Firestone Walker is making better beer with new eco-friendly system. Here’s how
Firestone Walker Brewing Company recently launched a new sustainable system that will save four million pounds of carbon emissions each year.
The state-of-the-art recovery system redirects carbon dioxide that used to vent out into the atmosphere back into beer production, brewery leaders said during a ribbon cutting event at its Paso Robles headquarters on Friday, Oct. 24.
The major carbon capture project is the latest component of Firestone Walker’s “Brewing for Tomorrow” sustainability initiative.
The brewery’s stewardship strategy is focused on finding sustainable solutions through renewable energy, water conservation, recycling and energy efficiency, Firestone Walker said in a news release.
“For us, sustainability is not about saving the planet. It’s about the act of enduring for as long as possible,” Firestone Walker CEO Nick Firestone told The Tribune. “I’m the second generation. My kids are going to be working in the taproom. That’s what it’s all about.”
Paso Robles brewery invests in carbon dioxide recovery
It took Firestone Walker three years to get the new carbon dioxide recovery system up and running at 1400 Ramada Drive in Paso Robles.
The San Luis Obispo County brewery started its search for a more sustainable system out of necessity.
By the tail-end of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a major carbon dioxide shortage, Firestone said. Prices for the crucial brewing ingredient skyrocketed.
Firestone Walker began searching for other avenues to acquire carbon dioxide.
Firestone said it was a “very long process” that led to the company constructing a $1 million building to house carbon dioxide recovery equipment.
The brewery then bought a $1.8 million system from Pentair, an international beverage production technology company, and installed it.
It cost Firestone Walker about $3 to $5 million to cover equipment, manpower and operation costs, Firestone estimated.
“You don’t see them in a lot of breweries,” he said of the carbon capture system. “It’s very expensive, and you need to be a certain size in order to sort of make it pencil out and be able to work”
However, the trade-off will be worth it, Firestone said.
Not only is it a more sustainable practice, but the new recovery system will also save the brewery from having to purchase four million pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
When did Firestone Walker start using new high-tech system?
After months of testing, the official first day of operation for Firestone Walker’s new carbon dioxide recovery system was Friday, Oct. 24.
During a ribbon-cutting event, the brewery’s production team flicked the carbon dioxide recovery system on and a loud hum filled the Paso Robles warehouse.
Overhead, a giant canary-colored balloon began to fill with carbon dioxide.
“I think this has been easily the most rewarding project that we’ve embarked on,” Firestone told The Tribune.
Will state-of-the-art system make beer better?
Now that the carbon dioxide recovery system is up and running, the brewery is able to capture half a gram of carbon dioxide for every gram of sugar that ferments in alcohol, according to Firestone Walker brewmaster Matt Brynildson.
Previously, the brewery had no way to save the naturally produced carbon dioxide during the fermentation process, he said.
“Now we get to produce our own CO2, and for every gram that we collect off, we condense it here, and we can reintroduce it in the process somewhere else,” Brynildson said. “It’s this beautiful carbon capture tool that actually improves the beer, and that’s when I get excited.”
According to brewery operations director Mark Fischer, here’s how it works:
Carbon dioxide flows through a series of pipes, eventually filling up a large balloon that hangs overhead. The balloon allows the volume of carbon dioxide to fluctuate while the system compresses the byproduct.
The recovery system then purifies the carbon dioxide and pumps it into a storage tank where the gas sits until it’s reused in beer production, Fischer said.
At the end of the day, excess carbon dioxide is captured and reused, David Walker, co-founder of Firestone Walker Brewing Company, said during the ribbon-cutting event.
“I have no idea what the hell this thing does other than it’s part of that sustainability philosophy,” Walker said, joking about the complex science behind the contraption. “Basically, it shrinks our footprint, carbon-wise, (and) helps us from a business standpoint.”
Firestone Walker turns to solar power, water recycling
Firestone now has a total of three California locations in Paso Robles, Buellton and Venice Beach.
Walker and his brother-in law Adam Firestone started Firestone Walker Brewing Company at a family vineyard in Los Olivos in 1996. Five years later, the founders moved their company to Paso Robles after acquiring SLO Brewing Co.’s former brewhouse.
Walker said sustainability is integral to the brewery’s mission.
“If we do anything, we want it to endure. We want it to be multi-generational. We want it to last forever,” Walker said.
Firestone Walker already uses solar power to offset 60% of its energy needs, saving about 1,200 metric tons of emissions each year, according to the brewery’s website.
The brewery also recycles 500,000 gallons annually through its custom water reuse system and feeds 20 million pounds of spent grains to local livestock each year.
Nick Firestone said the carbon dioxide recovery system is far from the last sustainability project the brewery will embark on.
The company recently won a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to build more solar panels, and it's also eyeing a project to reserve natural gas, he said.
The brewery intends to be 50% carbon neutral by 2030, and 100% carbon neutral by 2050, according to a news release.
“We didn’t set out to become the most sustainable brewery, we set out to make the best beer possible,” Firestone said. “Our motto is ‘Beer before Glory,’ and everything we do is about the beer, but the cool thing about being a brewer is that things that you do that are more sustainable actually make the beer taste better.”
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Firestone Walker is making better beer with new eco-friendly system. Here’s how."
