USA, PA: East End Brewing doubles brewing capacity

East End Brewing has doubled its brewing capacity and added an actual room for customers who show up in the evenings to get their growlers filled, Ellwood City Ledger reported on December, 16

“We have space, we have additional capacity and I feel like we finally have a place we can be proud of,” Scott Smith, owner of East End Brewing, said. “Or maybe a place we will be proud of, once it’s done.”

“It’s just one of the many things that’s going to make our lives a little easier,” Smith said. “It’s not just space, either. It’s saving time, because we can store more kegs, and it’s that we’re not constantly tripping over stuff because we didn’t have a place for it in the flow of the old space.”

The new brewhouse doubles East End’s brewing capacity. Several tanks — some new, some imported from the old location — make the work flow easier, because it will ensure that the brewery’s staples — Monkey Boy hefeweizen, Big Hop India pale ale, Fat Gary nut brown ale and Black Strap stout — are always on hand while Smith makes seasonals and one-offs.

“Because of our size limitations in the old place, it always seemed like we were scrambling,” Smith said. “We’d get through Big Hop and Monkey Boy orders and then rush to do the same with the other two. This gives us time we never had before.”

There is also space in the back for one big change to come — a canning line. Canning craft beer is a recent change in the industry, as cans are cheaper, easier to recycle than glass and after quality improvements over the years, there’s no risk of affecting the taste of the beer.

“That’s been in our sights for a while, and now it’s something we can be realistic about,” Smith said. “It’s still going to be a while, but we definitely want to do it.”

19 December, 2012