King of BERSI'd love to work on a project similar to this that would blend my fondness of beer with my career all while doing something that's beneficial for the client company and the environment.Through Anheuser-Busch's award-winning Bio-Energy Recovery Systems (BERS), we actually harness renewable energy from our brewing process wastewater. This complex method allows us to capture biogas from the nutrient-rich water. Our breweries then burn this renewable energy source for fuel, supplying up to 15 percent of their on-site fuel needs. Last year, the energy BERS generated for our breweries was enough to heat more than 25,000 homes. We also avoided more than 258 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels by using this renewable fuel.
Today, Anheuser-Busch is the world's largest user of BERS, which is in place at nine of our 12 U.S. breweries and also at our brewery in Wuhan, China. And we've been using this method for more than two decades.
We continually work to make BERS more efficient and research new technology to further improve the process. And we champion BERS as an example of how renewable energy can be found in the most surprising places (who knew brewing process wastewater could help fuel a brewery) as we keep looking for new renewable energy sources.
- Wastewater resulting from the brewing process is filtered to remove grain and other particles and then piped into large tanks, where the temperature and acidity are equalized;
- The water is then sent to airtight reactor tanks, where microorganisms - tiny "bugs" that thrive in this low-oxygen environment - feast on nutrient-rich molecules in the water;
- The bugs digest almost all of these nutrients and produce a renewable biogas;
- The biogas is siphoned out of the tanks and sent back to the brewery to help fuel boilers that provide energy to run the plant;
- The pretreated water is then sent to the local wastewater treatment plant, which requires less electricity to treat it as compared to water the plant would have received from the brewery without BERS.
The key to the whole process is the microorganisms, or bugs. "We make sure the bugs are nice and healthy so they can do their business," said Al Beers, an Anheuser-Busch engineer who oversees BERS operations. "All of this is about happy bugs."
And that's how the "King of Beers" has come to be known as the "King of BERS."
Anheuser-Busch BERS Process
Murphy's Red Beer
 |
| Date: | 10/24/2007 |
| Brewery: | Murphy Brewery |
| Beer: | Murphy's Red Beer |
| Origin: | Cork, Ireland |
| Style: | Irish Red Ale |
| Container: | 12 oz. brown glass bottle, normal cap |
| Purchased: | Kegs & Barrels, Plano, TX |
| Price: | $7.49 per 6-pack |
| Alcohol: | 5.00% ABV ABV |
| Brewer's Description: | Brewed to the original recipe since 1856. |
| Appearance: | Reddish amber in color. Many bubbles rising randomly. Poured a nice head that was retained for only a short time. |
| Aroma: | A little hop spiciness. I wish my nose was better trained. That's about all I can pick up. |
| Taste: | Most of the taste is present as aftertaste. Not very bitter at all. Detectable sweetness, but not overpowering. |
| Mouth Feel: | Quite a bit of carbonation that gives significant bite when held in mouth. I wouldn't say it's too much, but it's almost there. When drinking normally, it's not very detectable. |
| Drinkability: | Pretty good, overall. Now that I've had 4 over the course of a few days, I like it more than I liked the first bottle. I prefer this red beer over Killian's. |
| Score: | 6 / 10 |
Other links:
- Murphy's Red Beer scored a C+ on
- Murphy's Red Beer scored 2.82 on
Here is my feeble attempt at photographing my beer. I've got quite a collection of beer photos going, but my photography technique needs some serious work. Most of the pictures are awful. I'd like to make a DIY light box for capturing the beer bottles. Maybe someday I'll have time and motivation to do that. Until then, I think I ought to just take the pictures outside in natural sunlight.
 |
| From Beer |
Another side note, there's not much at all online about this beer. I find this quite unusual. When you go to Murphy's site, they only talk about their stout. I wanted to try to find a better brewer's description, but couldn't.
Anchor Summer Beer
 |  |
| Date: | 9/15/2007 |
| Brewery: | Anchor Brewing Co. |
| Beer: | Anchor Summer Beer |
| Origin: | San Francisco, CA |
| Style: | American Pale Wheat Ale |
| Container: | 12oz. Brown Glass Bottle |
| Purchased: | Kegs & Barrels, Plano, TX |
| Price: | $8.99 per 6-pack |
| Alcohol: | 4.60% ABV |
| Brewer's Description: | Anchor Summer is the first American wheat beer in modern times. Our first brew of this light and refreshing beer was in the summer of 1984. Anchor Summer is an all-malt beer, and over 50% of its malt comes from malted wheat. It is fermented with a Triticum aestivum, AKA wheat traditional top-fermenting "ale" yeast because we prefer the clean flavors developed by this yeast. We believe that this style best celebrates the refreshingly light flavor of malted wheat. You may notice that the head on this beer is unusually abundant, with a consistency similar to whipped egg whites. This is due to protein contributed by the wheat. The brewers at Anchor are proud to have revived not only rich hearty dark beers, but also this light crisp style of a modern American wheat beer. |
| Appearance: | Golden yellow in color. Pretty close to a Bud Light in color. One small bubble trail with a few random bubbles. Poured a large head from a normal pour. Retention was not long. |
| Aroma: | Much like other wheat beers, there is a detectable citrus smell. |
| Taste: | Similar to Sunshine Wheat. I guess this is a typical wheat beer taste. |
| Mouth Feel: | A little smoother than the Sunshine, with not quite as much carbonation. |
| Drinkability: | Decent overall, but I prefer Boulevard Wheat. |
