Real Ale Brewing Company has installed and implemented CiCi carbon capture technology at its brewery in Blanco, becoming one of the first large-scale craft breweries in Texas to incorporate small-scale CO2 recovery into its operations. The Elm system captures waste carbon dioxide produced during fermentation, purifies it to ISBT beverage-grade standards, and enables the brewery to reuse that CO2 to carbonate its beer and support production processes, thereby improving sustainability, reducing external costs and mitigating against supply chain volatility.

“We’re proud to expand our sustainability program with a solution that helps us reduce our carbon footprint while ensuring our production is more efficient and more resilient,” said Real Ale President Brad Farbstein. “This investment aligns with our belief that great beer and environmental responsibility go hand in hand, and it allows us to keep doing our part for Texas and the Hill Country.”

The modular CiCi (Elm) carbon capture plant was installed with the majority of equipment located in the back of the brewery, and key equipment inside, including a foam trap, buffer balloon and manifold, that integrate directly with Real Ale’s fermentation process. After capture, the purified CO2 undergoes quality testing and sensory evaluation by Real Ale’s team, who report that it meets or exceeds their existing quality standards for brewing and packaging.