Do you feel like you’ve reached your maximum brewing capacity with your current equipment? Are you eager to take your brewery to new heights? It may be time to expand your brewery. While the term “expansion” might initially conjure thoughts of increased production alone, there are numerous other ways to explore. In this article, we present three potential paths for growth, each accompanied by our tailored technical solutions.
1. Production Growth
Moving from Bottle Refermentation to Isobarometric Fermentation
Expanding often signifies professionalization. Brewers frequently transition to isobarometric brewing, a move laden with advantages. For instance, isobarometric fermentation tanks can expedite the beer-selling process by two weeks, eliminating the need for bottle refermentation. Moreover, the warm conditioning room becomes redundant; beers are ready for packaging immediately post-lagering. This extra space can be repurposed for tasks like installing new fermentation tanks. Isobarometric fermentation tanks also bring more flexibility and reduced infection risk, making it a compelling avenue to explore, particularly for enhancing beer stability.
This pressurized fermentation approach might not align with all beer styles, such as for example barrel-aged beers. However, it’s an ideal match for lagers, IPAs and can potentially outperform bottle refermentation. Yes, it’s a slight bigger investment, but the time and space savings make it a proposition worthy of contemplation.
Boosting Production Capacity, but Elsewhere
If your current location hampers production capacity growth, two possibilities emerge:
- Contract brewing your beers
- Leasing a new space for storing raw materials, lagering tanks and finished products, freeing up your production site for increased output. This strategic move can also double as a powerful communication tool. For beer transportation, a trailer with a customized transport tank can enhance visibility, as exemplified by Brasserie Curtius.
Embracing a centrifuge / separator
A centrifuge, or separator, offers an excellent means to augment production capacity without investing in new tanks. This equipment proves its effectiveness across various production stages, most notably during the clarification phase of young beer, yielding significant time savings. Lagering time can shrink by up to a week, eventually translating into substantial yield increases. Moreover, this versatile centrifuge aids beer clarification before filtration, standardizing yeast content and minimizing yeast quantities. Overall, it can potentially elevate annual yields by up to 10%, a notable improvement. Furthermore, it contributes to the consistency of beer quality. While these three options can fuel production growth, other development avenues are equally viable.
2. Developing a Hospitality Space
Establishing a hospitality space within your brewery (taproom) or creating an additional venue (brewpub, bar, etc.) is a widely embraced practice. This space offers a multitude of benefits:
- Elevating the brand image: A trendy and inviting environment can significantly bolster your brand’s perception.
- Expanding profit margins: Direct beer sales consistently outperforms distributing your beers.
- Developing new recipes: Crafting beer ranges exclusively for your hospitality space enables the exploration of unique recipes and reinterpretations of classics. Customers are more inclined to experiment with these novelties when they’re privy to your creative process. This also doubles as an opportunity for recipe testing, gauging customer reactions, and potentially incorporating a recipe into your regular lineup.
Technical Solutions from Coenco
Recognizing the pivotal role of maximizing seating space, Coenco employs compact strategies. Cost per square meter holds considerable weight, and your revenue generation hinges on your seating area. Two strategies drive this optimization:
- Leveraging building height – see Martinus brewery
- Employing a highly logistical arrangement
Indeed, aesthetics shouldn’t be disregarded; your customers will undoubtedly take note of your production facility, potentially transforming it into an attraction within your hospitality space. If on-site brewing is viable, showcasing it can be advantageous. In cases where space constraints hamper on-site brewing, operating a bar and serving your own beer through serving tanks can serve as a practical solution.
3. Developing New Products
Venturing into new product development broadens your customer base. Some beverages hold particularly promising potential:
Whiskey and Other Spirits
Utilizing your existing brewing equipment, producing whiskey necessitates only a few supplementary components. The process involves mashing and filtration, standard cooling, fermentation at higher temperatures (24-26°C) than beer, lasting two to six days. Distillation follows, requiring investment in a still—the sole required equipment. While Coenco doesn’t provide stills, numerous other reputable companies offer these essential tools.
Lemonade or Cola
Beverages like lemonades can prove highly lucrative and target a younger demographic. Your current equipment suffices for their production. The production process involves heating water to 60-70°C, adding sugar, citric acid, and flavorings. Subsequent steps include standard cooling, transferring the mixture to an isobarometric tank and then forced carbonation (6-7 g/L) and packaging. This streamlined production process is cost-effective and yields products with robust sales potential.
Kombucha
While theoretically feasible with your brewing equipment, producing kombucha necessitates careful considerations. The challenge lies in the fermentation process, requiring separate fermenters for beer and kombucha.
Other Possibilities
Your brewing equipment harbors the capacity to craft an array of beverages:
- Coffee kombucha: A fusion of kombucha and coffee, substituting black tea
- Jun: Kombucha infused with green tea and sweetened with honey
- Water kefir
- Hard seltzer
- Ginger beer
These three pathways encompass the guidance and technical solutions that Coenco can provide. If you’re embarking on a development project, feel free to complete our contact form (available under the contact tab) or give us call.
