Reuse the Final Rinse Water in your Brewery

In breweries, reusing the final rinse water in the initial rinse of the next cycle of cleaning, known as cascade rinsing, can conserve water and have a significant environmental impact. Cascade rinsing can also minimize the volume of wastewater produced.

The first wash cycle employs clean water to wash away many of the deposits from the tanks. This water which is now highly contaminated is then discharged or purified. More rinse cycles are run and for each cycle, the amount of contaminants in the water reduces.

The water from the final rinse is relatively free from minerals and other materials as most of them have been washed off by previous rinse cycles. This final rinse water is relatively clean and can be collected and used as the initial rinse water for the next cleaning cycle. This system helps save water and supports the ideas of sustainable and green manufacturing.

In a case study, reusing the final rinse water estimated around 160,000 gallons of water and more than $10,000 of annual savings.