Grain to beer to belt: new brewers’ spent grain project to transform by-products into food and leather

A new three-year research collaboration will mean more WA brewers will be looking to buy local grain, with spent grain set to be transformed into other products such as food and clothing accessories. The State Government is investing $660,000 into a $1.24 million collaborative project led by ChemCentre in conjunction with End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Curtin University, and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis said the project was recommended following consultation with small and medium brewers in metro and regional areas as part of the Craft Beer Strategy, which recognised the important link between paddock to pint. “A facility like (Gage Roads) alone uses more than 50 tonnes of WA-grown barley — it turns, effectively, a bulk commodity to a very high-value product,” she said. “Managing brewers spent grain efficiently and effectively was one of the major issues raised during industry consultation and the strategy recommended a research and development program to address this food waste issue and to create markets for inclusive by-products.” Ms Jarvis said the outcome of the project would help industry profits by transforming costly by-products into a source of revenue. “Once we’ve actually got the research right, the brewing industry will provide a huge number of jobs across the local supply chain,” she said. “It is the ultimate value-adding, turning a bulk commodity into a premium product.” Industry partners such as the WA Brewers Association, Spinifiex Brewing Co, Nanollose, and Maalinup Aboriginal Gallery will contribute to the research project. Brewery spent grain is a by-product of the brewing process, mainly from barley grain. Ms Jarvis said farmer access to the WA brewing industry provides a “fantastic” domestic market alongside the sale of 80 to 90 per cent of WA’s grain overseas as a bulk commodity. “Having that local relationship is really important, having another use for this grain after it’s been brewed provides those opportunities to make sure that more local brewers use local grain,” she said. “If they can actually have a high-value product at the end of it all, it actually improves the economics for everyone across the value chain.” Science and Innovation Minister Stephen Dawson said the research project was an initiative that extended beyond the paddock to pint experience. “Tapping into the potential of brewers spent grain for food and fibres opens up new commercial pathways for brewing, food and biomaterials sectors here in WA,” he said. Mr Dawson said brewers spent grain is “one of the biggest” by-products of the beer industry, and makes up some of the 500,000 tonnes of waste in Australia’s agrifood sector. “Australian brewers produce more than 300,000 tonnes of protein rich, high-fibre BSG per year, and that’s about 20kg of wet by-product created for every 100 litres of beer brewed, most of which is destined for low-cost animal feed or landfill,” he said. “This project is about changing that. “By finding new uses for this by-product will reduce waste to landfill disposal costs for breweries and will create opportunities for regional manufacturers and supply chains.” ChemCentre senior research scientist Manjree Agarwal said the research would look into transforming BSG into nutritious food, facial cosmetics, and non-animal based leather such as belts.