cleaning. Very little is tasting beer and new recipes although that is unique. It’s a labor of love,” McAllister said, dispelling myths. “One brew takes eight hours, and three of those are spent sanitizing and cleaning.” Cheers to the Future Big things are in store for MCF next year. “We’re working on a standard product line with a 2017 projection,” Frye said, that will allow for more competitive lead times. Continuing to design efficient tanks, build strong company foundations, implement more modern manufacturing (perhaps robots, but not to replace staff), and achieve new goals are also in store. “Lots of towns would like breweries. It’s an exciting industry to be in,” Frye concluded. With that notion, welded tanks will be required for this booming industry, leading to more knowing your name and glad you came moments. WJ KRISTIN CAMPBELL (kcampbell@aws.org) is features editor of the Welding Journal. JUNE 2016 / WELDING JOURNAL 71 Raise Your Glass to Breweries All around Portland, Ore., breweries make their drinks in stainless steel tanks constructed by MCF Craft Brewing Systems. Gigantic Brewing Co., an independent, craft brewery that produces seasonal beers, is in this group. At press time, its cleverly named, flavorful mixtures included “Kiss the Goat,” a black doppelbock, and “Hearts & Stars,” a saison with hüll melon hops. Owners Van Havig and Ben Love felt buying locally was important. While working with MCF President/Founder Charlie Frye, his attention to detail and customized work stood out. “They listen to what we as brewers want and make tanks accordingly. Other manufacturers will try to tell you how to do your job, even though they’ve never actually made beer. MCF takes your input and incorporates it into their designs, making their stuff essentially designed over time by working brewers,” Havig said. Gigantic has these tanks: six 45-bbl fermenters (14 ft tall), one 15-bbl fermenter (10 ft tall), one 45-bbl bright tank (8 ft tall), a 30-bbl hot liquor tank (about 12 ft), a 15-bbl mash/lauter tun with bottom mount plow, a 15-bbl kettle (25-bbl total volume), and a hop back with a total volume of 21 bbl. “The fermenters are all custom geometry to fit the space and to give a close to 1:1 aspect ratio,” Havig said. He continued, “The bright tank is custom geometry, trying to get the shape as close to spherical as possible, to help with settling of yeast, as well as with conservation of thermal energy. The mash tun is also custom geometry, basically designed for the kinds of beer we brew (mainly stronger).” Any small problems after installation, like a fitting ending up in the wrong place, were quickly fixed. And while Gigantic Brewing doesn’t have its tanks showcased on display, some others do for ambiance. “It’s been over 30 years since the first small breweries were built in Portland, so there’s little ‘wow’ factor locally in seeing tanks. Best just to put them in the back where you can keep them clean and well maintained,” Havig said. Ben Love (left) and Van Havig, owners of Gigantic Brewing Co., Portland, Ore., pose by some of their MCF stainless steel tanks that enable them to brew seasonal beers. (Photo courtesy of Gigantic Brewing Co.)
Welding Journal | June 2016
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