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JAMES BEATY | Staff photoKrebs Brewing Company owner Zach Prichard, left, talks about his plans for Krebs Brewing with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt as the governor tours the brewing facility at McAlester's Steven W. Taylor Industirial Park.

JAMES BEATY | Staff photoOklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, left, hears about the brewing process from Krebs Brewing Company owner Zach Prichard at the company's brewery in the Steven W. Taylor Industrial Park in McAlester.

JAMES BEATY | Staff photoOklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt listens as Krebs Brewing Company owner Zach Prichard tells him about the brewing process at the facility in McAlester's Steven W. Taylor Industrial Park, as Krebs Brewing Director of Production Eric Underwood, center, talks with state officials.

JAMES BEATY | Staff photoKrebs Brewing Company owner Zach Prichard, left, talks about his plans for Krebs Brewing with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt as the governor tours the brewing facility at McAlester's Steven W. Taylor Industirial Park.

JAMES BEATY | Staff photoOklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, left, hears about the brewing process from Krebs Brewing Company owner Zach Prichard at the company's brewery in the Steven W. Taylor Industrial Park in McAlester.

JAMES BEATY | Staff photoOklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt listens as Krebs Brewing Company owner Zach Prichard tells him about the brewing process at the facility in McAlester's Steven W. Taylor Industrial Park, as Krebs Brewing Director of Production Eric Underwood, center, talks with state officials.

Oklahoma's biggest brewery is about to get bigger in its production output.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt toured Krebs Brewing Company at McAlester's Steven Taylor industrial Park during a visit to the city, where he heard about the company's plans to install major new pasteurizing equipment at the facility, thanks to a three-pronged state program.

Stitt also made stops at BancFirst and Fassio's Fitness prior to a privateThursday fundraising event at the McAlester Country Club.

At Krebs Brewing, owner Zach Prichard told the governor about the brewing process at the facility and how new pasteurizing equipment which will be obtained through a state program will be utilized with the aim of expanding the company's production.

Prichard said installation of the new equipment won't directly result in more jobs at the brewery — but since it will help vastly increase production of popular products, it's a possibility down the line.

Oklahoma Craft Brewers Association ranked Krebs Brewing Company as the state's largest brewery earlier this year. In 2021, the company produced 20,000 barrels of beer — 5,000 more barrels than the company produced in 2020.

"Prairie Artisan Ales has driven our growth," Prichard said. The Prairie Artisan Ales include fruit-flavored beers and kettle-sour beers, with Rainbow Sherbet the sales leader. Another favorite, Bomb!, is spiced with vanilla, ancho chili, cacao and coffee.

For most beers, the alcohol will take care of any issues, but the pasteurizing equipment is needed for the popular beer with food, spice or flavoring additives. Prichard said.

During a tour of the brewery, Prichard said the building covers 50,000 square feet, since it's 500 feet long and 100 feet wide. When he first moved in, it seemed as if there was too much excess space, he said — but that's turned out to be a blessing because there's plenty of room to install new equipment.

Prichard told Stitt a state grant is going to help the company expand its reach, with a major percentage of beer the company sells going outside Oklahoma.

"This grant is going to help us buy a pasteurizer," Prichard said. The company already has a pasteurizer on-site, mainly needed for the beers with food, flavor or certain spice additives, Prichard said. Krebs Brewing already has a pasteurizer on-site, but its much smaller than the new one being ordered, about the size of a commercial washing machine, Prichard said.

By contrast, the new pasteurizer is 41 feet long and operates as a conveyor system, said Krebs Brewing Director of Production Eric Underwood.

Where the current pasteurizer takes about an hour to pasteurize two cases, or about 40 cans, the new system will run 80 cans a minute, Prichard said. Since the much-larger and faster new pasteurizer can handle many more cans of beer at once, it will help increase production and therefor the company's reach, he said.

Prichard said the state grant will provide $150,000, with Krebs Brewing covering the rest of cost. "It's going to be a $450,000 project," Prichard said. "We will pay for the rest of it."

The $150,000 grant is through the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Oklahoma Finance Authority and the Oklahoma Tax Commission. The grant calls for Krebs Brewing Company to make the initial expenditures, and then be reimbursed through the withholding tax the company pays.

Stitt asked if supply side shortages had caused problems for the brewery. 

"The shortage of carbon dioxide is getting better," Prichard said.  Krebs Brewing was  able to get through a national supply shortage of aluminum cans because they had planned for the possibility in advance, he said.

Stitt had a question regarding the well-known Pete's Place Italian restaurant in Krebs. He asked Prichard "Are you connected with the restaurant?"

Zach Prichard said it's currently operated by his parents and sister. 

Krebs Brewing Company's origins go back to when Prichard's grandfather, Pete Prichard, opened a restaurant that he operated out of his Krebs home. He learned to make beer from local Choctaw Native Americans and began selling the beer to thirsty coal miners in the area. "A lot of people came over and liked to drink," Prichard said.

He said his parents started a small brewery in 1994 and In 2004, Krebs Brewing Company was founded in Krebs. The company later began collaborating with Prairie Artisan Ales, founded by Chris and Chase Healy in 2012.

The company expanded to its current location at  Steven W. Taylor Industrial Park in 2017, with a $4 million investment. It also has a site in Oklahoma City and recently opened a Tulsa  office, Prichard said.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.

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