426 J. Insi. Brew.. September-October, 1986, Vol. 92,pp.

426-434

CENTENARY REVIEW

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF BREWERY EFFLUENT

By A. F. Klijnhout

(Heineken Technisch Beheer)

and P. Van Eerde

{Heineken N. V., Zoeterwoude, Holland)

Received 30 April 1986

Simply by virtue of the very nature of the production process, breweries are shock dischargers as
regards both volume and pollution level. Although the biodegradation of the average brewery waste
water can be performed with ease and to an extremely high level it is often the variability of the dis
charges of brewery waste water that gives rise to objections from both those living in the vicinity and
government. Process technical sanitation in the brewery itself is generally the only possible way of
limiting a brewery's impact on the environment. A sufficiently large, well-mixed and aerated balancing
tank (equilibration basin) appears to be a very effective means of reducing peak discharges. The various
authorities generally adapt their discharge regulations to the possibilities available locally, whereby
the main objective is usually the protection of other economic/health factors, as well as the protection
of their own civil works. The importance of a good flow-measuring and sampling method as a means of
checking the effect of newly introduced 'house-keeping methods' is indicated as a means of putting for
ward one's point to the authorities and also for use as design parameters for one's own Waste Water
Treatment Plant (WWTP). The introduction of any type of WWTP on the premises of a foodstuff factory
is not only a question of investment but also of available ground area and running costs.
The paper includes a comparison table showing the differences between aerobic and anaerobic
systems as developed up to the present day and also practical hints on how to limit water discharge
embarrassment, including the spreading of shock discharges by means of an equilibration basin. The
conclusion underlines the rapid development of the anaerobic waste water process and the sequence
trend in waste water treatment: first, anaerobic 'roughing', followed by an aerobic 'refining' of the
waste water. The best method of waste water treatment is still determined by the local circumstances
and the unique character of each individual brewery.

water through multiple outlets originating from the different

Keywords: Effluent, water, B.O.D.
brewery processing departments and flowing into more than
General Introduction one main sewer. Open drains, as arc common in countries
with a hot climate, offer far better possibilities of examining
Some background information on waste water with the waste water flows. 'Out of sight, out of mind' is a saying that
emphasis on brewery waste water can easily be applied to brewery waste. The brewery always
When giving thought to waste water streams from a brewery has been, and always will be, a foodstuff industry. This
it should be borne in mind that brewing is one of man's means that high standards as regards cleaning and disinfec
oldest crafts and that the underlying principle of brewing tion must be maintained at all times. This applies in respect
beer has hardly changed in the last five thousand years. of both the inside and the outside of the installation. In
Even today's brewhouse can still be regarded as a kitchen practice, lost intermediate products, .no matter from what
(as indeed it was in days gone by), in which beer is produced part of the plant or the reason for their loss, will be flushed
in batches, brew after brew. Main fermentation, storage, into the nearest sewer as soon as possible. In effect, the
filtration and packaging of the final beer are also batch pro brewery is then clean on the inside but the problem starts to
cesses, each run as individual operations and relatively inde build up on the outside! Lost extract represents BOD and
pendent of either the preceding or following production the simple act of cleaning the brewery is in effect a cause of
phase. environmental pollution. Extract losses occur on the work
If a comparison is made of beer production with, for floor, most of them due to planning and/or cleaning oper
instance, a continuous beet sugar production line in an ations. In this context, figures have even been quoted in
uninterrupted steady state process, it can be expected that various publications: between five and fifteen per cent of the
simply due to type of production process, it will be the con extract present in raw materials will not be sold in the form
tinuous process that will produce a higher waste water flow of beer but will actually be discharged into the drainage
than the interrupted process. Many of today's breweries still system.
have old-fashioned departments, the various buildings and Now although production personnel are skilled workers
relevant equipment having been modified and adapted on in their own right—their education and experience makes
numerous occasions to meet the requirements of newer pro them skilled brewery operators—they simply cannot be
duction techniques and current standards imposed on the expected to have a thorough knowledge of the environment
quality of foodstuffs. This is not only true in the case of and its respective problems. Such knowledge requires a
hardware but also applies to the diversification of beers and basic training in metabolic biochemistry. This is of particu
similar products. Today's larger scale of production is also a lar significance in a number of tropical countries where
significant factor seeing that brewing had always been con education and public opinion apparently has less need to be
sidered more a craft than an industry. Previous unskilled concerned with matters of the environment than is the case
work carried out on buildings and installations, as well as in countries with a temperate climate. The Brewing Industry
solving problems by the cheapest methods available, often has done a great deal to reduce the consequences of waste
give rise to a confusing system of sewers both inside and water; not primarily with a view to the environment itself
outside the buildings. Sewer situation drawings (if available) but for the purpose of financial gain. The loss of extract
often show that breweries generally discharge their waste implies a potential production loss, i.e. earnings. Simply by
Vol. 92, 1986] KLUNHOUT AND VAN EERDB: CENTENARY REVIEW 427

