H2O (water) C2H5OH (ethanol) + CH3COOH (acetic acid) + 2CO2 (carbon dioxide) + 2C3H8O3 (glycerine)

A certain maturation time is required to develop the full flavor of the beverage. The beer then undergoes further filtration (rough beer clarification). The sediments here are the

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coagulated proteins and settled yeast. The beer is then bottled to preserve freshness and avoid oxidation. The bottled beer is then packed in cases before distribution to different areas to accommodate sales demand.

WASTE STREAMS AND THEIR DISPOSALTable 1 show the summary of major waste streams in a brewery. Fillaudeau,

Avet and Daufin (2006) cite a study by Knirsch, Penschke and Meyer-Pittroff in 1999 stating that (a) spent grains, (b) Kieselguhr sludge, (c) yeast surplus and (d) waste labels represent the major wastes. Aside from wastewater, these are the waste streams breweries are concerned about. First are spent grains. Spent grains are by-products of the mashing operations. The malt and other water-soluble contents from the grains are dissolved in the solution. The solution is separated from the solids (termed as spent grains). The spent grains are valuable by-products because they are sold to livestock farmers as feed. Second is the Kieselguhr sludge. In other breweries, Kieselguhr sludge is also called as filter-aid sludge and diatomaceous earth sludge. Large quanities of diatomaceous earth are used as filter aid. However, one to two grams are used for every liter of clarified beer. The sludge is either disposed for agricultural use or recycled using recommended methods. Considerable amount of yeast is used for the fermentation processes. This yeast sludge is found at the bottom of sedimentation/ clarification tanks. Yeast sludge corresponds to 1.5-3.0% by weight of the total beer production. This is disposed primarily as feed additives for livestock. Lastly, there are waste labels during the packaging process. Waste labels are specialty papers that do not biodegrade fast. Approximately 282 kilograms are produced for every 1000 hectoliters beer produced. These wastages have to be reduced to create an efficient brewery system.

Table 1: Waste Streams in a Brewery (Fillaudeau, Avet & Daufin, 2006)SPENT GRAINS KIESELGUHR

SLUDGEYEAST SURPLUS WASTE

LABELS Livestock feed

Composting Drying and

incineration Dumping Anaerobic

fermentation

Livestock feed Spread on agriculture ground

Composting Chemical and thermal

regeneration Dumping Raw material

in industry (building material)

CompostingRecyclingIncinerationDumping

Aside from these major wastes, wastewater constitutes a major issue for the

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brewery industry. Effluent flow rate vary from brewery-to-brewery. However, this can be described by using a ratio of wastewater discharged per volume of beer produced. Industry standards are in between two to eight (2 – 8) hectoliters effluent for every hectoliter of beer. This is treated in the wastewater treatment plant before discharged into the environment.

Table 2: Main Areas of Wastewater Generation (Stier, 2013)SOURCE OPERATION CHARACTERISTICSMash Tun Rinsing Cellulose, sugars, amino acids,

~3,000 ppm BODLauter Tun Rinsing Cellulose, sugars, amino acids,

SS~3,000 ppm, BOD~10,000 ppmSpent Grain Last running and washing Cellulose, nitrogenous materials,

very high in SS (~30,000 ppm), Up to ~100,000 ppm BOD

Boil Kettle Dewatering Nitrogenous residue, BOD ~2,000 ppm

Whirlpool Rinsing spent hops and hot trub

Proteins, sludge and wort. High in SS (~35,000 ppm). BOD ~85,000 ppm

Fermenters Rinsing Yeast SS ~6,000 ppm. BOD up to 100,000 ppm

Storage Tanks Rinsing Beer, yeast, protein. High SS (~4,000 ppm). BOD ~80,000 ppm

Filtration Cleaning, startup, end of filtration, leaks during filtration

Excessive SS (up to 60,000 ppm). Beer, yeast, proteins. BOD up to 135,000 ppm

Beer Spills Waste, flushing, etc. 1,000 ppm BODBottle Washer Discharges from bottle

washer operationHigh pH due to chemical used. Also high SS and BOD, especially through load of paper pulp.

Keg Washer Discharges from keg washing operation

Low in SS (~400 ppm). Higher BOD.

