Gluten-Free Beer

Abstract

The goal of the project is to design a plant that is capable of converting feedstock of primarily sorghum into a gluten-free beer. This product is intended to be sold as a replacement of malt based beers for consumption by those who suffer from celiac disease or other gluten intolerances. The waste streams from this process include spent grains and yeast, and will be given to ranchers for the use as animal feed. This beer is created through a standard fermentation process. This includes mashing, boiling, filtering, fermenting, maturing, and packaging for distribution. A process hazard analysis was conducted to identify and help reduce safety and environmental hazards. An economic analysis showed that the plant's net present value for a project life of ten years with an interest rate of 15% is $1.08 million; therefore, it was recommended that the plant be built at this time. Future work includes scaling up the process for better profit margins, and finding more ways to reduce the amount of water and energy used.