retaining spent grains, a brewery will reduce its pollution bottling breweries. Acid regeneration liquors from ion
discharge by some 75%. A second advantage of this is that exchangers, lost wort, beer, and yeast, last runnings, plus
the brewer is sometimes able to sell this spent material to acid cleaning solutions have a drastic effect on concrete
stock-farmers and thus increase his profits further (spent sewer constructions.
grains are a valuable fodder raw material, especially for However, on average, the brewery effluent may be
ruminants). regarded as an uncomplicated waste water and has excellent
Through the optimalisation ofproduction procedures and biodegradable properties. This is evident from the high
the use of larger vessels (contents increasing by a power of yields on BOD removal in brewery WWTPs and also from
three and surfaces to be cleaned by a power of two) the the COD/BOD value of brewery waste water: 1-6—1-8
brewery tries to minimise losses of the raw materials pur (domestic waste=2-5). The lower the value, the higher the
chased. Breweries can then radically cut down on their waste level of biodegradability.
materials and consequently their environmental pollution by
the technological improvement of their processes. However,
the 'ideal' brewery, a brewery claiming a complete lack of
extract loss, is a figment ofthe imagination. Such a brewery is
impossible because of the hygiene measures that have to be
taken. Then there are problems on the hardware side, prob
lems which are not always foreseeable and which can lead to
the occurrence of'accidents' such as:
(a) a malfunctioning valve;
(b) overflowing circuits;
(c) leakages/fractured pipes or hoses.
Moreover, it is obvious that shock discharges from current
brewery batch processes cannot be eliminated.
Apart from calculated extract losses on a mass basis
breweries will also generate BOD originating from:
(a) returned beer (remains of beer in returned bottles);
(b) waste products such as label glue, cleaning agents, etc.;
(c) domestic activities (kitchen/canteen, toilets, showers,
etc.);
(d) utility departments, workshops, laboratory, garage.
Fig. 1. Aerated Equilibration Lagoon.
Just about the most tragic aspect of breweries and good
waste water management is the high polluting effect of wort
and beer (depending on the type of beer and the original
gravity of the wort this can be between 60 and 120 g of BOD Brewery Water Consumption
per litre). In a well run brewery with a normally low extract In the past, new breweries were often built at such locations
loss a production accident will be more obvious than in a where water was freely available in sufficient quantities and
badly managed brewery. It must also be kept in mind that of the desired (chemical and physical) qualities, either from
the sudden effect of a discharge shock can have a consider wells or surface water. Consequentially, such a brewery was
able effect on the average quality of the waste water: never limited as regards its water intake. This was always
BOD strength factor 10-20 the case until the day came when water had to be paid for:
pH ±4-5 units. supplies of city water or the introduction of a well water
Those breweries operating their own waste water treat tax. The various industries, and obviously, the Brewing
ment plant (WWTP) are well aware of the disastrous effects Industry, discovered that good water costs money, as do all
of only a relatively small discharge shock on the purification other primary materials. But even so, the price paid for
effect of the WWTP. It is also a well-known fact that even water is so low, based on the price per tonne of water having
very large WWTPs, designed to handle the waste water of a chemical purity generally better than 99-9% and delivered
larger towns, or even regions, can be seriously disrupted by on tap, that any serious attempt to reduce water consump
a brewery's production 'problems'. In practice it is not tion will more often than not actually cost more than the
uncommon for prolonged high BOD values to be analysed saving on the water bills.
in the (flow proportional) samples of waste water flow from In more modern times, many new breweries were built at
large, modern and well managed breweries. Continuous locations where the water was of a lesser quality. The
monitoring of (sieved) raw waste water has shown incoming development of process water treatment methods such as
BOD concentrations varying between several hundreds and ion exchange, evaporator/flashers, hyperfiltration and
> 10,000 mg/1 (chart limit). In such cases it is virtually modern water filtration and adsorption technology all made
impossible to trace the culprit. Even if it was it would it possible to prepare good water from relatively poor water.
most probably turn out that neither he nor his colleagues In turn, brewers found it no longer necessary to search for
were aware of having done anything wrong. The reading 'suitable' locations but were able to build a brewery at
accuracy of beer vessel metering devices also makes it practically any location. However, although water pro
unlikely that such a 'shock' would be able to be traced in the cessed by such methods is generally of a considerably higher
logbooks. Finally, there is also the possibility of a large quality than most well or city tap water, it is also far more
shock discharge being the result of a number of simul expensive. Therefore, when constructing a new brewery it is
taneous smaller discharges, especially during weekend most important that water-saving equipment and less water
cleaning operations. consuming brewery procedures are given a great deal of
The effects of pH discharges arc also important. Most thought. Aspects worthy of consideration with respect to
water used in breweries only has either limited or no buffer new breweries are:
ing capacity. Consequently, even small quantities of caustic (a) the availability and cost price of process water;
(or acid) can cause considerable pH fluctuation in the total (b) the location and size of the brewery;
effluent. Because pH is based on a logarithmic definition, a (c) the beer production processing procedures themselves
pH of 11 (for example) is not 10% more than pH = 10, but plus level of automation;
10 times higher. A temporary pH of 13 (about the limit of (d) method of packaging: road tankers, kegs, cans, one-way/
an accurate pH reading) is not unusual in returned glass returnable bottles.
428 KLIJNHOUT AND VAN EERDE: CENTENARY REVIEW [J. Inst. Brew.

Fig. 2. The Amstel bFewery in Athens has a 2-stage aerated lagoon system ('Biolak') since 1984. On this
photograph the second stage is still not operational. Design capacity: 3 tons BOD removal/day. Effluent
quality: 10-20ppm BOD.

