Brewers Diary

The old Ryerson steel mill at 18th and Rockwell will be ground zero California brewery Lagunitas' major eastward expansion, according to The Tribune. A heavyweight among craft brewers, Lagunitas is opting for a Midwestern presence over expansion of their existing facilities in Petaluma, CA. The Ryerson plant will be made a replica of the Cali plant, at a cost of $15 to $18M. "We need to continue to add capacity because sales are growing," Lagunitas founder Tony Magee told The Tribune. "I can add capacity in Petaluma, 2,500 miles from where I'm pretty sure I'm going to sell it, or I can add capacity there and get all of the diesel out the beer." How much diesel? About 4 oz worth for every 22 oz bottle. [Trib]