Sorta Sustainable Beer

For beer to be sustainable one would have to be able to make it without any way infringing on the ability of folks in the future being able to have enough beer. Seeing how beer is all made from renewable stuff like barley and hops, it should be pretty easy.



Well, I suppose that if the barley were grown on an industrial farm that uses tons of fuel to power the tractors and create the fertilizers, than it might not be sustainable, but if I were to grow all the stuff in a garden or find it in the woods then it would be cool.

Years ago I made a beer from chicken scratch and it actually tasted like beer, but not good beer. What it would all come down to is how desperate one is. I have grown hops so that one is easy. Growning the grain can be done if one has a little land and a willingness to do a bunch of hand work, but it could be done.

But there are two additional processes that require energy. One is the malting process that dries sprouted barley and the other is heating the wort. Interestingly, both of these could be done with a wood fire. Thus, the entire process would be done with renewables and would be sustainable at a local level---like my kitchen. Problem solved.

Now, I won't say that this jug-a-brewing is sustainable, but it is close. I didn't grow the grain nor malt it, but I did add some maple syrup to give it a sustainable zip. And I reused bottles. Next time the real thing. One more week and I am in the beer.