Nor must it be forgotten that no two breweries are the same! discussions held at international level arc mainly concerned
The ratio of 10: 1 on water intake and produced beer is with the discharge of chemical blacklisted substances
often mentioned and would seem to be an indicative figure. upstream: certain heavy metals, pesticides and a series of
A brewery of medium size (taking into account water con components widely regarded as established health hazards
sumed for purposes of cooling, domestic facilities and either at present or in future years.'<2 These discussions are of
auxiliary departments plus that consumed by the utilities particular concern in those cases whereby the substances in
department (process water treatment losses) with a not too question are discharged in one country and carried across the
large beer production unit will take in water in the region of border into another country by river. A further disconcerting
13:1. On the other hand, extremely large breweries, in aspect rises if the water in question is used downstream as a
which there is a high level of automation and the packaging source for the production ofdrinking water. Some countries,
used is only one-way, water intake can drop to 6:1 or less. which do allow direct discharge into the open sea, find them
Intakes of 20:1 and above are not uncommon in breweries selves faced with problems of a different nature: sweet waste
located in tropical zones where climatic conditions make water, lost (crude) oil and fuel from ships etc., often seen
it a prerequisite that spoiled materials are flushed away floating on the sea.
immediately. This also applies to some extent with regard to The dumping of (dangerous) waste and the overloading
some of the old-fashioned smaller breweries in temperate of natural auto-purification can cause a clash between a
climates. country's drive toward industrial development on the one
Now that there is a great deal of discussion on the subject hand and its fishing and tourist industries on the other.
of waste water, there is the chance that taxes could be raised As previously stated, there is no standard international
by imposing a levy on the volume of water discharged. approach taken by the various authorities on this subject. It
Should any measures of this kind be implemented, invest is even quite possible for there to be many different adminis
ments made in reducing the amount of water consumed trative bodies dealing with water pollution/water treatment
would show a return even sooner. in one single country:
In general terms it can be stated that all intake water, (a) the (Federal) Government;
including rain water, is eventually discharged into the drain (b) a Ministry, Provincial Department or Local Authority;
system, with the exception of:. (c) a specially established (Waste) Water Board for the
(a) the water that has actually gone into the beer produced; administration of all matters concerning water and
(b) water that has evaporated (brewhouse, bottling hall); waste water in a certain river basin;
(c) the water content of the moist by-products (on the (d) the manager of a regional industrial area or the
understanding that these are removed from the brewery) manager of major waste water collection and waste
such as: water transport system.
(1) spent grains All these authoritative bodies can be considered either
(2) surplus yeast from the bottoms of tanks 'friend or foe' when setting their discharge limits on waste
(3) wet filter aids water.
(4) labels washed from returned bottles. In our experience, it appears that most of the limits
imposed on the disposal of waste water do have a sound and
Approach Taken By The Water Authorities quite understandable background. If a river is used as a
In practice, legislation implemented throughout the world source of supply for tap water production, for recreational
prohibits companies, and individuals, from discharging purposes such as swimming and fishing, domestic purposes
waste water contaminated to such a degree that it would such as washing, etc., it is quite obvious that (industrial) dis
result in pollution. Local authorities generally have their own charges upstream should be subjected to limitations as to
individual competencies. Even in the densely populated areas temperature, organic load, pH level, heavy metals, toxic
of the E.E.C. (12 countries with 320 x 176 inhabitants on substances, etc., in order to maintain that river water in a
2255 x 1000km2=an average of 142 inhabitants/km2), the relatively good condition for all users/purposes. A town
Vol.92, 1986] KLUNHOUT AND VAN EERDE: CENTENARY REVIEW 429

with civil sewer constructions will most probably set standards used for the description and/or limitation of such
hydraulic, pH level and sediment limits with a view to discharge. Many countries set a limit of 30 p.p.m. BOD on
avoiding overflow and chemical corrosion and sediment (industrial) effluents deposited into natural surface waters.
build-up of their sewers. If limits arc established on BOD In a number of less densely populated areas through which
concentration, they will probably relate to domestic waste major rivers flow, discharges containing up to 100 p.p.m.
water: 400-600 mg of BOD per litre. Higher values may be BOD can be allowed. The BOD limits imposed in densely
subject to a system of progressive taxation. populated. West-European regions may be very low: some
In terms of environmental load, any sewer or drain system times no higher than 10 p.p.m. Additional limits may also be
is always subject to discussion. Although the waste water is imposed on suspended solids, turbidity, temperature, bio
collected in the enclosed part there is still a culmination point logical quality, conductivity, concentrations of certain salt
at the end of the line. The problem of environmental load is ions: (Cl", SOJ+, PO; ~ ~) etc.
not therefore reduced but simply transferred and concen The surface waters into which waste water is discharged
trated on another location; a location where concern is are sometimes categorised: the open sea or a large river
thought to be less critical. A clear differentiation must be being in the lowest category, stowages for drinking water
made between those who discbarge their waste water directly arc in the highest category. Waste water disposal has to be
into surface waters and those whose discharge outlets are paid for and the cost thereof is related to the category of the
connected to a (municipal) sewer system. Because of the water into which it is disposed. Such progressive tax con
direct impact on the aquatic environment, the former will be structions can encourage an entrepreneur to limit the quan
contacted by the relevant authorities themselves. The latter, tity or quality of his discharge by investing in his own
those who dispose of their waste into a sewer system will WWTP. Often, not only (BOD) quality is taken into con
most likely be approached by the municipal authorities sideration, but also the volume of the discharge in question.
(the municipal authorities being answerable to a higher Additionally, many waste water control boards also make
authority). If the municipal authorities are unable to meet the use of such parameters as COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand)
requirements stipulated by the higher authority there arc two suspended solids and/or toxicity when evaluating a specific
possible solutions open to them: waste water. The concept of 'population equivalent' is
(a) either the main dischargers will be requested to limit generally formulated as the average amount of pollutant
their pollution output (in practice this generally means matter produced by one person per day and usually expressed
the construction of their own waste water treatment in BOD discharge per day. Other (industrial) discharges can
plant) or then be expressed in population equivalents according to
(b) the municipal authorities will undertake the construction their BOD output. Obviously, waste water tax is then levied
of a WWTP for the treatment of all waste water and the on a basis of p.e. (population equivalent). If, for example,
annual cost of the station will be poll-taxed. 1 p.c. equals 60 g of BOD per day and a brewery produces
Waste water treatment is not specifically restricted to waste 106 hi of beer per year, an average discharge of 3,000 kg of
water treatment plants alone: newly constructed, or BOD per day might be measured. That brewery would there
extended existing sewer collection points and pumping fore be producing waste water on a scale of 50,000 p.e. In
stations, also make a contribution towards improving the other words, a figure corresponding with pollution figures
environmental situation. The construction of a drain system from the waste water of a small town with a population of
is only of any useful service in those instances where there is 50,000. In itself, the system works well as long as we keep to
sufficient water available to serve as a means of transporting straightforward comparisons, i.e. to demonstrate the effect of
the polluted waste. Wise authorities will pursue such a measures taken in the production process. However, seeing
policy that enables all parties concerned to make maximum that population equivalents are inconsistent they cannot be
use of the natural circumstances available in the area and used universally: there is a difference in BOD production
ensure that the natural auto-purifying capabilities of the per capita per day in different countries depending on the
environment are used to the full. country's climate and the stature of its inhabitants.
On occasion, an authority sometimes shows little inten Population equivalents are quoted as ranging between 41 g
tion of investing the revenues from waste water taxes in the BOD and 76 g BOD. In heavily loaded environments the
actual fight against pollution from waste water. It could be individual efforts of a limited number of industries may
the general opinion that such taxes imposed especially on prove insufficient to make all surface waters biologically
waste water should be used specifically for that very sound again. Quite often, in various industrial circum
purpose. stances, the ratio between production buildings and total
The removal of normally biodegradable pollution (BOD) ground area is such that even if the will is there it will be
from waste water is however, only the first step, and appears impossible to construct a WWTP because of sheer lack of
insufficient to guarantee 'clean' surface water under all cir space. In such cases, the relevant authorities will assume the
cumstances. Below is a list of treatment procedures which, responsibility of waste water treatment.
although not of major importance as regards our type of
industry, have been announced for future implementation:
(a) the removal of nutrients (phosphates), 'polishing' by The Classical Method Of Waste Water Treatment
means of sand filtration and the disinfection of treated In all types of aerobically functioning water treatment
effluent; plants, the waste water will be brought into contact with
(b) the removal of heavy metals and organic micro- either a suspended or fixed respiratory 'sludge'. Sludge is a
pollutants (significant as regards drinking water quality self-equilibratory (dynamically adapting) population, com
and fish); prising mainly micro-organisms: a living biomass. Because
(c) the removal of substances suspected of being carcino the aerobic process needs a supply of oxygen, many systems
genic, mutagenic and/or teratogenic. make use of some form of mechanical aeration devices
As is the case in respect of normal pollution, the cheapest which are able to generate micro-organism aerosols under
and most effective method of lowering the level of micro- certain conditions. This is another aspect to be taken into
pollution is to retain the waste at source. Once again, it account when choosing a location for a waste water treat
seems that waste water disposed of by breweries contains no ment plant. When pollution (=BOD = 'lost extract') is
dangerous substances. Over the next few decades, other brought into contact with, or 'fed' to a relatively large quan
sorts of industrial activity can expect more problems with tity of biomass, the system is low loaded. In the case of
regard to water treatment than BOD removal alone. With brewery waste water, this process condition is coupled with
regard to biodegradable pollution, there are many different an extremely high level of BOD removal and good sludge
430 KLUNHOUT AND VAN EERDE: CENTENARY REVIEW [J. Inst. Brew.

