What Smog City Brewery does and where it operates

Smog City Brewery is a craft brewery located in Long Beach, California, that has become known in the region for its approach to resource management and environmental practices. The brewery produces beer on-site and operates a taproom where customers can purchase and consume their products. Like all breweries, Smog City uses significant amounts of water in its production process — both for brewing the beer itself and for cleaning equipment — and generates waste streams that include spent grain, wastewater, and packaging materials.

The brewery's location in Long Beach, an area historically affected by air quality issues (which is where the name "Smog City" originates), has made environmental responsibility part of its public identity. Understanding how a brewery of this size manages its environmental footprint can help you see what practices are common in craft brewing and what steps individual businesses take to reduce their impact.

Key Takeaways

  • Breweries use large volumes of water for production and cleaning, typically requiring 3 to 10 gallons of water per gallon of beer produced, depending on efficiency measures.
  • Spent grain from brewing is often donated to local farms for animal feed rather than sent to landfills, reducing waste and creating a secondary use for byproducts.
  • Wastewater from breweries contains organic matter and requires treatment before it can be discharged into municipal systems or local waterways.
  • Craft breweries in California operate under state and local environmental regulations that cover water discharge, air emissions, and solid waste management.
  • Many breweries have reduced their environmental impact by upgrading equipment, recycling water where possible, and working with local waste management partners.

Water use in brewery operations

Brewing beer is water-intensive. The water is used directly in the product — it makes up the majority of beer — but also for cooling, cleaning tanks and equipment, and rinsing bottles or kegs. The ratio of water used to beer produced varies widely depending on how efficiently a brewery operates. Older facilities or those without water-recycling systems may use 10 gallons of water for every gallon of finished beer. Breweries with modern equipment and conservation practices can reduce this to 3 to 5 gallons per gallon of beer.

Smog City Brewery, like most modern craft breweries in California, operates under water conservation requirements set by the state and by Long Beach's municipal water authority. California has experienced prolonged drought conditions in recent decades, which has made water efficiency a regulatory priority. Breweries must monitor their water consumption and report usage to local water districts. Some breweries have installed recirculating systems that capture and reuse water from cooling processes, reducing the total volume drawn from the municipal supply.

The brewery also pays for water as a utility cost, which creates a direct financial incentive to use less. Reducing water consumption lowers both the brewery's operating expenses and its environmental footprint, making efficiency improvements economically rational even before environmental regulations are considered.

Waste streams and byproduct management

Brewing generates several types of waste. Spent grain — the solid material left after grains are steeped in hot water to extract sugars — is the largest byproduct by weight. A typical brewery produces spent grain equal to roughly 20 percent of the weight of the beer it makes. Rather than sending this to a landfill, most craft breweries, including Smog City, partner with local farms to donate or sell spent grain as animal feed. Cattle, goats, and other livestock eat spent grain readily, and farmers value it as a protein source. This arrangement diverts a large volume of organic waste from landfills and creates a circular use for a byproduct.

Breweries also generate packaging waste — cardboard boxes, plastic shrink wrap, and metal or glass containers. Many craft breweries have implemented recycling programs for these materials. Smog City operates in Long Beach, which has municipal recycling infrastructure, allowing the brewery to divert cardboard, aluminum, and glass from the waste stream.

Yeast and other fermentation residues are also byproducts. Some breweries sell or donate yeast to other producers or to research institutions. Others compost fermentation residues or send them to facilities that can process them further.

Wastewater treatment and discharge

Brewery wastewater is different from typical household wastewater. It contains high levels of organic matter — sugars, proteins, and other compounds from the brewing process — which can deplete oxygen in waterways if discharged untreated. This wastewater is called high-strength organic waste. Before any brewery can discharge wastewater into a municipal sewer system or into local waterways, it must meet standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and by California's State Water Resources Control Board.

Long Beach has a municipal wastewater treatment system that accepts brewery discharge, but breweries must pre-treat their wastewater or pay surcharges if the organic content exceeds certain thresholds. Some breweries install their own treatment systems — such as settling tanks or biological treatment units — to reduce the organic load before the water enters the municipal system. Others work with the city to understand the acceptable discharge limits and adjust their operations to stay within them.

