Here are some of the sustainable measures you’ll find at Bright Brewery

Solar brewing

In 2017 we installed 50kW of solar on the roof of our Great Alpine Road venue and in 2023, we commissioned another 171kw solar system  at our Fred’s Shed’s Production Facility (brewery), giving us a combined 221kw system.  During an average sunny month, these two solar array systems combine to generate an average of 800kWh of clean energy per day, meaning 60% of Fred’s Shed’s daily energy needs are supplied from clean renewable energy. This not only reduces our reliance on traditional energy sources but also helps us significantly reduce our carbon footprint.  Read more about our solar brewing here.

Bulk Grain

In early 2024, we commissioned a new onsite grain silo, capable of holding 25-tonnes of grain. Buying in bulk reduces our grain’s time on the road, and each silo fill saves more than 1000 plastic malt bags.

Steam capture

A really unique features of our brewing system is the steam condenser on our brewing kettle. We capture all the steam that is created when we boil the wort for our beer, instead of venting it off to atmosphere like most breweries do. The steam is then passed through a heat exchanger where cold water is passed in the opposite direction. We recover a large amount of the thermal energy this way, as this cold water (ground temp, approx 12-16 deg) receives the heat from the outgoing steam and enters our hot liquor tank at around 70 deg C. This means we essentially recapture around 50-60 deg of thermal energy, and by doing this we don’t need to use as much LPG in the boiler to heat up the same volume of water.

Reduce, reuse recycle

We repurpose materials throughout the brewery, such as old kegs as wash basins and seats, plastic kegs as bins, and pallets as tables and dividers. At Fred’s Shed, we use Bear Hug bands to stabilise kegs instead of plastic wrap and when we do use plastic wrap, we recycle or re-use it.

Brewing Efficiency

We minimise water and energy use by brewing back-to-back batches that reuse existing heat. This reduces the need for us to run our boiler and heat up our brewhouse every day. The amount of steel in the brewhouse requires a large amount of thermal mass to get it up to temperature so every little bit counts.

Saving CO2

We clean our tanks under pressure which means we save thousands of litres of CO2 gas per tank clean by not venting the CO2 to atmosphere every time.

Greenhouse Goodness

We have a thriving greenhouse where our inhouse garden guru grows tomatoes for our chefs, and raises flower seedlings which are planted out to keep our grounds looking beautiful.

Green Transportation

We encourage employees to walk, ride, run, or even paraglide to work instead of driving.

Low Food-Mile Product

Our beer is a genuine low food-mile product! The water comes from the snow-fed water of the Ovens River, which flows past our brewery; some of the hops are grown 10 minutes down the road at the Rostrevor Hop Gardens; 64% of the malt we use for brewing comes from Victoria; and, most of all, 25% of our beer is consumed at our venue located in Bright!

Grain Repurposing

Our spent brewery grain is fed to cows owned by local farmers (watch the video here!)

Waste Reduction

We use shredded office paper for various purposes, such as lining chicken laying boxes and padding packages. We are long-time subscribers to The Last Straw initiative and removed plastic straws from our venue many years before they were banned under the single-use plastic laws.

Battery Recycling

We have used battery and e-waste collection points at our brewery and our venue and these are recycled through the Alpine Shire’s transfer stations.

These are just a few examples of our commitment to sustainability. We are constantly looking for new ways to reduce our environmental impact and make a positive contribution to the community.

Cheers to sustainable beer!