Oskar Blues expands capacity, infrastructure in North Carolina

By the end of 2015, the Oskar Blues Brewery in North Carolina will have sent out more than 40 million cans of fresh craft beer to 20 East Coast states — each can labeled Brevard, N.C. Fueling this growth is a pending expansion of the brewery’s property on Mountain Industrial Drive in Brevard.

Construction will commence this week and includes a 9,000-square-foot expanded wastewater treatment system building and a 17,000-square-foot addition for fermentation tanks connected to the back of the existing 30,000-square-foot warehouse. Additionally, a second 50-bbl mash tun, plus a silo to hold spent grain before transport, more administrative offices and a commissary kitchen for the CHUBwagon food truck will be added.

The North Carolina brewery opened on 12/12/12 as the East Coast craft beer manufacturing and distribution hub for the Colorado-based brewery. In the first two years of production, the N.C. brewery produced 110,000 bbls of beer and is on track to produce 85,000 bbls in 2015. The expansion will increase capacity to 210,000 bbls.

Oskar Blues currently employs 45 staff at the N.C. brewery. As growth continues, more job opportunities will open up. A number of local businesses are involved in the planning, development and construction for the expansion.

“We’re excited to continue our exponential growth in our second home of Brevard,” says Oskar Blues NC general manager Noah Tuttle. “We appreciate the support of the community, city and county, and we love that so many of our friends and neighbors wander in for a pint or a brewery tour on a regular basis.”

The additional wastewater treatment system is part one of a two-phase system that will remove the majority of remaining organic particulate from the wastewater. All spent grain, trub and yeast from the brewing process is pumped into the silo and used as supplemental cattle feed. The spent grain program has been in place since shortly after the brewery opened for business.

“The City of Brevard is excited for Oskar Blues as it announces its expansion plans in Brevard,” says Brevard Mayor Jimmy Harris. “Oskar Blues has made a substantial investment into our community and we wish them the very best.”