Grand Teton Brewing to Get Energy From Yeast

Grand Teton Brewing Company was notified September 30th by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that it was awarded a grant to turn its brewing yeast into energy. New equipment to be installed at the brewery will harness the energy created during fermentation to heat water for brewing.

During busy summer months, Grand Teton Brewing Company's yeast generates an average of 129,000 BTUs per hour through the fermentation process. This Rural Energy Assistance Program (REAP) grant will allow Grand Teton to recover much of that energy to heat water used for brewing and cleaning. This should save the brewery the equivalent of 2,550 gallons of diesel fuel per year at current production rates.

"The best thing about an energy recovery project like this is that it will grow with us," said Brewmaster and C.O.O. Rob Mullin. "The more we brew, the more oil we'll save. This is just phase one. After monitoring the efficiency of this project, we'll look at solar panels to provide additional heat for our brewing water."