More production capacity on tap for Keg Creek Brewing

There’s some good news for craft beer lovers in the Glenwood area.

Keg Creek Brewing Co. will soon have the capacity to produce more beer.

Much, much, more.

“Annually, we’re making about 350 barrels,” Keg Creek Brewing co-owner Randy Romens said. “Here in this building, we figure we’ll be able to brew 1,500 barrels and we might be able to get it up to 1,800.”

Keg Creek’s increased production capacity will come in the next few months when brewing operations are expanded from the brewery’s present location at 111 Sharp St. to a new site in the former Kirsch Trucking building south of town at 22381 221st St. Romens and fellow owners John Bueltel, Art Renze and Matt Kirsch  purchased the building earlier year and are in the process of renovating the building and getting the new equipment hooked up.

The new equipment includes five fermenters, three brite tanks, a mash / lauter tun / boil kettle / whirlpool and a step-up brew deck. The new equipment was delivered last month and the goal is to have the new plant up and running by the end of September.

In addition to more production space, the new facility will also provide additional storage and refrigeration space for kegs and bottles of Keg Creek Brewing products.

Keg Creek has been brewing beer in Glenwood for five years. During that time, a regional demand for beers produced at the facility has continued to grow to a point where expansion became necessary.

“We’ve been very careful not to oversell our production capability,” Romens said. “Right now, we’re limited in our sales in the Omaha area, but we plan to expand our marketing and distribution, particularly in eastern Nebraska.”

The brewing capacity at Keg Creek will also be enhanced with an automated bottling system that speed up capping and labeling.

“Currently, everything is done by hand,” Romens said. “We’ll be able to handle 24 at one time.”

The brewery’s current bar and tasting room will remain open when brewing begins at the new site, which will initially serve as a production-only location. Plans are in the works, however, to eventually have a bar and tasting room at the new facility.

The new location is already hooked up on city water and a 1,200-foot sewer line that will run under Keg Creek to a line near the Southwest Iowa Sportsmen’s Club is being installed.

Romens said he and is fellow brewers at Keg Creek are anxious to get their new brewhouse up and running.

“Hopefully, by homecoming, we will have brewed our first batch of beer,” Romens said.