Miscellaneous Discharged cleaning and sanitation materials, floor washing, flushing water, boiler blow-down, etc.

Relatively low on SS and BOD. Problem is pH due to chemicals being used.

Stier (2013) in his publication enumerated the sources of wastewater in a beer-

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production facility (See Table 2). For the rinsing of mash and lauter tuns, the wastewater produced has cellulosic materials from the cereal grains. Due to the malting process, the rinse water has high amounts of sugar and amino acids. Also, the amount of suspended solids and BOD levels are high. The rinse water from the spent grains, consequently, has high amounts of cellulose too. Due to the protein content, the wastewater from spent grains washing is high in nitrogen. SS and BOD levels are also high because of the dissolved organic content. The effluent from the boil kettle and whirlpool also has the same characteristics. The boil kettle is where the boiling happens and where hops are added. The whirlpool is where wort clarification happens. The effluent from these equipment basically contain residues of hops and the beer solution itself.

In the next steps in beer making, effluents are still produced. In the rinsing of fermenters and storage tanks, effluent contains high amounts of yeast, protein, and beer itself. SS and BOD levels are higher in comparison to effluents from previous equipment. The effluent with the highest BOD and SS levels is that from filtration of beer. This wastewater is usually obtained at the end of production run causing the bottom portion of the filtration tank to be very concentrated with beer residue.

Beer spills and wastewater from the bottle washer are significant in quantity. The SS and BOD load here is due to the paper pulp load from the used bottles. Aside from high BOD and SS, this wastewater has high pH from the chemicals used in bottle washing. This is the same case for the keg or barrel washing which requires extensive use of chemicals. Miscellaneous effluents are produced from other cleaning-in-place (CIP) activities such as end-of-run sanitation, equipment and tanks flushing, and boiler blow-down. High and low pH caused by use of basic and acidic chemicals respectively. Seeing the perspectives from these wastewater streams, different techniques and methodologies can be used to minimize them. Best practices from industry experience can be followed.

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF WASTE STREAMSThe negative impact of the waste streams is highlighted whenever they are not

disposed properly. Spent grains, and yeast surplus are easily disposed commercially since they can be incorporated in animal feeds. The problem is in diatomaceous earth which needs to be replaced by a more sustainable filter aid alternative. According to the World Health Organization, the silica in diatomaceous earth is classified as hazardous waste before and after use. Due care is needed in its use and due care is needed in its disposal considering that its use is comparatively high (one to two grams per liter of clarified beer). Focus on academic and industrial research is in the field of renewable filter aids specifically polymeric granules and mixture of micro-beads coated with a polymer and polymer/cellulose fibers. For waste labels, this can be reduced through better preventive maintenance or packaging system upgrade for more accurate labeling system.

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For the wastewater, appropriate controls are established to pass environmental regulations. If untreated wastewater is discharged directly, the surrounding bodies of water are in danger of eutrophication and reduced dissolved oxygen levels (important parameter for aquatic life). Eutrophication happens when large quantities of nutrients are discharged into an aquatic ecosystem. Brewery effluent is known for high nitrogen and phosphorus content (similar to the nutrients provided by commercial fertilizers). There is reduced dissolved oxygen level when huge quantities of organic matter are discharged into bodies of water. The organic matter is chemically and biologically oxidized. This requires oxygen depleting the oxygen source for other aquatic life. Brewery effluents have high organic content as seen in Table3.

LAYOUT OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTFigure 2 shows a block flow diagram of a typical brewery wastewater treatment

plant. The two major process of this treatment system are: (a) anaerobic treatment and (b) aerobic treatment. These two processes are usually combined in brewery wastewater treatment. First, there is solids removal where spent grains are separated from the wastewater. The spent grains are either dewatered for use as animal feed or dried as fuel for boilers. Finer solids are separated in the second step which is the screening. These solids are usually disposed off in the landfill. The third block is the equalization conditioning which acts as a buffer tank for flow control.

