Lovers of good beers are more than pampered in Quebec. After all, not all Canadian provinces can boast of having increased the number of brewing companies almost tenfold in just under 20 years ( source: AMBQ ).
But this unprecedented craze has brought with it a certain environmental scourge.
The rate of production of spent grain, the malt residue from the brewing process, inevitably exploded along with the popularization of beer. In fact, to produce a pint of beer, a pint of dehydrated spent grains is produced in turn.
Usually, this production waste would end up at compost . But some entrepreneurs have been able to smell a great opportunity to revalue brewers’ spent grains, in several innovative ways.
What are they exactly? We present three of them to you!
Create flour enriched with brewers’ grains
Did you know that brewers' grains are a food very rich in fiber, proteins and minerals?
The founders of the Coop Boomerang knew that very well!
Knowing this, Tangui Conrad, Mathieu Gauthier and Alexis Galand had the idea of starting this cooperative, which transforms spent grains into malted flour .
The principle is simple. Coop Boomerang offers a collection service for brewer’s spent grains as soon as they leave the tanks, which is greatly appreciated by brewers in the metropolis who have limited space to store these residues.
Using specialized equipment, the cooperative is then able to transform the spent grains into enriched flour, which is then sold to individuals as well as to bakeries who would like to use it to make more nutritious breads and pastries.
A great way to reclaim this residue while helping Montreal breweries limit their environmental footprint!
Want an eco-friendly aperitif?
It was in 2019 that Chloé Roy-Michel, founder of the company Season 2 , learned what spent grains were, and realized that the management of this material in Montreal was not the most eco-responsible.
She therefore decided to find out more about this mysterious food and in turn discovered its interesting nutritional potential. This is how she launched Saison 2, a company that transforms these brewing residues into small crackers with original and delicious flavors.
Something to raise eyebrows among your guests during your next gourmet aperitif this summer!
Farm animals feast on brewers' grains
Many farmers already know this, but brewers' grains are also a very popular feed for livestock. Not only do the animals love it, but the breeders are delighted and proud to be able to feed their animals with a food so rich in vitamins and proteins, which is also part of a circular economy .
And now that there are more and more breweries and microbreweries in the region, producers certainly have more options where to collect this brewing residue.
So what are you waiting for to discover this little-known food with a thousand and one virtues that is spent grain?
