SUSTAINABILITY
Care beyond the beer
Care for our beer includes care for what brewing leaves behind. At our Williston brewery, we’re investing in wastewater pretreatment and keeping spent grain in use through local farms.
Biological start-up is underway
Project update: October 8, 2026. We’re growing the microbial culture before introducing organic brewery wastewater into the new treatment system.
The MBR installation at our Williston brewery in August 2026. Installation photograph; biological start-up is now underway.
Wastewater treatment at Williston
Our new membrane bioreactor, or MBR, is designed to reduce the organic load in brewery wastewater before it reaches the municipal treatment system. It brings together biological treatment and membrane filtration.
How the system is designed to work
1. Collect and balance. Brewery wastewater is screened and balanced before treatment.
2. Biological treatment. Microorganisms use oxygen to break down organic material.
3. Membrane filtration. Membranes separate water from remaining solids.
4. Municipal treatment. The pretreated water continues through the sewer for municipal treatment.
Keeping useful materials in use
High-strength yeast
We continue to keep high-strength yeast in a separate stream for use as fertilizer or feedstock for digesters.
Spent grain
After brewing, our spent grain is collected by a local hauler and sent to local farms for animal feed.