Towards Sustainable Beer

We're conscious of our surroundings.

When we started the brewery on the family farm, we did so not so much strategically but more opportunistically. Space, opportunity and a brilliant work setting were the initial advantages. As we've matured and grown, our initial decision to set down roots on the farm is beginning to influence who we are and what we do. 

We've begun integrating beer production into larger, self-sufficient ecosystems on the working farm, and by doing so, are taking greater control of the brewing process from start to finish. We're creating a farm-to-bottle process that isn’t just great for the environment — it’s great for beer connoisseurs, too.

Sunny Beer

Van Dieman Brewing is brewing green beer, but not the type that you'd commonly associate with St Patrick’s Day - we're brewing sustainable beer made with green energy. The brewery last week installed & turned on a 48-kilowatt solar array - one of only a handful of Australian craft breweries to invest in the technology - at our White Hills farm. The 300 solar panels should generate more than 33 MWh of clean electricity every year. On-site generation should see us satisfy up to 80% of the brewery’s total electric demand annually, and the system will successfully produce a surplus of energy during the summer months allowing us to feed back into the grid. 

The addition of solar power to the brewery continues our commitment to an environmentally sustainable production model incorporating best-practice technologies and efforts to look after the amazing environment we're so lucky to work within.

Wastewater irrigation

In addition to all that carbon-free electricity, the brewery also aerobically treats all of our wastewater which we then use to irrigate tree plantations on the farm. As part of our long-term sustainability plan, we have already reduced our water and energy consumption by over 30% over the past four years and the solar array will make that number even better. 

Grains for Lunch

Spent grains from the brewing process are utilised to feed an ever present drove of Wessex Saddleback pigs, which we butcher ourselves and often provide slow-roasted lunches to very lucky guests of the brewery. 

Beer metres

All of these steps are part of a conscious decision to protect and respect the environment we operate and live in. As we strive to grow and brew with our own farm ingredients, we're actively pursuing the concept of 'beer metres' as opposed to the more common 'food miles'.