Synergetic Co-Production of Beer Colouring Agent and Solid Fuel from Brewers’ Spent Grain in the Circular Economy Perspective

Mateusz Jackowski, Łukasz Niedźwiecki, Krzysztof Mościcki, Amit Arora, Muhammad Azam Saeed, Krystian Krochmalny, Jakub Pawliczek, Anna Trusek, Magdalena Lech, Jan Skřínský, Jakub Čespiva, Ján Vereš, Tadeáš Ochodek and Halina Pawlak-Kruczek
Additional contact information
Mateusz Jackowski: Department of Micro, Nano and Bioprocess Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-373 Wroclaw, Poland
Łukasz Niedźwiecki: Department of Energy Conversion Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Krzysztof Mościcki: Department of Energy Conversion Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Amit Arora: Department of Chemical Engineering, Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University, Punjab, Ferozepur 152004, India
Muhammad Azam Saeed: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 39161, Pakistan
Krystian Krochmalny: Department of Energy Conversion Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Jakub Pawliczek: Department of Energy Conversion Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Anna Trusek: Department of Micro, Nano and Bioprocess Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-373 Wroclaw, Poland
Magdalena Lech: Department of Micro, Nano and Bioprocess Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-373 Wroclaw, Poland
Jan Skřínský: VŠB—Energy Research Center, Technical University of Ostrava, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
Jakub Čespiva: VŠB—Energy Research Center, Technical University of Ostrava, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
Ján Vereš: VŠB—Energy Research Center, Technical University of Ostrava, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
Tadeáš Ochodek: VŠB—Energy Research Center, Technical University of Ostrava, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
Halina Pawlak-Kruczek: Department of Energy Conversion Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 18, 1-17

Abstract: Brewers’ Spent Grain is a by-product of the brewing process, with potential applications for energy purposes. This paper presents the results of an investigation aiming at valorization of this residue by torrefaction, making product for two purposes: a solid fuel that could be used for generation of heat for the brewery and a colouring agent that could replace colouring malt for the production of dark beers. Decreased consumption of malt for such purposes would have a positive influence on the sustainability of brewing. Torrefaction was performed at temperatures ranging between 180 °C and 300 °C, with a residence time between 20 and 60 min. For the most severe torrefaction conditions (300 °C, 60 min), the higher heating value of torrefied BSG reached 25 MJ/kg. However, the best beer colouring properties were achieved for mild torrefaction conditions, i.e., 180 °C for 60 min and 210 °C for 40 min, reaching European Brewery Convention colours of 145 and 159, respectively. From the solid fuel properties perspective, the improvements offered by torrefaction in such mild conditions were modest. Overall, the obtained results suggest some trade-off between the optimum colouring properties and optimum solid fuel properties that need to be considered when such dual-purpose torrefaction of BSG for brewery purposes is implemented.

Keywords: torrefaction; brewers’ spent grain; sustainable brewing; circular economy; beer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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