E-Malt.com News article: USA, WI: The 8th Street Ale Haus to quadruple brewing capacity

The 8th Street Ale Haus is hoping it'll have far more of its own beer on tap in the new year, sheboyganpress.com reported on September, 9.

The brewpub is in the process of building storage next door for its new brewing operations, which general manager Kurt Jensen says will hopefully quadruple its craft beer capacitiy starting in 2015. The brewery will operate during the day prior to the bar's service hour.

The 8th Street Ale Haus has been the meeting place of the local homebrew, Sheboygan Sudzzers, since 2010 and has been making small batches of its own beers to put on tap for about a year. The popularity of those beers has been evident in how quickly they disappear from the list of available taps.

"We've been making 20 gallons a week and pretty much selling it as fast as we can make it," said owner Randy Oskey. "So people come in and want to taste our beers and it's like, if you're not here the day it goes on tap, you're probably not going to be able to taste it."

The brewpub has been focused on four flagship beers: Kolsch-style Freshwater Surfsider, a brown ale, a coffee porter and Rebel Kurt the French, a honey saison whose name is a reference to Sheboygan-based 3 Sheeps Brewery's Rebel Kent the First amber ale.

Jensen said it’s an homage to the close relationship between 8th Street Ale Haus and 3 Sheeps, which has allowed the brewpub to borrow some grains at times for their production.

Jensen notes that the new one barrel brewing system is a similar size to Plymouth Brewing Co., a Plymouth brewpub, but only about a fraction of the size of 3 Sheeps Brewing.

In fact, the chrome cylinders they'll be installing next door only stand about three feet tall. Jensen says they could hook them up and start brewing in the basement offices now if they wanted to, but that without proper storage and cooling, the beer won't keep.

Jensen said with the new facility they hope to start offering their brews to surrounding taverns and bars and build their operation slowly, but steadily. They don't necessarily have the capital to expand that rapidly, adding that "each pint is a donation to the cause."

"We're still focusing on the restaurant and the brewpub and to make sure we're selling great beer, really getting people involved with what their drinking, really teach people about what they're drinking, so that this becomes the place to go for great beer," Jensen said.


10 September, 2014