Chapter 20

Wastewater and Solid Waste Management

(selected excerpts)

The beer brewing process generates large amounts of wastewater effluent and solid wastes that must be disposed of or treated in the least costly way to meet strict discharge regulations set by government entities.

Brewery wastewater typically has a high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) from all the organic components (sugars, soluble starch, ethanol, volatile fatty acids, etc). Brewery wastewater usually has temperatures ranging from 25°C to 38°C. The pH levels can range between 2 and 12 and are influenced by the amount and type of chemicals used in cleaning and sanitation (e.g., caustic soda, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, etc.). Nitrogen and phosphorus levels are mainly dependent on the raw material and the amount of yeast present in the effluent.

Click on the following topics for more information on wastewater and solid waste management.

Within This Chapter: Wastewater and Solid Waste Management

• Introduction to Wastewater and Solid Waste Management
• Brewery Wastewater
• Characteristics of Brewery Wastewater
• Wastewater Quality
• Physical Characteristics
• Chemical Characteristics
• Brewery Solid Wastes
• Spent Grains
• Trub
• Spent Yeast
• Diatomaceous Earth (DE) Slurry
• Packaging Materials
• Brewery Wastewater Treatment
• Physical Treatment
• Flow Equalization
• Screening
• Grit Removal
• Gravity Sedimentation
• Chemical Treatment
• pH Adjustment
• Flocculation
• Biological Treatment
• Aerobic Brewery Wastewater Treatment
• Activated Sludge Process
• Attached Growth (Biofilm) Process
• Trickling Filter Process
• Biofiltration Towers
• Rotating Biological Contactor Process
• Lagoons
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• Sludge Treatment and Disposal
• Anaerobic Brewery Wastewater Treatment
• Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket
• Fluidized Bed Reactor
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• Wastewater and Solid Waste Management References