EXAMINATION OF ENERGY RECOVERY OF BREWERS' SPENT GRAIN I. - CHEMICAL PROCESS

Abstract

Production rate of technologies applied in the food industry can only be of economical nature if energy consumption is specifically reduced in parallel with increasing the capacities and/or utilization of alternative energy sources gains higher ratio during production. In food manufacturing technologies usually a high proportion of waste/byproduct forms; transportation, recovery and recycling of which involves costs in many cases and simultaneously it also means environmental issues.
Beer brewing industry’s most important byproduct is the brewers' spent grains (BSG) which forms during mashing. Utilization of this product is theoretically solved, it is most frequently sold as animal fodder but usage in energy sector also holds promising possibilities. Our study examines the possibilities of energetical recovery of brewers' spent grains by means of chemical processes – such as combustion or pyrolysis – seeking for the economical and environmental advantages.