The expansion promises more beer, including more barrel-aged, mixed-culture, and sour beers
If you’ve been to Stoup Brewing over the past year you’ve probably noticed the new, large commercial building that appeared just west and north of the beer garden. Among other things, it is the home of Rad Power Bikes. It is also home of Stoup Brewing’s new, recently completed, 6,000 sq. ft. expansion. The company’s plan is to increase production, not just in terms of volume but also in terms of variety and innovation.
The expansion positions Stoup Brewing to realize as much as a three-fold increase in production. That is, it adds more beer-making space but not more beer-drinking space, but this is still good news for those who like to drink the company’s beer.
The Stoup team has already moved a lot of equipment into the new space to make room for more fermenters in the existing brewery. The new space will house all the bright tanks, where the beers undergo final conditioning and carbonating. Keg washing equipment, cold storage, and packaging equipment and supplies have already been relocated or are destined for the new space.
The way they’ve engineered things, beer and/or wort can be pumped from the brewery next door into tanks in the new space. The insulated lines come into the building and truncate at a manifold to which the brewers can hook up hoses to reach each of the individual tanks. The system can be easily purged and sanitized, not that sanitation is ever an easy process, but it is absolutely necessary. Brad Benson, co-owner and head brewer, seems confident in, and a bit proud of, the whole system.
“We want to take things slow and not overextend ourselves right now,” says Benson. “But we do plan to focus on expanding our barrel-aged program in the very near future.”
It’s not just about more beer, it’s also about new projects and creative projects. “The new space is great for special projects we’ve been wanting to tackle,” said Lara Zahaba, co-owner. “We’re excited to start experimenting with more mixed-culture and sour beers.”
The need for expansion seems obvious. When Stoup Brewing opened five years ago they had only three beers on tap, but now the taproom regularly offers a rotating selection of 21 beers. The company now produces over 80 different beers per year and over 6,000 barrels of beer per year. Also, Stoup has more than doubled the number of wholesale accounts to which it sells beer.
“We also plan to be more than a draft-only brewery,” adds Robyn Schumacher, co-owner and brewer. “Our intention is to offer packaged beers in the first quarter of 2020.”
Plans are not yet definite, but likely some beers will find their way into aluminum cans while others, like barrel-aged and sour beers, will find their way into bottles.
Posted by Kendall Jones.