Next is the anaerobic treatment. Usually the reactor design is the methane upflow reactor (MUR), otherwise known as upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. According to Lettinga (1995), UASB is based on the concept that anaerobic sludge has good settling characteristics when not exposed to excessive movement. Wastewater flows from down to up. There needs to be even feed distribution and biogas production to allow efficient mixing and high reaction contact time. This can be improved by applying recycle stream of effluent. The biogas produced undergoes conditioning through desulfurization and/or water scrubbing. The biogas can then be used to produce steam, to heat, or to generate power. Then there is the aerobic reactor where oxygen is added through aeration pumps to allow aerobic digestion. The resulting bio sludge is either dewatered for landfill disposal or dried to be easily incinerated (as fuel). Tertiary treatment is done in the enhanced purification step. Here, series of clarifiers are used to produce the final effluent.

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Figure 2: Brewery Wastewater Treatment Plant

Anaerobic and aerobic biological processes are the heart of brewery wastewater systems. Anaerobic systems refer to biological process which does not require oxygen while aerobic systems refer to those requiring air or oxygen supply. Aerobic processes usually require an aerator. In anaerobic systems the organic matter is acted upon by bacteria to produce methane, carbon dioxide, and anaerobic mass. In aerobic systems, organic matter in the presence of oxygen is acted upon by bacteria to produce carbon dioxide, water, and anaerobic mass.

As shown in Figure 3, the action of anaerobic microorganisms during the digestion process is summarized into three main stages: the hydrolysis stage, the acid production stage, and the methane production stage (Deublein and Steinhauser, 2008). The first stage involves the breakdown of organic substrate by facultative microorganisms (microorganisms that can live under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions).

Facultative Bacteria

Acetogenic Bacteria

Methanogenic Bacteria

Organic Substrate

Biogas and Digestate

HydrolysisStage

Acid Production Stage

Methane Production Stage

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Figure 3: Stages in the Anaerobic Digestion Process

By enzymatic hydrolysis, large molecules break down into smaller molecules such as simple sugars, amino acids and fatty acids, by enzymes to permit passage through the bacterial membrane. In the second stage (acid production stage), the soluble substrate is acted upon by acetogenic bacteria to yield hydrogen, acetic acid and other acids such as propionic, butyric, lactic and formic acids. These become the substrate for the last stage (methane production stage). Methanogenic bacteria then convert the acids to methane and carbon dioxide.

Anaerobic digestion produces a gas commonly known as biogas. This biogas is primarily composed of methane (CH4, about 60%), which is the more useful component, carbon dioxide (CO2, about 35%) and the rest is yeah (about 5%). Yeah is a mixture of hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbon monoxide (CO), oxygen (O2), volatile amines and water (H20) (Deublein and Steinhauser, 2008). The methane content is responsible for the heating value at approximately 50.0 MJ per kilogram.

Shown in Figure 4 is a sample aerobic treatment process. Aeration is emphasized because aerobic bacteria need oxygen. The activated sludge process is the most common applied aerobic system for industrial use. The whole tank is considered a reactor where aerobic sludge is suspended. The wastewater in the upper portion of the reactor goes to a clarifier for further physical treatment, while the settled aerobic sludge is recycled to the aeration tank. Basically, non-settleable or suspended solids are converted to settleable solids.

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Figure 4: Schematic Diagram of Aerobic Wastewater Treatment

In general, each of the biological processes mentioned have pros and cons. The advantage of using aerobic treatment over anaerobic treatment is the 99+% BOD reduction. The disadvantage in using aerobic treatment are high energy used (aerator pump electrical consumption), generates biomass (as sludge) requiring disposal, high operating cost (in terms of maintenance), and larger carbon footprint. The advantage for anaerobic treatment is that it provides renewable energy in the form of biogas, low biomass, lower operating cost, smaller carbon footprint, and capital equal or slightly lower than aerobic system. This is offset by a low COD reduction at only 80+%.

Peter Davies (2005) of Strathkelvin Instruments Ltd. discusses on an ideal biological treatment plant. These are the features discussed: (a) sufficient flow capacity, (b) fast BOD removal rate, (c) good sludge settling properties in the clarifying tank, (d) high sludge reduction, (e) minimal aeration, and (f) standard effluent parameters. The actual wastewater treatment plant has to balance these criteria. Sufficient flow capacity is achieved through sizing during the design of the plant. A fast BOD removal rate implies faster consumption of organic matter by the bacteria population. Good sludge settling properties are needed for the final sedimentation and clarification. Aside from that, the sludge needs to be reduced. This is possible because the organic matter (carbon-containing) is converted to either carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4). Minimal aeration is good on the cost side of things. The cost efficiency of the treatment is determined by appropriate sizing of the aeration pump as well as the quality of the preventive maintenance activities done on the said equipment. Lastly, good effluent characteristics are dependent from country-to-country. However, established parameters for brewery final effluent are known in the literature.

