Achieving Better Infusion in Hours, not Days

The owners of 4 By 4 Brewing in Springfield, Missouri had a great coffee kolsch recipe they believed in, but it wasn’t selling the way they had hoped. They knew the flavors had changed as they tried to tweak the recipe.

“We started out using whole coffee beans, but as we scaled up our batch sizes, we couldn't get the extraction we needed" says Head Brewer Chris Shaffer. "Then we switched to ground coffee, which helped with extraction but created unwanted off-flavors due to exposure to oxygen and the contact time between the coffee grounds and the beer."

Chris and his partners slowly watched the kolsch lose traction with customers. 

Paul Mueller Company’s 30-day loaner program for the maxxLūp infusion system gives breweries a chance to try out different beer recipes without the commitment of buying new equipment. And because of the quick steep times, 4 By 4 was able to prove the ROI of the maxxLūp right away.

“I’m using half of everything, from a labor and hops standpoint” says Shaffer. “Hops are expensive, they range from $6 a pound to $40 a pound. With the maxxLūp, I can cut that in half and maintain the same sensory experience.”

The pressure-rated maxxLūp system with a circulation tank comes with a removable screen design and can be used to safely dry hop without accessing the top of a fermenter.

After a few experimental brews, it was time for 4 By 4 to go back to the coffee kolsch.

“That kolsch, I had coffee steeping in the beer for 5 days, 6 days, until we got the flavor we wanted. With the maxxLūp we knocked it out in 6 hours! And the taste is superior. It’s like a whole new beer, with the same ingredients. We are planning a re-release party.”

The trial program was so successful for 4 By 4 Brewing, Shaffer says they are going to purchase the 50-gallon maxxLūp system.

“It’s a perfect size for our small brewery, and we’re growing. This equipment lets me gain a week on a fermenter and I can brew right back into it. That’s where the ROI comes in, the faster I can turn these fermenters, the better. That’s good when you’re trying to keep production going.”

See how much your brewery can save on infusion beers with the maxxLūp ingredient cost calculator: