Mother’s expands brewing capacity

After reaching brewing capacity last fall, Mother’s Brewing Co. is expanding with the installation of new fermenters.

Owner Jeff Schrag said the purchase of three 60-barrel fermenters — for undisclosed terms — increases the company’s capacity by about 3,600 barrels. Each new tank, he said, ferments the equivalent of 19,000 12-ounce servings of beer.

Mother’s ranked No. 1 on Springfield Business Journal’s list this year of the area’s largest breweries, with 11,712 barrels produced in 2018.

Schrag cited the popularity of Mother’s Brewing Co.’s seasonal Winter Grind beer for leading to full capacity a year ago.

“Being out of tank space is awful and having orders you cannot fulfill is just plain embarrassing,” he said.

Schrag said in addition to the new fermenters, crews are reconfiguring the brewery’s space to prepare for future expansions. Work is ongoing, said Mother’s spokeswoman Anne Mauldin.

Since Mother’s Brewing Co.’s 2011 launch, the local craft beer scene has boomed with the introduction of seven new breweries, the most recent of which is downtown’s Hold Fast Brewing that opened in August. Joining market veteran Springfield Brewing Co., the other breweries in town are White River Brewing Co., Tie & Timber Beer Co., 4 by 4 Brewing Co. LLC, Lost Signal Brewing Co., Show-Me Brewing and Great Escape Beer Works LLC.