The Radegast brewery, located in Nošovice, near the Frýdek-Místek region, has accomplished a significant milestone in brewing.
For the first time, they have created beer using water extracted from the air’s humidity. This achievement comes through a special batch called Radegast Futur, which aims to raise awareness about the scarcity of water in the Czech landscape.
This innovative water-harvesting technology was developed in collaboration with ČVUT and Karbox. A member of the research team, Nicola Pokorný, explained that the EWA (Emergency Water from Air) device is based on the principles of ČVUT’s Solar Air Water Earth Resource (S.A.W.E.R.) system.
Designed primarily for extremely hot and dry regions, the EWA device can produce approximately 30 liters of drinkable water per day. Its main purpose is to serve as an emergency source of drinking water during natural disasters or conflicts where water becomes scarce.
Unlike most air-to-water systems that cool the air to condense moisture, the ČVUT team developed a unique approach using a specific sorption material. This material collects moisture from the air and releases it through heating, creating highly humid air. This humidity allows for water condensation, even in challenging environments.
Beyond conservation, the brewery aims to preserve water within the landscape, recognizing the collective importance of addressing water scarcity.
Radegast stands out for having one of the lowest water consumption rates per hectoliter of beer globally. While the worldwide average is around 4.5 liters of water per liter of beer, Czech breweries typically use about 3.5 liters.
The brewery has achieved an impressive reduction to just 2.29 liters of water per liter of beer produced. This represents a reduction of over 10 percent compared to figures from 2010.
Radegast Futur is a distinctive lager with heightened bitterness, boasting 60 IBUs, 12.5 proof, and an alcohol content of 5.3 percent. Despite using unconventional water sources, the brewing process remains consistent with other beers, differing only in the addition of more bittering hops to increase its IBU rating.
The brewery successfully crafted 200 liters of Radegast Futur, making it available exclusively at events like the Radegast Day festival and select social media contests.
