Real Ale Brewing Installs Modular Carbon-Capture System to Reuse Fermentation CO2

Real Ale Brewing in Blanco, TX has installed a modular carbon-capture system from Earthly Labs / Chart Industries CiCi® to capture and reuse CO2 produced during fermentation, part of the brewery’s 30th-anniversary investments. The unit captures fermentation gas, processes it to beverage-grade purity, and allows Real Ale to reuse the CO2 for carbonation and other brewery processes, reducing cylinder deliveries and waste while boosting operational resilience.

The system collects gas at the fermenter and routes it through a series of components that handle foam removal, buffering, compression, chilling, purification, drying and storage. Key hardware includes a foam trap to protect downstream equipment, a buffer balloon and manifold for flow management, pre-compression and chilling stages to condition the gas, purification and drying modules to meet beverage-grade standards, and on-site storage tanks for ready use. The CiCi® unit was delivered with integration of Howden Uptime™ monitoring software so brewery staff can track performance and uptime remotely.

For a craft brewery operating in a tight logistics and cost environment, on-site CO2 reclamation delivers practical value. Reusing fermentation CO2 reduces the frequency of bulk and cylinder deliveries, lowers the amount of vented gas, and shields production from regional supply volatility that has driven price spikes and scheduling headaches for many brewers. Real Ale’s move also reduces the environmental footprint of routine carbonation, a concrete sustainability step that taps an otherwise wasted fermentation byproduct.

Community and taproom operations stand to benefit immediately. Local kegs and canning runs will draw from an on-site CO2 supply, which should smooth scheduled carbonation and packaging runs during times when external suppliers are delayed. Homebrewers who visit Real Ale or attend brewery events may notice steadier keg fills at public pours, and smaller breweries in the region can watch the project as a practical example of decentralized CO2 resilience.

This installation also points to an evolving market for modular, brewery-scale gas recovery systems. Chart Industries and Earthly Labs have packaged the CiCi® unit with controls and monitoring aimed at small to mid-size operations; the Howden Uptime™ integration emphasizes uptime and preventive maintenance for continuous fermentation capture. Real Ale’s investment signals that capital put toward on-site utilities can pay operational and sustainability dividends beyond mere public relations.

For readers planning brewery upgrades, Real Ale’s project highlights components and outcomes to evaluate: effective foam handling, proper gas conditioning stages, beverage-grade certification, storage capacity sized to production, and remote monitoring for reliability. Watch how Real Ale quantifies delivery reductions and cost savings over the next year; those metrics will determine whether more craft brewers adopt similar systems as a practical path to lower waste and greater supply-chain independence.