Smog City Brewery must comply with Long Beach's wastewater discharge permits, which specify the maximum concentrations of various pollutants allowed in the water the brewery releases. Violations can result in fines and restrictions on production. This regulatory framework creates accountability for how breweries manage their liquid waste.

Regulatory requirements and permits

Breweries in California operate under multiple layers of environmental regulation. At the state level, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires businesses to assess their environmental impact. At the local level, Long Beach requires breweries to hold wastewater discharge permits, air quality permits (because fermentation releases carbon dioxide and other gases), and solid waste management permits.

Smog City Brewery must renew these permits periodically and demonstrate compliance with the conditions attached to them. Inspections by city environmental health departments and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) — the regional air quality agency — are part of ongoing oversight. These inspections verify that the brewery is managing water, air, and waste according to permit conditions.

The cost of compliance is built into the brewery's operating expenses. Permit fees, treatment equipment, and monitoring all represent financial commitments that breweries make to operate legally. Smaller breweries sometimes find these costs burdensome, which is why some have closed or relocated to areas with less stringent requirements. Larger operations like Smog City can typically absorb these costs more easily.

Energy use and carbon footprint

Brewing also requires significant energy. Heating water, cooling fermentation tanks, and powering equipment all consume electricity or natural gas. The carbon footprint of a brewery includes both direct emissions (from burning natural gas on-site) and indirect emissions (from the electricity it purchases, which may come from fossil fuel power plants).

Some breweries have reduced their energy use by upgrading to more efficient boilers, installing solar panels, or switching to renewable electricity sources. Long Beach has renewable energy goals, and some breweries in the area have made commitments to source a portion of their electricity from wind or solar. These investments reduce operating costs over time and lower the brewery's greenhouse gas emissions.

The brewing industry as a whole has begun tracking and reporting energy use and emissions as part of broader sustainability efforts. Trade organizations like the Brewers Association publish guidelines for environmental performance, and some breweries use these benchmarks to set reduction targets.

Community and industry context

Smog City Brewery operates in a region where air quality has been a public health and environmental issue for decades. The brewery's name itself references Long Beach's historical smog problems, which were caused by industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, and geographic factors that trap pollution. This history has made environmental awareness part of the local culture and has driven stricter air quality regulations in Southern California than in many other parts of the country.

The craft brewery industry has also developed a culture of environmental stewardship in recent years. Many breweries market their sustainability practices as part of their brand identity, recognizing that consumers — particularly in environmentally conscious regions like California — value businesses that minimize their impact. This market pressure, combined with regulatory requirements, has created incentives for breweries to invest in cleaner operations.

Smog City Brewery's presence in Long Beach also means it participates in the local economy and engages with community organizations focused on environmental issues. Some breweries sponsor local environmental initiatives or donate to nonprofits working on water conservation and air quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much water does a brewery actually use?

A typical brewery uses between 3 and 10 gallons of water for every gallon of beer produced. The variation depends on the brewery's equipment, age, and efficiency practices. Newer breweries with recycling systems use less; older facilities use more. Smog City's specific water ratio would depend on its equipment and operational practices.

Where does spent grain go?

Most craft breweries donate or sell spent grain to local farms for animal feed. It is a valuable byproduct because it retains protein and nutrients after brewing. This keeps large volumes of organic waste out of landfills and creates a secondary market for brewery byproducts.

Can brewery wastewater go directly into rivers or the ocean?

No. Brewery wastewater must be treated or pre-treated before discharge into any waterway or municipal sewer system. The high organic content can harm aquatic ecosystems by depleting oxygen. Breweries must meet EPA and state standards before releasing any wastewater.

What happens if a brewery violates environmental permits?

Violations can result in fines, production restrictions, or permit revocation. Regulatory agencies like the South Coast Air Quality Management District and Long Beach's environmental health department conduct inspections and enforce compliance. Repeated violations can force a brewery to close or relocate.

Do breweries use renewable energy?

Some do, but not all. Breweries can install solar panels, purchase renewable electricity, or upgrade to more efficient equipment. The decision depends on the brewery's size, location, and financial capacity. Long Beach's renewable energy goals have encouraged some local breweries to make these investments.