KC Bier Co.’s growth has far exceeded the expectations of founder Steve Holle, reaching the point where needs to launch a big expansion project.
Based in Kansas City’s Waldo neighborhood, the microbrewery is in the midst of a $1.2 million expansion that will double capacity and allow it to sell bottled beer. The company will lease an additional 6,500 square feet in an adjacent building owned by the same landlord who leases KC Bier the 10,000 square feet housing its brewery, tap room and biergarten. The bulk of the investment is for equipment: fermentation tanks, a bigger refrigeration system for cooling the tanks, a new keg line and more kegs, boilers, and a bottling line.
The company expects to put about 360 barrels of new fermentation tanks online next week. Another 360-barrel system will be ready sometime in January or February. Overall, KC Bier will see its fermentation capacity jump from 600 barrels today to 1,320 barrels. That will boost production capability from 9,000 barrels a year to 12,000.