Abstract #T84

# T84
Comparative environmental impact analysis of distilled whey spirit and white whiskey production.
D. Risner1, A. Shayevitz1, L. Goddik*1, P. Hughes1, 1Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR.

Whey disposal can be an environmental and economic challenge for artisanal creameries. The biochemical demand of whey can be reduced via an ethanol producing fermentation. This fermentation creates a 2.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) wash which can be distilled to produce a potable spirit; Distilled Whey Spirit (DWS). The environmental impact of the distillation process for DWS and another novel spirit, white whiskey was compared. This was done using a process-based life cycle analysis (LCA). The functional unit of 750mL of 45% ABV spirit was chosen to compare the environmental impact of DWS and white whiskey. The LCA compared the differences in the production processes. To compare these differences a model 2 pot distillation was created. These differences were quantified via mass of CO2e produced and water inputs and outputs. The differences measured included energy inputs, mass of water used and output, production byproducts, and CO2 produced during the fermentation. The energy usage was quantified using thermodynamic calculations and converted to kilograms of CO2e based upon the burning of natural gas. Conversion of waste material to mass of CO2e was done through the use of the EPA tool, the waste reduction model (WARM). This tool was used to quantify the environmental impact of the spent grain in white whiskey production and to quantify the removal of whey from the waste stream. Production of DWS, instead of white whiskey, emitted 8–9 fewer kilograms of CO2e per 750 mL of 45% ABV spirit. Water input for the DWS production was 0.4 kg per 750 mL of 45% ABV spirit less than the white whiskey production. The difference in water output of DWS production was 3.4 kg greater per 750 mL of 45% ABV spirit than white whiskey production. The difference in water inputs and outputs can be attributed to differences in the initial amount of alcohol present in washes and the inclusion of a mashing step in white whiskey production. The production of DWS instead of white whiskey was found to reduce the CO2e emissions and water usage of the spirit. Converting whey to DWS is effective in LCA terms as both a valorization of whey and the fact that DWS production performs well relative to typical spirits such as white whiskey.

Key Words: whey, distilled, sustainability