Efficiency in a brewhouse isn’t just about brewing great beer — it’s about maximizing resources, minimizing downtime, and streamlining production to maintain consistency. Also, seeing how others have created a brewhouse’s workflow can help impact your bottom line in the future.
“I tried to learn from a lot of other people’s wins and losses,” Max Pigman, the owner and president of Lewis & Clark Brewing, told Brewer once. “You’re never perfect but I believe we put together a pretty great system in the way it’s designed and the way it flows.”
Phantom Canyon Brewing has made strategic improvements to its workflow, focusing on efficiency and consistency to enhance production.
“Our goal has always been to streamline processes without compromising quality,” head brewer Brian Koch explained to Brewer recently. “We’ve made small but impactful changes that have significantly improved our operations.”
The Colorado Springs brewery has implemented a simple, yet highly effective system: a spreadsheet with predictive formulas to track inventory and anticipate when a beer will run out.
“This has streamlined our brewing workflow, helping us plan future batches more efficiently and prevent production gaps,” Koch said.
This simple spreadsheet system has transformed the brewery’s daily brewing operations by improving efficiency, reducing uncertainty, and giving them full control over our production schedule.
Koch laid it out this way and shared his insights:
- Improved Planning & Scheduling: By factoring in batch sizes, sales trends, and tank depletion rates, our spreadsheet delivers real-time insights into how long each beer will last. This predictive approach allows us to time new brews perfectly, preventing production gaps and ensuring a steady rotation of fresh offerings.
- Better Ingredient Management: With a clear view of when a beer is expected to run out, we can anticipate ingredient needs well in advance. This helps us avoid last-minute rush orders, optimize bulk purchasing, and prevent surplus or shortages of essential raw materials like malt, hops, and yeast.
- Increased Efficiency: Instead of reacting to low stock levels, we now proactively plan our brewing schedule using accurate data. This approach reduces downtime between batches, optimizes tank usage, and streamlines the transition from one beer to the next.
- Cost Savings & Reduced Waste: Tracking inventory digitally allows us to adjust production based on demand, minimizing overproduction and excessive storage costs. It also helps us maximize ingredient usage, reducing waste from unused or expired materials.
The key to an efficient brewhouse isn’t one big investment but a series of smart, strategic tweaks. Whether it’s a predictive spreadsheet like Phantom Canyon’s, better tank management, or infrastructure upgrades making operational improvements ensures smoother brewing, cost savings, and consistent quality.
Breweries looking to optimize their workflow should evaluate their processes, pinpoint bottlenecks, and implement small but impactful changes to create a more efficient and scalable operation.
Pigman took a meticulous approach when expanding his Helena, Montana brewery in 2016, ensuring it was designed for long-term efficiency and quality. Having learned from previous expansions, he prioritized durable materials, high-performance equipment, and a well-thought-out workflow to support the brewery’s growth.
READ MORE: How Breweries Improve Brewhouse Workflow
One key decision was investing in stainless steel slot drains and UCrete flooring to handle the demands of brewing operations while maintaining cleanliness and durability. Beyond infrastructure, Pigman emphasized efficiency by incorporating multiple malt silos to streamline production, reducing labor-intensive processes like handling bagged malt. He also carefully studied other breweries, drawing insights from industry peers to refine Lewis & Clark’s layout and operational flow. His attention to detail extended to elements like piping, wiring, and even planning for future expansions, ensuring the facility could scale up production without bottlenecks.
Other breweries, such as Big Ditch, have taken similar approaches to improving efficiency. Investments in equipment like inline carbonation systems, optimized milling processes, and better hot water management have allowed them to maximize output while maintaining quality.
Ultimately, Pigman’s strategy demonstrates that success in brewery expansion requires not only financial investment but also careful planning, learning from others, and a willingness to prioritize long-term gains over short-term savings. His vision for Lewis & Clark was to create a facility that not only functioned at a high level but also impressed visitors, reinforcing the importance of both aesthetics and efficiency in modern brewery design.
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