sludge d.m.) is an indication of excellent sludge. Under less

favourable conditions the S.V.I, can rise to 200, S00 or an
even higher level. The sludge is then said to be 'bulking', i.e.
it refuses to settle in the clarifier and will escape together
with the treated effluent. The cause of bulking sludge in a
brewery is the frequent and excessive overloading with
BOD. A condition which we could compare with a chronic
form of indigestion. The classical method used for the treat
ment of sludge is anaerobic excess sludge fermentation.
Most waste water treatment plant sludges can be 'digested'
in huge heated tanks by an anaerobic process taking 3 to 4
weeks to complete. This reductive approach does not there
fore require aeration energy but produces a mixture of
mainly methane and carbon dioxide. Anaerobic sludge
digestion is the linking together of three separate reactions
in succession. First, a hydrolysis is performed to cut the
large molecular sludge structures into small pieces. The
second step, a series of acidification reactions, takes place.
The hydrolysate rests are then converted into a number of
lower fatty acids (butyric, propionic, etc.), which is in turn
followed by a re-conversion process of the different fatty
acids into acetic acid. The third, and final, step is the con
version from acetic acid to methane and carbon dioxide.
This stage (methanisation) is particularly sensitive to
'unpleasant' components in the incoming sludge. The
hydrolysis step takes up by far the greater part of the total
digestion time and makes anaerobic treatment only useful
when working with volumes which are not too large and of
which the contents are relatively high in organic substances.
As a consequence, the anaerobic treatment process may
become a very interesting proposition in those cases where
Fig. 3. Attractive option for the near future: anaerobic pretrcatmcnt of
brewery waste water. The photograph shows the 2-stagc anaerobic
hydrolysis is unnecessary and a polluted flow can be acidi
treatment plant, designed by and built for Gist-Brocades Bio fied directly. Short retention times (a few hours) also make
chemical Industry (Delft-Netherlands). anaerobic digestion an interesting proposition when work
Photograph by kind permission of Gist-Brocades, Delft, ing with voluminous waste water flows in sizeable tanks.
Netherlands.