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KEY OPERATIONAL PARAMETERSWaste streams contain high organic content due to the biosolid wastes from the

system. Table 3 shows typical characteristics of brewery effluent from a study conducted by Driessen and Verejken in 2003. The assessment of waste streams can be made by considering the (a) physical, (b) chemical and (c) biological properties of the effluent (Tchobanoglous, Burton & Stensel, 2003). Physical properties include: odor, color, temperature and total suspended solids (TSS). Other physical properties include density and turbidity. In terms of odor, time plays a crucial error since the longer the wastewater is stored or is left untreated; the odor becomes more persistent due to degradation of organic matter. In terms of color, typically effluent color varies. This is determined using visual comparison method in a platinum-cobalt scale. Temperature ranges from 18 to 40 degree Celsius. This is because of the heat treatment involved in the cereal cooking and boiling.

Total suspended solids (TSS) are the non-filterable portion of the total solids. While total solids can be determined by weighing samples directly in crucibles before and after evaporation in an oven, TSS requires an added step prior evaporation. This involves passing the sample through a filter. This is a type of gravimetric method. Furthermore, turbidity and density can also be measured to assess the wastewater more. Turbidity is usually tested to characterize discharges as residual suspended solids can still be found in the final effluent. Another is the density which is crucial in the sense that changes in the density affects the overall flow characteristics of sedimentation and clarification tanks (in the final treatment).

Table 3: Typical Characteristics of Brewery Effluent (Driessen & Verejken, 2003)PARAMETER UNIT BREWERY EFFLUENT

COMPOSITIONTYPICAL BREWERY BENCHMARKS

Flow 2 - 8 hL effluent/ hL beerCOD mg/L 2000-6000 0.5 – 3 kg COD/ hL beerBOD mg/L 1200 -3600 0.2 – 2 kg BOD/ hL beerTSS mg/L 200 – 1000Temperature °C 18 - 40 0.1 – 0.5 kg TSS/ hL beerpH 4.5 – 12Nitrogen mg/L 25 – 80Phosphorus mg/L 10 – 50

Chemical characteristics include pH, organic matter (in terms of COD and BOD), proteins, carbohydrates, FOG’s (or the fats, oils and grease), surfactants, priority pollutants, and VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) (Tchobanoglous, Burton & Stensel, 2003). pH is a measure of wastewater acidity or basicity. It is in the range of 4.5 – 12. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and the biological oxygen demand (BOD) are the

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variables that measure the organic content of the wastewater. COD level ranges from 2,000 to 6,000 mg per liter while BOD level ranges from 1,200 to 3,600 mg per liter. COD levels are higher in comparison to BOD, since COD determination involves complete oxidation by a strong oxidizing agent such as potassium permanganate (KMnO4). BOD, on the other hand, is determined using five days biological oxidation only. Organic matter is biodegradable. This means that if untreated and discharged in the environment, the organic matter will react with oxygen creating septic conditions that deplete the oxygen in the natural environment for other organisms such as fishes.

Proteins and carbohydrates are usually incorporated in organic matter measurement. However, available methods can be used to determine protein and carbohydrate content as the case arises. Fats, oils and grease (FOG) is determined by gravimetric method- petroleum ether extraction. In brewery applications, FOG data is looked into as the said parameter affects the biological processes in the wastewater treatment plant. FOG, in brewery effluents, comes from the oils in the cereals used. Usually, this is applicable when corn is part of the cereal mix as corn has high oil content. Surfactants and priority pollutants (usually heavy metals) are not determined in daily brewery wastewater analysis. Two chemical characteristics that are interesting to wastewater analysts are nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen levels range from 25 – 80 mg per liter while phosphorus levels range from 10 – 50 micrograms per liter. Nitrogen and phosphorous are essential nutrients for growth. When discharged to the aquatic environment, these nutrients can lead to the growth of undesirable aquatic life. This process is called eutrophication. When discharged in excessive amounts on land, they can also lead to the pollution of groundwater.

