From Brewery Waste to Superfood: The Upcycling Revolution

Walk into any brewery and you'll find that after brewing beer massive amounts of "spent grain" are leftover. Every year, America's 9,000 breweries produce roughly 20 billion pounds of spent grain, enough to fill a football stadium several times over. 

At Terra Madre Americas in Sacramento in September 2025, Dr. Glen Fox, Professor of Food Science and head of UC Davis's brewing programs, Jonah Messenger, a UC Davis Food Science undergraduate working toward more equitable and sustainable food systems and Food Tech Club member, and Dan Kurzrock, founder and CEO of Upcycled Foods, Inc. revealed how this so-called 'waste' product is actually a nutritional powerhouse.

Rethinking Waste 

Most breweries send their spent grain to farms for livestock feed. It's a decent solution for rural breweries, but in urban environments? It's a logistics nightmare. Urban brewers often have to pay farmers to travel long distances for pickup, pay for commercial waste hauling, or, in the worst cases, send it to landfills.

And according to Kurzrock of Upcycled Food Incorporated, this massive volume of grain could be doing so much more. Despite losing 90% of its starch during the brewing process, the remaining spent grains contain 20% protein, including all essential amino acids, 10-15% fiber, minerals like silica, and B vitamins.  

"We should be calling it super grain, not spent grain," Fox quipped.

From Brewery to Dinner Plate

"We need to put this ingredient to its highest and best use," Kurzrock emphasized. Instead of taking the path of least resistance, companies like his are blazing the path of most value. The innovation happening in this space is nothing short of inspiring. 

During the panel, attendees sampled tacos made with spent-grain seitan developed by the UC Davis Alt Protein Project. The result? Delicious, sustainable, and proof that this ingredient works. 

But it's not just tacos. The movement is growing and the possibilities are expanding rapidly. Spent grain is being used in biofuel production, building materials such as bricks, mushroom substrate, and human food products ranging from flour and bread to pasta, protein bars, and plant-based milk. 

About two pounds of spent grain yields roughly one pound of flour, and that flour is opening doors to entirely new product categories. Multiple brands now proudly display the Upcycled Certification Logo on shelves at Costco, Safeway, and Albertsons. 

Even the big players are rethinking this approach. Anheuser-Busch generates 1.4 million metric tons of spent grain every year and keeps all of it out of landfills, with most ending up as food for dairy cows. They’ve also recently invested $100 million in EverGrain, a subsidiary that upcycles spent barley into protein and fiber ingredients for human food.

The Circular Economy Challenge

Upcycled food companies need reliable, consistent sources of spent grain to build their businesses. The good news? Breweries that produce the same beer year-round generate predictable, consistent spent grain, exactly what food manufacturers need. Of California's roughly 1,000 craft breweries, about 990 already sell or donate their spent grain. 

The biggest challenge is logistics. Connecting urban breweries with upcycling facilities, ensuring proper storage and transportation, and scaling collection systems and facilities to handle the volume.

A Global Movement

The panel highlighted that upcycling has become a worldwide movement, with similar innovations happening around coffee fruit (the cherry around the coffee bean) and other agricultural byproducts. In a world grappling with food waste challenges, every "waste" stream deserves a second look.

What You Can Do

Next time you're at your local craft brewery, ask them a simple question: "What are you doing with your spent grain?" so you can support the breweries making smart choices. 

Look for the Upcycled Certification Logo when shopping. And the next time someone offers you bread, pasta, or even dog treats made from spent grain, say yes. You're not just trying something new, you're supporting a circular economy that benefits everyone.

Find out more about the UC Davis Alt Protein Project and the UC Davis Master Brewing Program. 

Kaylianne Jordan is a junior transfer student studying Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. She has a background in culinary arts and a passion for sustainable farming and enjoys exploring the connections between agriculture, winemaking, and community. Outside of college, she loves trying out new recipes, discovering local food spot.