E-Malt.com News article: USA, OR: GoodLife Brewing Company undergoes major expansion

The owners of GoodLife Brewing Co. always knew one day they’d be large enough to brew 25,000 barrels of beer annually. They just didn’t know that the day would arrive sooner than anyone thought, Bend Bulletin reported on February 16.

“It was always part of the plan to get to this size,“ said Ty Barnett, co-owner of GoodLife. “We just didn’t think it would happen for a few more years.”

GoodLife Brewing is currently undergoing a massive expansion at its southwest Bend brewery which could potentially nearly triple its production. Having produced nearly 9,000 barrels of beer in 2013, the brewery could increase that number to 25,000 barrels annually with the addition of three new fermenter tanks and a stationary, high-speed canning line.

Two 240-barrel fermenter tanks and a 130-barrel lagering tank are being installed this month, and will be dedicated solely to beer made for distribution in cans.

These additions will enable the brewery to better serve the territories where it already distributes its beer, which include Oregon, Idaho and Washington.

Barnett said making enough beer has always been a challenge for the 21/2-year-old brewery, and the company has only been able to meet 50 percent of demand up until now.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Barnett said. “But it’s still a problem.”

The brewery’s expansion could position GoodLife to become one of the fastest-growing breweries in the region, and possibly the nation. Though up-to-date numbers from the Brewer’s Association are not yet available, information released last year named Boneyard Beer as the sixth fastest-growing brewery in the nation using data taken from 2011 and 2012, with Boneyard increasing its production by 191 percent in that time. GoodLife could potentially find a spot on that list sometime soon if it doubles or triples its production capacity in the upcoming year.

GoodLife’s canning line is another huge step forward for the brewery. Until now, the company’s used a mobile canning company out of Portland to package their beer before investing in a brewery-based canning system. The new canning line packages 150 cans a minute, which will allow the brewery to start canning additional beers besides its current Sweet As Pacific Ale and Descender IPA. In spring, GoodLife will start packaging its Mountain Rescue Pale Ale with this method.

Barnett said the brewery owners decided to go with a canning line because they believe the cans better preserve the beer. He points to the fact that cans allow less head space during the packaging process, meaning less oxygen and chance of beer degradation. He also said cans keep out sunlight, which can also damage beer quality.

“There are still a lot of stereotypes about cans being inferior,” Barnett said. “But they’re not. They’re actually superior.”

Brian Butenschoen of the Portland-based Oregon Brewers Guild said there are 16 breweries canning beer in Oregon, three of which are in Bend. In addition to keeping beer fresh, Butenschoen said consumers and brewers are drawn to canned beer because it is lightweight, easier to ship, and perhaps more environmentally friendly.

“There are some obvious advantages, so there’s a definite upswing of that packaging option,” Butenschoen said.

And while purchase and installation of a canning line is more expensive than its bottling line counterpart, cans themselves are cheaper, meaning that in the long run, canning may become more cost-effective for the brewery, Barnett said.

The installation process of the new brewing equipment is expected to take about a month, and will not affect the brewery’s adjoining brewpub. But even more construction work may lie ahead in the near future. Barnett said the brewery is subleasing space to a third-party distillery scheduled to open this summer.

Construction on a spirits tasting room may follow. The distillery will not be operated by GoodLife, but Barnett said being located between a wine-tasting room and a distillery will have its collaborative advantages when it comes to future barrel-aged beer projects.

Though the brewery is headed for huge growth, Barnett said the owners have their priorities straight.

“We have no plans of world domination,” Barnett said. “Our ultimate aspiration is to be regionally successful, and to make really good, cool beers.”


19 February, 2014