A byproduct of creating some of the best beer in the country is thousands of pounds of spent grains, hops, and yeast that are an essential part of the brewing process. The amalgamation of these elements after they’ve been processed is called trub. From Blind Pirate to Dr. Robot, after each batch of beer has gone through its life cycle, we’re forced to contend with what to do about all the leftover sludge. And no, repurposing it as an exfoliant is not a viable option…we learned the hard way.
Perhaps the most obvious and easy route to get rid of trub would be to flush it through the Atlanta sewer system. But, since we are not fans of waste, we devised a better solution.
Last year, we got in contact with a local farmer who was interested in procuring our trub. Rich in nutrients, trub makes for an excellent soil amendment. We received a special permit from the Georgia Department of Agriculture to get the process cleared, and now, once a month our farmer friend comes and sucks out 6,000 gallons worth of trub at a time.
Not only is it a boon to our farmer friend’s field, but it also decreases the amount of waste we dump into the city’s sewer system.
…Unrelated, but related: How much would you have to be paid to eat one spoonful of trub? Over or under $500 bucks? We’re conducting some market research.