Australian brewery recycles Bitcoin mining heat for beer production

A small Australian brewery has figured out how to make Bitcoin mining useful in a way that even crypto skeptics can appreciate: by turning it into beer. Hawkesbury Brewing Co, based in Lisarow on New South Wales’ Central Coast, has integrated 16 Bitcoin miners directly into its brewing operations. The miners are submerged in non-conductive liquid that reaches roughly 90°C, and the captured waste heat fulfills all of the brewery’s hot water needs, from beer production to bottle cleaning. The system supports output of 100,000 litres of beer each month. How it actually works The 16 mining rigs sit in tanks of non-conductive liquid, a method known as immersion cooling. As the miners run, they heat the liquid to around 90°C. A heat exchanger then transfers that thermal energy to the brewery’s incoming town water supply, preheating it for use in brewing and sanitation processes. The entire system runs exclusively on excess solar energy generated by rooftop panels at the facility. It only operates when solar generation exceeds on-site demand, which means the mining rigs aren’t drawing from the grid. The brewery claims this gives the operation a net-zero carbon footprint. Developed in part...