A 3.5 BBL 2-Vessel Direct-Fire Brewhouse
Fit For A Small Brewery Doing Big Things

We were excited to learn that experienced brewer Phillip Zayas and co-founder, Veronique, chose to work with Craft Kettle for their downtown Pensacola project, Emerald Republic Brewing Company.

Phillip brings an almost unrelenting focus on the art of brewing to the project. His exceptional education at Cicerone and UC Davis's Professional and Master Brewers Certificate program give him the knowledge to tackle the endeavor, but it's his love for the art that turned this project into a true passion. From the beginning, Phillip was heavily involved in vetting the details of our brewhouses, equipment, and features to make sure we indeed made decisions grounded in best brewing practices. We believe the result speaks for itself.

Deciding Between Different Brewhouses

Sometimes the hardest decisions occur at the 1-5 barrel brewhouse level. Early in the planning stages for Emerald Republic, Phillip and Veronique had to decide whether to go with a small nano setup, a combination brewpub system, or a Pro-Series 2-vessel system.

The decision can be difficult. Although the nano system would save considerable capital at startup, the nano slants slightly more towards a home-brewer system than the professional brewhouses typically seen at the commercial level. At the professional level, brewers need to start focusing on efficiency, consistency, and ease of use in a much more stringent manner. Emerald Republic chose the Pro-Series setup primarily because the 3.5 barrel brewhouse would eventually serve as an exceptional pilot system for their larger expansion plans. 

Steam Emanates from the 7 BBL Direct-fire Hot Liquor Tank During Testing
Photos and Videos Courtesy of Mike Kelly, Craft Kettle Commissioning Technician

Craft Kettle's Brewery Design Consultants are always here to help with the tough decisions. We like to chat about plans and help guide brewers and owners to make the best decisions early in the process. There's certainly no single right way to build a brewery, which is why it helps to bounce ideas off someone who's been through the process before... sometimes hundreds of times. 

If you're in the Pensacola area or headed through the Florida Panhandle on Interstate 10 any time soon, stop by Emerald Republic Brewing and have a beer.