mineralisation. This leads to a shock-load resistant instal Correct And Incorrect Methods Of Sampling
lation with a low production of stable excess sludge but also As explained earlier, the beer brewing process and beer
to the need for a large waste water treatment plant, a long packaging departments produce waste water, the flow and
hydraulic retention time and high energy costs for so-called quality ofwhich varies in respect of BOD, pH, SS (Suspended
extended aeration. solids), temperature and salt ion content, etc. An irregular and
The opposite process condition entails high BOD loads. unpredictable discharge pattern must be kept in mind when
Systems such as these are shock-load sensitive and result in setting up a waste water sampling and analysis programme to
less extensive BOD removal and also require less aeration discover the brewery's real discharge parameters. Sampling
energy in a small waste water treatment plant. A high pro procedure results are more reliable if the department under
duction of unstabilised (putrefactive) excess sludge may be investigation has only one sewer exit. Seeing that all depart
expected. Of course, there are numerous possibilities, mental heads take pride in proving the low losses of their
ranging between extremely low and extremely high loading own particular department, sampling should be spread out
conditions. The lower the sludge load factor, the better the over a period of time long enough to ensure there is no
system will be able to deal with rapid variations in the remaining (tank) capacity from which a discharge could be
chemical properties of the incoming waste water flow. The either stored or delayed until the investigation has been com
aeration stage is always followed by a clarification step. It is pleted. The best policy to follow is to involve the cooperation
in the clarifier that the biomass will settle; the liquor above of all those concerned. Time proportional sampling (e.g. one
the biomass represents the purified waste water, the effluent. sample every five minutes=288 samples per day) tends not to
Part of the settled sludge is fed back into the system's take the variable flow into account; it is a method which is
aeration zone; the biomass which develops in the process is easily carried out by an attentive person and also simple to
called excess sludge and has to be removed from the process. automate. Volume proportional sampling is a very accurate
In actual fact, aerobic treatment is the cultivation of bio method but does require the use of expensive professional
mass on the substrate (=BOD=lost extract). The overall flow measuring and integrating equipment; it also requires a
result is a transformation from what is mainly dissolved skilled operator for its installation and trimming operations.
BOD into a new bacterial mass, i.e. excess sludge. This Probably the least accurate method of sampling waste
transformation is highly efficient, up to 60-70% of the water is 'grab sampling'. The person whose duty it is to take
removed pollution is retained in the form of excess sludge. samples of qualitatively varying flows is likely to take a
Up to the present time, the aerobic treatment method has sample when he senses that the liquor in question is really
been the most straightforward and simple means of remov polluted. Consequently, he refrains from sampling when
ing BOD from water. However, there is the problem of how the liquor is relatively clean. The result of this is that the
to dispose of the sludge. Sludge is a biomass, a living sub analyses of those samples will show pollution values which
stance which is more than able to reveal its displeasure as are too high and create a negative image of the brewery's
regards its habitat. The settling properties of the sludge (in a efforts with regard to environmental control.
clarifier) can be expressed in the so-called S.V.I, {the sludge Constant registration of the total flow discharge/volume
volume index). An S.V.I, of approximately 100 (ml/g of integration, coupled with a good flow proportional sampler
Vol. 92,1986] KLIJNHOUT AND VAN EERDE: CENTENARY REVIEW 431

Fig. 4. Waste water treatment plant at Heineken Zoctcrwoudc brewery (Netherlands). One stage,
low-loaded activity sludge. Design capacity: 12,960 kg BOD removal/day- Effluent better than
lOppmBOD.
(Photo by KLM-Aerocarto)

will produce reliable waste water discharge figures. Such (reliable and sturdy equipment is essential) and an 'acciden
figures can be used by the management to keep track on the tally' damaged or destroyed sampling monitor might be a
effect or any production 'house-keeping methods' they problem.
might have introduced. They can also be used to link beer Last but not least, a shock effect in the waste water system
production and BOD losses and also be used to back up can always occur, even when there is full cooperation between
argumentation when stressing the brewery's good intentions all departments. This is particularly likely to happen at the
during discussions with the relevant authorities. Further close of the working week due to the final cleaning oper
more, analysis charts illustrate the situation over longer ations which are generally carried out at the same time. The
periods of time at a single glance. It is quite possible for result is a large number of simultaneous discharges from as
different values to be obtained from parallel samples analysed many different locations, some of which will combine to
in the laboratory used by the authorities and that of the form one intense shock.
brewery, therefore it is most important to make certain that 3. Drawing up a time schedule per department for cleaning
both laboratories really have analysed the same sample by the and discharge operations will more often than not fail to pro
same method and that the sample is fresh on analysis. Settled vide the required effect in practice. Different departments
solids present in the sample also result in. high pollution have different places of access to the main drain/collector.
values. 4. Some people support the opinion that waste water
'peaks' should be regarded as a normal phenomenon in a
Factors that Influence Success new or renovated brewery only. After a brewery has mas
The following factors appear to influence the degree of tered all its starting-up problems, waste water shocks will
success of a project: tend to level out. If, at a later date, that brewery is to be
1. Training production personnel in aspects of waste water expanded, the larger number of individual discharges into a
can help but a great deal depends on the instructor's teach larger drain system will level out to one verging on the ideal
ing abilities. However, the men in question are there for the of a constant hydraulic flow with consistent 'average'
sole purpose of producing the maximum quantity of beer properties.
at the lowest cost. Consequently they will tend to give atten Unfortunately, this is not always the case:
tion to spillage only when they arc aware of the fact that (a) because drains/sewers are plug flow systems the
their superior is watching. Added to this is the doubt contents therein do not mix;
whether training in this area would have much effect if the (b) naturally, some shocks will level out others but there is
basic knowledge is lacking. always the probability that some shocks will coincide
2. The establishment of discharge limits per brewery and result in an 'amplification' as it were, giving rise to
department in terms of flow, physical-chemical quality. huge shocks.
Primarily, this requires a sewer system which is both 5. The main problem as regards all solutions to waste water
logically laid out and easily surveyable plus an arrangement problems is that there is still the lack of a sturdy, reliable
whereby there is preferably only one discharge point per and fool-proof apparatus for the rapid analysis (preferably
department. It also implies the need for a sampling and an 'on-the-spot' monitoring system) of brewery waste
analysis team and the relevant equipment to report on the water. Automatic and continuously operating appliances
department's real discharge values. This method cannot be for the determination of TOC, TOD, COD, etc., are com
termed as a satisfactory one due to the fact that misunder plex, sophisticated laboratory installations comprising a
standings can easily arise among the members of the brew great number of sensitive satellite instruments. Manual
ery team themselves. Moreover, it is an expensive method BOD, COD and Nkj methods only provide information on
432 KLUNHOUT AND VAN EERDE: CENTENARY REVIEW [J. Inst. Brew.

