Earthy Labs is a company that has revealed a concept on how to reduce the costly amount of carbon dioxide that is released as part of the brewing process.  COVID-19 has decreased the price of oil and halted the demand for gasoline, therefore producing less carbon dioxide, which is making it more expensive for those who need it.

Amy George, founder and CEO of the company, states there are three steps of purification, “The first are dryers that remove water.  The second is an activated carbon vessel that removes impurities, and then the third is a chiller that takes that gas and converts it to a liquid,” George said.

Her company has sold this machinery to breweries such as Austin Beerworks and Denver Beer Company. The unit and installation comes at a price of about $100,000.

Incentive for breweries to capture their own carbon dioxide is right now some suppliers don’t want to bother with low-volume customers.

“Some of our customers had suppliers say, ‘We’re going to ration CO2 for medical supply use,’” George said. “‘We’re going to increase your prices 30%, we’re going to cut your supply in half.’”

“Everybody’s going to feel the pinch,” said Bob Pease, CEO of the Brewers Association. “A carbon dioxide shortage might get worse before it gets better as bars and restaurants, big users of CO2, start to reopen.”

In spite of this solution for carbon dioxide containment, the reality for all brewers is that the ability to capture carbon dioxide is only part of what beer makers need to use causing them to still have to go out and purchase carbon dioxide on the open market.