A Texas County business that brews craft beer announced a $1.2 million expansion Friday.
Piney River Brewing said it is increasing its ability to produce beer across the Ozarks from its Bucyrus farm-based brewery. The expansion includes a 12,000 square foot barn located near the current “BARn” production facility and tap room.
The new building will house a custom built 15-barrel three-vessel brew house from Criveller Company of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada; four 60-barrel fermentation vessels and two 60-barrel bright beer tanks from Paul Mueller Company in Springfield; and a Series Three eight-head automatic canner from Wild Goose Canning in Boulder, Colo.
This expansion is the third since the company opened its doors in March 2011 as a nanobrewery, brewing 10 gallons of beer at a time. The brewery was also the first microbrewery in the state of Missouri to can beer on site in November 2011 with an MC100 two-head Wild Goose canning machine.
Piney River is on track to produce 1,800 barrels of beer in 2014, having produced 1,100 barrels in 2013 and 525 barrels in 2012. The new brew house and cellar will give Piney River the capacity to brew up to 9,000 barrels, with plenty of room for additional growth. The new equipment is slated to come on line by May 2015.
“Currently, the demand for Piney River beer is much greater than what we are able to supply,” said Brian Durham, head brewer and owner.
Durham said retail shelves and distributor warehouses have been low and empty over the last few months because the brewery could not keep up with growing demand.
In October 2013, Piney River won a Great American Beer Festival gold for their Old Tom Porter, followed in April by a World Beer Cup gold for their Float Trip Ale. Both beers were seasonal brands until they claimed top accolades in their style.
“We are in a great situation for a small brewery, and with this expansion we are looking forward to being able to easily supply beer to all of our distributors,” Durham said. “We also hope to begin to distribute some Piney River in the major metropolitan markets in our state.”
Durham said that it was important to his distributors –– including organizations in Cape Girardeau, Poplar Buff, Rolla, West Plains, Camdenton, Sedalia, Springfield, Joplin, Jefferson City, Columbia and Fort Smith, Ark. –– that the brewery would remain on the Durham family farm. The brewery is currently distributed in all of central and southern Missouri and in Arkansas.
“We have a great Ozark spring water supply that helps us make excellent English-style ales, and a visit to the BARn tap room is truly an original Ozark experience,” Durham said.
The original brewery and tap room are located in a 1940s era restored barn located on the Piney River Farm.
Joleen Senter Durham, brewery co-founder said it is an honor to share their little piece of heaven with the world.
“Our goal has always been to produce high quality craft beer that celebrates the Ozarks,” Joleen Durham said. “We are fortunate to be living the American dream here in the Ozarks, too.”
When the new production facility is running, the Durhams plan to re-purpose the brewing portion of the current BARn to produce small batch beer, including barrel-aging and sour beer production.
“We are looking forward to having space to tinker with new recipes and to create some special beer blends that will only be available on a very limited basis,” Brian Durham said.
Piney River Brewing, owned by Brian and Joleen Durham, opened in November 2011 on their Bucyrus farm. Production has increased from 525 barrels in 2012 to 1,800 in 2014. The announced expansion will allow the business to brew up to 9,000 barrels yearly.