individual grab samples but these also are time consuming sludge treatment plant for the reduction of the volume
and expensive. At present, only pH-, temperature and con of sludge that needs to be removed from the area.
ductivity sensors are capable of producing their findings at (c) A WWTP is expensive in energy consumption (elec
such high speed that they can be used as controlling tricity): up to 1 kW/kg of BOD removed for aeration
parameters in production. only is a value which is not uncommon. Obviously the
6. pH correction. Acid losses from a brewery include larger the installation the lower the ratio.
spoiled beer, CO2 and acid cleaning agents. In a return glass (d) Never underestimate the environmental problems that
bottling brewery considerable quantities of mineral acids can arise in connection with a waste water treatment
will be needed to keep down the overall pH to a reasonable plant:
level, e.g. 10. Caustic losses due to carry-over from bottling (1) the noise produced by mechanical gearing and the
hall equipment is not.the most serious problem to be met in splashing of water;
a brewery. Dramatic pH shocks arise from caustic cleaning (2) aerosol deposits may be visible on light-coloured
operations and a super-shock may be expected if the caustic buildings in the neighbourhood;
contents of the bottle washing equipment is discharged (3) stench from both incoming waste water and excess
directly into the drain. No pH remedial dosing system will sludge attracting insects in the summer months;
be able to cope with such violent alkaline reactions. From a (4) a WWTP can be a source of misunderstanding
practical point of view, the only acceptable measure that between the brewery and neighbouring population/
can be taken is from installation of a set of caustic buffer authorities.
tanks able to hold all the caustic from the bottling hall. A A waste water treatment plant may never be simply
construction which allows the old caustic to settle also regarded as a complex comprising mechanical parts; a waste
allows the recuperation of the above-lying caustic enabling water treatment plant is a 'factory' dealing with the meta
it to be reused in a following cycle. It also permits the bolic behaviour of living biomass. It is for this reason alone
neutralisation of the settled matter with dirty CO2 from first that the WWTP operator must be fully aware of the signifi
day's fermentation before it is slowly discharged into the cance of his work and should be knowledgeable of the bio
drain system. Acidic liquors flowing from other depart chemical background of the biomass involved. A knowledge
ments are often neutralised by corroding away concrete of the brewery production processes is also required and a
sewer systems before they are able to neutralise caustic close cooperation between all brewery departmental heads
flows. is of major significance for the well-functioning of a waste
water treatment plant.
An Individual Waste Water Treatment System?
Perhaps the annual waste water bill ofa brewery is rising to
such an astronomical sum that the construction and oper A New Approach- Anaerboic Waste Water Treatment
ation of one's own waste water treatment plant (WWTP) Up to a few years ago, anaerobic treatment was used as a
could prove to be a financially interesting proposition. Jt is method for stabilising sludges produced from aerobic treat
also possible that a brewery is ordered by the local or higher ment methods. It has been illustrated that these lengthy
authorities to reduce its level of pollution to such an extent sludge treatment processes require large reactors (sludge
that an own WWTP is the only alternative. However, the fermenting tanks) and that only limited quantities of a (pre
problems involved with the construction and operation of ferably) high level of pollution can be handled. Moreover,
your own waste water treatment plant should never be the (initial) hydrolysis step was the one that apparently
underestimated: caused the process to take so much time and if that could be
(a) First of all, the required capacity of the WWTP needs to overridden then the process as a whole could be speeded up
be calculated. (by a factor in the region of 100) and could then also be used
(b) Is reliable information available on the present dis for the treatment of more diluted waste waters in larger
charge values? And those for the future? volumes. The Dutch University of Agriculture developed
Depending on the individual brewery, it should be borne the Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket system (UASB) in
in mind that a brewery WWTP must have a considerable which an anaerobic microbiological sludge population is
over-capacity, sometimes even up to 100% in order to be maintained under such conditions to allow the sludge to
able to handle the discharge shocks from production. The agglomerate in high concentrations of globular particles
construction of a well aerated (avoidance of bad smells) and measuring 2 to 5 mm in diameter. Under well defined
a well mixed (avoidance of settling) buffer/balancing tank upflow conditions, these sludge particles form a suspended
with a sufficient retention time (e.g. 6-12 hours) will level blanket, in which the anaerobic flora appears to effectuate
out the brewery's discharge peaks while a smaller, but the removal of pollution of some 60-75% on a COD basis.
higher loaded, WWTP can be used for the actual waste The by-product from this is a mixture of methane (CH4)
water treatment. and carbon dioxide (CO2). Depending on the origin of the
Both of these solutions (the creation of over-capacity, waste water, the gain will be approximately 0-35 m3 of CH4
and a higher loaded installation with a preceding balancing gas per kg COD removed from the waste. The UASB pro
tank) will occupy a large area and that might not always be cess was first used in the Dutch beet sugar industry on an
available. industrial scale where it proved to perform an excellent job.
A rule of thumb for full aerobic treatment is as follows: However, the UASB was disappointing in some cases when
problems may arise when more waste water needs to be applied on other types of waste water at a later stage. The
treated per m2 WWTP area than that produced from an UASB process functions on the basis of large sludge
annual production of 100-150 hi of beer. This figure may be globules with a high settling speed. For some reason, anaer
higher for those breweries with low losses. obic sludge does not always form such globules and the
(a) A conventional WWTP is a source of microbiological smaller ones tend to flush out sooner and consequently form
infection of the air (aerosols) and therefore should not a restriction on the UASB system's capacity. Although it
be located in the immediate vicinity of the canteen or is not clear why anaerobic sludge forms smaller or larger
process water treatment installations. globules the following suggestions have been put forward:
(b) Make sure that there is a permanent outlet present for (a) The varying character or concentration of the incoming
the excess sludge produced. Excess sludge is a liquescent waste water could have a disturbing effect.
product containing only 1 to 5% of dry matter and will (b) Some types of waste water are less suitable for anaer
generally be produced in gigantic quantities. It can also obic treatment.
be an interesting proposition to start up one's own (c) The waste water in question also carries (minor) quanti-
Vol. 92,1986] KLUNHOUT AND VAN EERDE: CENTENARY REVIEW 433

