Block 15 Brewing Announces Lagered By the Sun Program
Block 15 Brewing has begun an new initiative that brings the power of solar to a new line of lagers aptly named Lagered by the Sun. This new line of lagers represents the brewery’s commitment to sustainable brewing practices by using its solar panels to provide the cold storage for these beers while working with regionally grown malted barley and hops.
The new Lagered by the Sun program focuses on brewing with local and regional ingredients and utilizing solar energy in the lagering process. “Lagered by The Sun has been a project several years in the making, and we’re proud that the result encompasses many of our efforts to brew sustainably while creating unique craft beer that genuinely represents our place in the PNW,” says founding Brewer Nick Arzner, in a statement.
This program began back in December 2021. With the help of Oregon Clean Power Cooperative and the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, 98kW of solar panels were installed at Block 15’s Southtown Brewery and Taproom. This provides the facility with 40% of the building’s needs, more than enough to power the breweries’ glycol cooling system that cold stores its lagers beers to peak maturity. To this date, the solar panels have provided 185.57MWh of power. If you want to take a glimpse of the live tracking of the energy being produced, click here.
Then to assist in its sustainability practices, Block 15 was inspired by the historical European and international lagers that follows this process. Block 15 also focuses on working with regionally sourced ingredients close without diminishing the quality of the beer. By reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation, these partnerships support farmers in the Pacific Northwest while giving their brewers greater control over the beers’ character. Recently, Block 15 installed an additional silo that is exclusively filled with Pacific Northwest Pilsner malt.
“A brewery sourcing regional materials means they critically examine their impact on the environment and community,” said Matt Williams, Block 15 Brewery Operations Manager, in a statement. “It matters because, as an industry, brewers need to be good stewards of our planet’s natural resources. Breweries need high-quality water, grain, and hops to make their products, so anything we can do to reduce our impact on the environment contributes to better-growing environ- ments for the crops we need and less impact on the watersheds we count on for our water. Locally sourcing our materials has the added benefit of supporting local economies and helping keep jobs in our communities.”
To learn more about Block 15 Brewing Company, visit block15.com.
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.