For the biological properties, bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, viruses, plants and animals, and pathogens are determined. However, in the case of brewery wastewater, these variables are monitored at long intervals for compliance to environmental standards.

BEST PRACTICES ON WASTEWATER MINIMIZATIONJohn Stier (2013) of the Antea group discusses best practices from brewery

industry experience on wastewater minimization. Particularly, effluent from the mash tun, lauter tun, boiling kettle and whirlpool can be reduced. The suggested strategies can. The following best practices can minimize water use through reducing effluent flow and strength. One of the recommendations is to fill adequate liquid volume through the mash and lauter tuns. They should not be too full. Staff and operators need to add the correct amount of liquid solution. Furthermore, an assessment can be made on the feasibility of installing a flowmeter to correctly measure the volume of liquid being added to the said tanks. A cost-benefit analysis can be made on this to justify the procurement of the flowmeter. The cost of the installation is likely to be offset by the wastes incurred during overfilling and misformulation.

Also, if the beer production schedule is continuous for a long period of time (i.e.

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1-2 weeks), surplus wort can be stored for the next brew. This is more advantageous than disposing the extra wort solution to the drains. Another benchmark strategy is the storage of residual wort (from beer clarification) for sale to farmers. They can use this as animal feed supplement since it contains high amounts of protein. It is also advisable not to mix surplus yeast to the solutions previously discussed since they can hasten fermentation rate. Fermentable waste and by-products need to be segregated for them to be sold to farmers and food manufacturers (in the case of surplus yeast).

Brewery effluent is high in BOD concentration. Excess settleable solids can cause clogs in downstream pipes. Manual removal of these solids is advisable compared to using excessive water to wash off the pipeline. Dry cleaning techniques such as brushing and raking are recommended. Also fine filters, screens or meshes can be installed in strategic ports to prevent pipelines from accumulating solid matter.

Aside from these best practices, some waste minimization methods from other industry and workplace type can be utilized. One example of this is the improvement in utilities operation. Leaks in steam line and water treatment lines can be reported and repaired. There are also simple and cheap water-saving strategies for the washing, dining, and the toilet areas. The will of every employee in contributing to the environmental cause has to be established. It takes both employee and employer to support these programs. For the employer, it could mean additional investments, but these investments results in savings that accumulate with continued use.

CONCLUSIONBeer production uses excessive water and this water needs to be treated before

discharge into the environment. The basic manufacturing process was discussed. And from these processes, waste streams are identified such as spent grains, diatomaceous earth sludge, yeast surplus, waste labels, and wastewater. Spent grains and yeast surplus, as by-products, are incorporated in animal feeds. On the other hand, diatomaceous earth sludge needs further considerations in its use. Current research is focused on developing alternatives for diatomaceous earth as filter aid. Aside from that, waste labels can be reduced by improving mechanical efficiency of the packaging system.

This paper focuses on wastewater treatment. From the brewing industry standpoint, biological processes in wastewater treatment are essential. The two biological processes are the heart of the treatment system. Anaerobic digestion utilizes the methane upflow reactor (MUR). The advantage of anaerobic digestion is in the field of energy production. Anaerobic systems create biogas which is composed primarily of methane. Methane is a combustible gas with a specific heating value. Aerobic digestion is an efficient system employing the activated sludge technology. The advantage of the aerobic systems is its simple operation and maintenance.

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Physical treatments such as filtration, screening, and clarification are used in conjunction with biological processes. They are integrated prior and after the biological systems to increase system efficiency in treating the brewery effluent.

Furthermore, the wastewater characteristics, the key parameters of the wastewater system, are discussed in details. The physical, chemical and biological properties are discussed with emphasis on the chemical properties. The main parameter in brewery effluent is the organic matter (represented by COD and BOD values). The whole system is primarily aimed on reducing these parameters.

Aside from wastewater minimization, a brewery firm can further become cost-effective by following benchmark practices from other industries in activities such as washing, facilities improvement, caustic dosing in wastewater treatment, etc.

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Lettinga, G. (1995). Anaerobic Digestion and Wastewater Treatment Systems. Wageningen: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 67:3-28.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2014). Beer. Accessed: November 30, 2014 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beer>

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