TABLE [.Comparison of aerobic and anaerobic waste water treatment

Waste water—aerobic treatment Waste water—anaerobic treatment

Safe, fool-proof system providing the capacity is sufficient. Excellent results not always guaranteed in a comparable situation.
Simple process: in one, sometimes two stages, attaining COD Complex process (3-4 stages). Average COD removal approx. 70%,
removal better than 90-95% and BOD removal better than 95-99%. varying between 50- greater than 90%. For full treatment a
supplementary aerobic stage will be required.
Large, generally concrete, basins occupy a great deal of space. Relatively small installations in steel or reinforced plastic material.
Tendency towards the construction of'civil monuments'. Tendency toward the construction of tower-like structures.
Enormous consumption of electrical power for aeration. The process In the main, the production of a gaseous mixture comprising mainly
adapts to ambient temperatures. methane. Process operates at 3O-37°C and may require heating
facilities in colder climates.
Large production of excess sludge may lead to the need for a separate Low excess sludge production.
sludge de-watering station and sludge disposal problems.
Preceding buffer/balancing tank is not generally necessary for low Preceding buffer/balancing tank strongly recommended if shock
loaded systems. discharges arc expected.
Rapid recovery after load 'disasters'. 'Disasters' may result in longer drops in treatment capacity.
'All round' aerobic sludge is able to handle variations in raw waste Anaerobic sludge needs to adapt to the kind of pollution to be
water qualities—or is able to rapidly adapt to such. treated. Period of adaptation can take many weeks.
Original natural process occurs in all sound surface waters. Original natural process lakes place in most sub-water sediments.
May generate some environmental side problems: aerosols, May generate a characteristic smell of putrefaction if'out of
mechanical noise, insect plagues. balance*.
Relatively high costs of investment. Relatively low costs of investment may become much higher by the
necessity of constructing extensive waste water
balancing/neutralization facilities and an aerobic after treatment
plant.

ties of substances which inhibit the smooth running or ferably) consistent properties to obtain the best treatment
the anaerobic process. results. In many cases a joint buffer/equilibration tank will
The UASB reactor is probably the most widely applied need to be installed before the treatment plant itself. The
anaerobic treatment system for waste water in the food and complexity of the process as a whole makes essential that it
beverage industry, including some breweries. Several manu is operated by a qualified operator.
facturers undertook innovative work on this process a few
years ago to make it more suitable for the treatment of
waste water. One recent result is the fluid-bed anaerobic sys Brewery Waste Water Treatment
tem as developed and constructed by Gist-Brocades, Delft,
The Netherlands. It can be expected that efforts exerted in Some practical hints
this area will result in a number of technologically highly First of all, a positive attitude towards the authorities
developed anaerobic systems within a few years. governing the control of waste water is the best way to make
Table I shows a few comparisons between aerobic and them see the problem from your point of view. Naturally,
anaerobic waste water treatment systems. The benefit from waste water treatment involves cost but the amount needed
the bio-gas developed in the anaerobic process should not to be spent on this largely depends on the relationship
be overestimated. The treatment process runs optimally at between the relevant persons in the industry and the
some 35°C and part of the gas developed will most probably authorities concerned.
be necessary to heat the waste water flow. Apart from that, An industry can illustrate their willingness by making an
the bio-gas is saturated with water at the reactor temperature effort to reduce visible pollution (e.g. labels: by not allowing
and contains 15-33% CO2, probably H2S and perhaps some them to pass through the bottling hall outlet or by mounting
remains of volatile fatty acids. The properties of these gasses an oil trap in the drain to avoid the escape of oil/fuel). The
need to be taken i nto consideration ifone is considering using same applies in respect of certain by-products which may
bio-gas in a steam boiler, for example. The use of bio-gas in cause serious problems either in the sewer system or in open
practice will also require the construction of a gasometer. water and which are unmistakably of brewery origin (spent
Finally, in its present technological state, the anaerobic grains, spent yeast, used filter aid material). If there is no
treatment system is unable to fully treat raw effluents. It is positive outlet available for such materials, one solution is to
capable of removing the top pollution load from raw have them dumped on (municipal) tips. A second solution
waste water (60-80%). For full treatment, an aerobic post- (after consultation with the authorities) might be to deposit it
treatment system will remain necessary for the removal of at a less critical place in a river, downstream of the city water
the last third part of the original pollution. intake, for example.
When an aerobic treatment system has become 'derailed', One ofthe most critical aspects ofbrewery waste water is its
due to some accident or another, it will probably take quite pH variance (this also applies in one-way packaging brewer
some time to 're-rail'. This is a direct consequence of the low ies). The least expensive way to limit this problem is to install
excess sludge production; one of the major advantages of caustic buffer tanks which after use are drained extremely
the anaerobic treatment system. slowly (over a period of one whole week). The inventive
Up to date, the principle of anaerobic waste water treat design of such tanks could also provide the opportunity of
ment is a most promising option for use by the foodstuffs recuperating caustic and consequently a saving on the bill
industry in particular. Modern anaerobic treatment is rela for fresh caustic. A similar system could be arranged for
tively inexpensive from the point of view of investment and acid regeneration and detergents (use plastic, or plastic-
running cost; an additional advantage being its compact lined, buffer tanks!).
ness. However, the process is by no means fool-proof and All breweries (and this is by no means limited to breweries
is vulnerable as regards certain substances in low concen alone) are faced with the problem of disposing of larger
trations and requires an almost constant in-flow with (pre quantities of liquor from time to time. This liquor may be
434 KLUNHOUT AND VAN EERDE: CENTENARY REVIEW [J. Inst. Brew.

