A common thread amongst craft brewers is their passion to protect the environment and be good global citizens. One of the coolest advantages of working in the beer industry is learning about all the “green” initiatives our customers take. The Keg Pros are proud to work with customers who support their local farms and ranches with a mutually beneficial program called Brew-To-Moo.
Brew-To-Moo is not a new concept; it has been around for as long as the art of brewing. The mission of the Brew-To-Moo program is for eco-friendly breweries to donate leftover grain and yeast by-products to local dairy and beef cattle farms. The brewing process generates tons (literally) of spent grains and yeast which typically end up in landfills as waste. Without a community program or process to provide the timely removal of spent grain from the brewery, the brewer faces significant (and often smelly) storage problems.
The rising prices for corn and cattle feed has created a growing demand for these by-products. In the past decade or so, many communities have developed a bridge between the brewers and local farmers to provide this valuable, eco-friendly food source. The grain is a great nutritional supplement (20% protein and 60% fiber) for the livestock, and it costs a fraction of the price for the farmer.
The Brew-To-Moo program benefits all parties involved. Breweries become more sustainable, farmers get nutritious feed for their cattle, and (it goes without saying) the animals love it!
Brew-To-Moo is a great, think-outside-the-box way to reduce, reuse, and recycle. If your brewery is thinking about putting leftover grains to good use, start researching your local farms and making some calls. The cows will thank you!