| Score: | 4 / 10 |
Other links:
- Anchor Summer Beer scored a B- on
- Anchor Summer Beer scored 2.78 on
Boddingtons Pub Ale
 |  |
| Date: | 9/17/2007 |
| Brewery: | Interbrew UK Ltd. |
| Beer: | Boddingtons Pub Ale |
| Origin: | Magor, Caldicot, UK (Whales) |
| Style: | English Pale Ale |
| Container: | 1-pint aluminum can w/ pressurized widget |
| Purchased: | Kegs & Barrels, Plano, TX |
| Price: | $0 per 4-pack |
| Alcohol: | 4.7% ABV |
| Brewer's Description: | Since 1778 when it was first brewed at the Strangeways Brewery in Manchester, Boddingtons has been renowned as a unique, pale-gold ale. In English pubs, Boddingtons is served using the traditional hand pulled method which mixes air with the ale as it pours, producing a distinctive creamy head and smooth body, with little gassiness. Ordinary packaged ale cannot match this quality, but the new Draughtflow system does. By releasing millions of tiny bubbles when opened, Draughtflow cans give the creamy head and authentic fresh taste of Boddington’s Pub Ale. The Draughtflow system employs a small recyclable device which floats in the ale. |
| Appearance: | Very fine bubbles in creamy white head. Color is light amber. Bubbles were down in glass before head settled. Small bubbles lead to good head retention. |
| Aroma: | Typical beer smell. Somewhat mild in smell. Nothing, in particular, sticks out. |
| Taste: | Tastes OK. Nothing special. |
| Mouth Feel: | Very smooth. No detectable carbonation, much like Wexford's. I want more bubbles! |
| Drinkability: | Not very good because of lack of carbonation. Taste is ok, but poor feel means I won't get it again. Taste alone is better than Wexford's, so I will rate it +1 over the Irish Cream Ale. |
| Score: | 2 / 10 |
Other links:
- Boddingtons Pub Ale scored a B- on
- Boddingtons Pub Ale scored 2.82 on
Boulevard Lunar Ale
 |  |
| Date: | 10/11/2007 |
| Brewery: | Boulevard Brewing Co. |
| Beer: | Lunar Ale |
| Origin: | Kansas City, MO |
| Style: | Dunkelweizen |
| Container: | 12oz. Brown Glass Bottle |
| Purchased: | Mary's Liquor, Tahlequah, OK |
| Price: | $0 per 6-pack |
| Alcohol: | 4.5% ABV ABV |
| Brewer's Description: | Boulevard Lunar Ale is a cloudy, russet brown beer with subtle aromatic notes provided by our special yeast strain. A substantial portion of the grain used in brewing is wheat, which produced a beer that is naturally hazy. We also use a small amount of German roasted malt, which adds the distinctive color. The result is a beer with a uniquely rounded, mellow flavor crowned by a crisp, dry finish. In the tradition of great ales, we've added a small amount of yeast to the beer just before packaging to produce a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The yeast, which settles naturally to the bottom of the bottle, encourages further maturation and contributes to the beer's complex flavor. |
| Appearance: | Cloudy amber/brown color. Head is off-white with a tinge of tan in it. Small bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass. Poured a small head without much retention. |
| Aroma: | I can smell the yeast. Almost smells like the Don de Dieu. Pick up something similar to cider. |
| Taste: | Lots of aftertaste. Much more flavor after swallowing than when the beer is in my mouth. Has some sourness in it. Nice blend of hops & malt, minus the sourness. |
| Mouth Feel: | Good feel with just the right amount of carbonation. |
| Drinkability: | I seem to remember this being better the weekend it was brought to me. Perhaps it's better to drink it quickly after purchase. IT's date was 12/24/07, so it shouldn't be bad. Maybe it just fermented more. If I get some more at Christmas, I'll experiment with aging it. |
| Score: | 6 / 10 |
Other links:
George Killian's Irish Red
 |  |
| Date: | 10/10/2007 |
| Brewery: | Coors Brewing Company |
| Beer: | George Killian's Irish Red |
| Origin: | Golden, CO |
| Style: | Euro Dark Lager |
| Container: | 12oz. Brown glass bottle, twist-off cap |
| Purchased: | Tom Thumb, Rowlett, TX |
| Price: | $0 per 6-pack |
| Alcohol: | 4.90% ABV |
| Brewer's Description: | In the tradition of George Killian Lett, Enniscorthy, Ireland. Manufactured under license from Brasseries Pelforth, S.A. The first Killian's recipe dates back to 1864 when George Killian's great-grandfather brewed the amber liquid in Enniscorthy, Ireland. From Website: Killian's Irish Red is a traditional lager with an authentic Irish heritage, based on the Killian family's recipe created for the Killian's brewery in Enniscorthy, Ireland in 1864. Coors acquired the rights to brew and market the product in America and Killian's was introduced to the U.S. in 1981. Killian's Irish Red derives its distinctive red-amber color and taste from a special caramel malt that has been roasted at a high temperature longer and more slowly than most malts. There are no coloring agents or artificial additives used in brewing Killian's. The brew is known for its rich amber color and thick, creamy head. Killian's is available nationally in bottles, cans and kegs. A 12-ounce serving of Killian's has 163 calories and 4.9 percent alcohol by volume. |
| Appearance: | Medium-dark amber in color. Small, random bubbles rise. Poured a nice head but did not retain it for long at all. |
| Aroma: | I think I can smell some hops. Other than that, nothing very specific. |
| Taste: | There is a nutty taste. It's very detectable in the aftertaste. Seems pretty sweet. Not very bitter. |
| Mouth Feel: | Pretty good feel. Carbonation level is good - maybe a touch high. |
| Drinkability: | Pretty drinkable, although not as good as I remember. That's probably due to all of my new exposure to good beer. There are other ambers I would order if available. Left me craving something salty afterwards. |
| Score: | 5 / 10 |
Other links:
- George Killian's Irish Red scored a C+ on
- George Killian's Irish Red scored 2.71 on
