Is trouble brewing locally over a national carbon dioxide shortage?

ENDICOTT (WBNG) - We’ve gone through many shortages in recent times, such as toilet paper and baby formula. The latest addition to the list is a national carbon dioxide shortage.

To see if any trouble is brewing locally, 12 News went to Endicott’s The North Brewery to talk with Zach Pedley, who is an owner and operator for the site.

Pedley said headlines like this can be a little scary, but he said his business in Endicott isn’t facing any type of shortage.

During the August 12 conversation, Pedley talked about the role of carbon dioxide for his business. “We use carbon dioxide to carbonate our beer in the back,” he said. “We have a bright tank, think of that as a big tank, a big keg. So we carbonate our beer in that. And then we also use carbon dioxide to push beer from the keg, to the tapline, into the glass. We also use carbon dioxide to fill up our can products that we have as well. Without carbon dioxide, it would be very difficult for us to operate but we could do it.”

A way to keep doors open according to Pedley, in worst-case scenario, would be to resort to natural ways to carbonate beer. However, that’s a slower process.

When something alarming like this pops up, Pedley said it’s crucial to have a contract with a carbon dioxide provider, which he does for his business. “I would probably recommend if you don’t have a carbon dioxide contract with someone local, I would probably want to get that,” said the owner.

Pedley said this specific shortage doesn’t just impact breweries. In fact, it can affect restaurants with a bar that use the gas to push the beer or use this gas for soda off the tap.

He said prices haven’t gone up from the national shortage just yet. The owner believes overall inflation is responsible for a slight rise in prices.