A Hidden Consequence of The Coronavirus Shutdown on Craft Beer – Could it All Go Flat?

09 Apr A Hidden Consequence of The Coronavirus Shutdown on Craft Beer – Could it All Go Flat?

by Mark E. Lasbury for Indiana On Tap

The number of ways the SARS-CoV2 coronavirus has screwed with us is myriad. I can’t even get a haircut – and no, I’m not letting Walter near me with scissors, I’ve been getting on her nerves after all this time together. The effects on the craft beer and restaurant industries and workers will be long term and severe, as will be the effects on businesses not deemed “essential.”

With all the overt effects of the virus, it’s easy to miss some of the hidden problems that the shutdown may create. For craft beer, this includes a possible shortage in carbon dioxide (CO₂). Brewers Association (BA) just put out a couple of articles about this possible shortfall and how breweries can conserve CO₂ in coming days (when things open back up).

Just how is COVID-19 screwing with CO₂? Well, with many companies shut down and with consumption, energy use, and construction way off normal levels, there is a decrease in industrial activity. That means there is a decrease in industrial waste – of which CO₂ is a major component. Companies like Praxair, Linde, etc. get most of their CO₂ for cylinders by scavenging the gas from the industrial processes of other companies.

Large compressed gas providers get most of their CO2 by collecting it from other industrial sources. image credit: Gasworld

Carbon dioxide can be a byproduct chemical reactions of industrial ammonia or ethanol production, or collected before, during, or after the combustion of fuels. Pre-consumption collection is used with some fossil fuels, before it is contaminated by other flue gases. The fuel is heated in pure oxygen and sent through a catalytic converter to create a great deal of CO₂ and H₂. The H₂ is separate out for combustion and the CO₂ is pumped out for collection.

Post-consumption collection is used when retro-fitting existing plants, where CO₂ is scrubbed from other flue gases and trapped in a filter. Heating the filter than leaves the CO₂ pure to be collected. Unfortunately, this method uses a lot of energy for CO₂ compression and transport. The “during consumption” method consists of burning the fuel in pure oxygen, which leads to by products of mainly CO₂ and steam. The CO₂ is cooled and the steam used to compress it, with a full 90% of carbon emissions being prevented from entering the atmosphere.

Collecting CO₂ via these mechanisms is needed for use in other areas (like making beer) and it helps the environment, so this is good all around. Unfortunately, a lot of the industrial activity that produces carbon dioxide just isn’t taking place right now. BA states that CO₂ production in the US is already down 20% (see here), and could be reduced 50% in another week or so. Things are looking up with the predictions of peak infections nearing soon and authorities are already discussing protocols for getting people back to work, but there is going to be a shortage in carbon dioxide.

Many canning lines use CO for carbonation, filling, and purging. That’s alot of CO2. image credit: JConline

In a separate article (here), BA talks about ways CO₂ is used in making beer, and best practices that can help breweries conserve carbon dioxide use. First, CO₂ is used to force carbonate beer into kegs/cans/bottles, but it only starts there. Draft systems use CO₂ to drive beer from kegs to the glass. Can and bottle fillers use CO₂ to package beer. Tanks are purged with CO2 and it’s used in cleaning tanks too. In canning and bottling, CO₂ is used to reduce oxidation by eliminating air from the package. There is more to beer CO₂ than just yeast belches.

The best way to reduce CO₂ usage in breweries is to keep a system in good running order and eliminate leaks. Another way is to use a Spunding valve and reuse a lot of the CO₂ that is produced during fermentation. There is also nitrogen, which is a fine way to purge cans and bottles of air during packaging. In essence, developing better practices now could save money and reduce risk from shortages in the future.

Keep your local breweries in mind when spending your hard earned dollar now and in the future, and let’s get the economy rocking as quickly as we can. This will increase manufacturing and therefore increase CO₂ production. After all this is over, we’re going to need a lot of beer, and we don’t need a carbonation shortage to keep us from celebrating.