The proliferation of microbreweries around the Sunshine Coast has put the spotlight on one of the more unsung parts of the brewing process: water.
In the past decade the number of microbreweries across the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Moreton Bay has increased by 800 per cent, with 18 currently producing compared to just two in 2013.
Lance Masterton, co-founder and head brewer at Heads of Noosa, said breweries, by nature, used a lot of water as cleanliness was a huge part of the process.
“A lot of water is required to facilitate the cleaning processes used in brewing,” he said.
“We also produce and side-stream spent grain, hops and yeast, which are often used for animal feed and fertilisers in an agricultural setting. Minimising waste is at the forefront of our minds.”
Unitywater executive manager customer and community Katherine Gee said the demand for microbreweries was higher than ever before.
“In the last decade, we’ve seen the number of microbreweries in our region significantly increase and, like other commercial businesses, microbreweries produce trade waste that enters our wastewater network for treatment,” she said.
“That treatment is an incredibly important part of any manufacturing or production process so the treated wastewater can be safely returned to our waterways.”
Blackflag Brewing founders Steve Barber and Clint Hagerty said the Sunshine Coast was the ideal place for their business, matching a great lifestyle with a product that locals enjoy.
“Essentially, we love this place. We’ve both been here for about 10 years operating bars and it was a natural progression to move into brewing. People’s tastes have changed and they’re keen to support local businesses creating something a bit different to your mass-produced brews,” Mr Barber said.
“We have been lucky enough to expand on our first brewery in Mooloolaba and open a second location in Coolum, and the locals are 100 per cent behind us, which is great.
“The other really fantastic thing is that there’s lots and lots of breweries popping up, we are all very collaborative and keen to work together, so it’s a really supportive industry.”
Mr Masterton agreed.
“Beer is such a social product and when we were looking for a location, the Sunshine Coast was a natural fit. The real kicker to that was we get to live in this fantastic part of the world,” he said.
“Brewing is such a natural process using natural ingredients, so it fits really well with the environment here on the Sunny Coast.”
Ms Gee said Unitywater worked closely with thousands of business customers across the region to safely manage trade waste as part of its 24/7 operations.
“Our treatment services ensure that we can all enjoy the beautiful lifestyle we all love so much here in South-East Queensland,” she said.
Mr Masterton said working closely with the water services provider was good for both businesses.
“They have infrastructure that we require to brew beer, and that infrastructure isn’t something that can be put in place easily so early and open communication both ways is necessary for possibilities and goals to align,” he said.
“We’re both businesses that employ a lot of locals, so it’s a necessity for both businesses to be viable to continue to do so.”
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