As of December 2012, there are over 2,700 breweries operating in
the United States – more than at any other time since
Prohibition. In 2011 alone, 174 new microbreweries opened their
doors in the U.S. The explosion of breweries in the past two
decades would seem to suggest that this is an easy growth, cash
cow market, but it’s much more difficult to annually turn a
profit than these figures might suggest. And some, like the
Alaskan Brewing Company (which was the 67th brewery in the U.S.
after Prohibition), have had to come up with innovative new ways
to keep their business in the black. That’s where ‘Beer Powered
Beer’ comes in. The Alaskan Brewing Co., located in Juneau,
Alaska, has started a process of reusing brewing ingredients as
fuel, making their brewery more self-sustaining in an attempt to
cut costs. One of the main ingredients in most beer is a malt
and barley mash. The grain is spent, or used, in the brewing
process, and leaves behind a wet, biomass byproduct. Most
breweries, including Alaskan Brew