Great Lakes Brewing details $7 million investment

Last week, Great Lakes Brewing Co. (GLBC) announced a $7 million investment in brewery enhancements, including four 600-barrel (bbl) fermenters and two 600-bbl bright tanks. The additional equipment, along with updates to infrastructure and packaging operations, will yield an estimated 20 percent capacity increase.

“As we continue to explore long-term expansion options, we’ve had to make savvy investments to maximize our current footprint, with respect to our neighborhood and local merchants,” explained GLBC Co-Owner Dan Conway in this press release. “This short-term expansion is our way of satisfying current demand while working steadily toward a long-term solution.”

The six tanks, constructed in Germany, arrived in Cleveland’s harbor via ocean vessel in late June. The two bright tanks were transported to the brewery and installed the week of July 6. The four fermentation vessels will be installed in late July, completing the two-phase expansion. To make room for the new equipment, GLBC sold its old bright tanks to Pittsburgh’s Rivertowne Brewing to help expand their current operation. GLBC’s brewery offices moved to an adjacent building to accommodate for the large vessels.

To see footage of the bright tank installation, check out the video above.