rest beer, the contents or cleaning or disinfecting circuits, with the assistance of a bulldozer and then line it with p.c. or
the slurry in the caustic recuperation tank, etc. The discharge a synthetic rubber sheeting material. In (tropical) marsh
content could be spread out by mounting a blind-plate with lands one might give thought to converting a natural lagoon
an orifice in or on the tank outlet valve. for this purpose. The installation of an equilibration device
Precipitation on the total ground area of a brewery may should never be regarded by production personnel as an
contain a considerable volume of water. A standard rainfall excuse to perform their work less conscientiously.
of 60 litre per second per hectare during a period of 15
minutes will cause a run-off of some 50 m3 per hectare from
hard surfaces such as bottling hall roofs, etc. Such volume Conclusions
shocks are generally forbidden by the management of sewer
A Forecast
systems and they can be limited by collecting such run-off in
a man-made lagoon, subterranean buffer tank or buffer From the foregoing text it may be concluded that a brewery
sewer, from which it can be evacuated over the next few is able to do a great deal itself in making its waste water less
hours by means of a simple submerged pump. This sugges destructive by reducing the levels of its discharge peaks.
tion is based on the assumption that a separate drain system Moreover, reorganisation/sanitation (house-keeping
for rainwater is available. The method described above can methods), is also a way to reduce the discharge per hecto
also be used to limit discharge shocks from malt-houses. litre of beer both in respect of volume and load. This paper
The previously discussed discharges, arising from the does not aim to tempt a brewery into constructing its own
actual beer making and packaging processes, are not easily waste water treatment plant, nor is it the intention to propa
limited without changing the production procedures. From gate any special manufacturer or type of system. The sheer
a technical point of view, good maintenance of equipment speed of technological development in the fields of brewing
(and overhauls if necessary—replacement ofleaking gaskets) and waste water treatment could mean that today's 'best'
can reduce the amount of loss. A one per cent lower extract system (if one can speak of one system being superior to
loss will generally mean a saving on the waste water bill by another) could easily become obsolete within a period as
about 10 per cent. The training of production personnel in short as ten years.
these matters may help to limit losses if they are sufficiently Yet those who have specialised in waste water treatment
keen and quick to learn. Probably the most efficient action technology do tend to think in terms of a turn towards aero
that can be taken to reduce the effect of shocks is the bic treatment systems as regards waste water and an anaero
installation of a buffer tank. The terms 'balancing tank' or bic system for the treatment of sludges. One envisages the
'equilibration basin' are more correct when one considers problem being inverscd: first the 'topping-off of waste
the actual functions of such an installation: water by an anaerobic method and then the 'post-treatment*
1. Normal hydraulic buffering of volume shock discharges. of the anaerobic effluent by means of an aerobic system. The
2. BOD shocks will be spread throughout the entire con main problems encountered up to now have been the
tents so that the impact is less intense. adaptation of anaerobic systems to low-strength waste
3. Temperature, disinfectant and pH shocks are balanced waters and the results obtained from anaerobic treatment
out and neutralised to less harmful levels. The effect of systems, which do not always appear to be predictable.
the caustic is also limited by the carbon dioxide in the air This new approach is in actual fact a compact and
above it. modernised version of a classical method: the old faithful
4. An open balancing tank reflects the situation in the combination of the (facultative) anaerobic lagoon followed
brewery and therefore creates the possibility to step in by an aerobic one in which the oxygen supply is supported
when faced with imminent 'disastrous' situations. by assimilating algae.
5. A sufficiently large balancing tank will rectify the raw For the time being however, a universal system or method
waste water to such an extent that even a high-load type for the treatment of (brewery) waste water is not to be
of WWTP will function accordingly. expected. Local circumstances, climate, discharge regu
6. A good balancing tank with sufficient aeration capacity, lation, 'polities', public relation aspects, population density
may give rise to a limited reduction of the tank contents and environment pollutants from other industries, plus of
BOD level. course the brewery's waste water profile, will most probably
This balancing, or equilibratory effect, requires that the continue to be decisive factors as regards necessity of a
contents of the tank are really well mixed: an incoming waste water treatment plant. And it will also be the same
shock should be diluted by the entire volume as quickly as factors which will play the leading role in the decision as to
possible. If the contents are well mixed it will also prevent system, type, shape and capacity, to obtain the best possible
the solids from settling. A balancing tank can have quite a solution in each individual case.
large volume. For a brewery, 6 to 12 hours buffering
capacity above a basic volume of several hours of discharge
could result in an effective volume of 1,200-2,000 m3 for a References
one million hi brewery. The aerated equilibration lagoon 1. State of the art: Waste water management in the beverage industry.
shown in Figure I has a maximum volume of 1,500 m and EPA document no. 600/2-77-048, Feb. 1977.
2. The law and Practice Relating to Pollution Control in the Member
has performed an excellent job since 1984. A balancing
States of the European Communities: A Comparative Survey, by J.
tank/lagoon can cither be made of steel or reinforced con Me. Loughlin. Publ. Graham & Trotman Ltd. 1982. ISBN 0.086010
crete. However, a cheaper solution is to excavate the lagoon 040 5.