The Bale Breaker Brewing Company is located just east of Yakima, Wash., in the small town of Moxee, the self-proclaimed Hop Capital of the World. Surrounded on three sides by a field of Cascade hops, the new facility is the first and only known brewery in America located in a working hop field.

The Quinn family has been farming hops on this land for more than 80 years. They needed a new brewing facility that could withstand the Northwest weather, while providing thermal protection for modern brewing processors and a pleasant taproom for their brewhouse customers. The planned facility, to be built out in the open in the midst of an actual hop field, had to stand up to the strong Northwest elements. The materials used to construct it needed to provide specific R-values.

The design, created by Meier Architecture • Engineering, based in Kennewick, Wash., is a 12,000-square-foot facility that now houses intricate brewing equipment capable of producing 3,000 31-gallon barrels of beer annually. It’s equipped with state-of-the-art brewing equipment including a 30-barrel single-batch fermenter, a 60-barrel double-batch fermenter and a 90-barrel triple-batch fermenter. The new brewery also offers a 50-seat taproom to serve on-site customers and has space for expansion to increase brewing capacity to as much as 15,000 barrels per year.

Mountain States Construction of Sunnyside, Wash. was the General Contractor for the project. The company installed Kingspan 900 Series High Rib Insulated Metal Panels, in varying thickness and R-values, for all the exterior walls. Kingspan Insulated Metal Panels (IMPs) were chosen because they provided an immediate finish to both the interior and exterior surfaces.

Installing the Panels

The installation of these panels did not require long and extensive work, but actually allowed for flexibility in design. The company’s 900 High Rib foam insulated panels provide a very efficient R-Value and can be applied to multiple types of construction. Manufactured in varying thicknesses, the 900 High Rib is a single-component insulated metal panel. These panels not only provide a high R-value, but also superior airtightness and low thermal bridging. This result is an energy cost savings up to 30 percent over traditional multi part built-up systems.

Because of the planned usage of this structure, the specifications and design features of the building are unique. The majority of this building space is used for an operating brewery and, because of that, there was concern about the interior finish. The walls had to be able to hold up to daily operations in a brewery that involved exposure to wash down water, moisture, and steam. One IMP feature in particular that factored into the decision process was the durability of the factory “white” painted interior finish on the panels that made the brewery brighter.

While the efficient R-Value and durable interior finish were two main benefits of choosing these products, the client was also enthused by another benefit. The owners wanted the exterior to have a look similar to a hop kiln and the panels provided just what they were looking for. The company produces its IMPs in a full spectrum of vibrant hues and these high performance coatings provide long-life protection and color retention.

The Roof

The roof of the Bale Breaker Brewery was constructed with KingZip Standing Seam Metal Roof Panels. This commercial roof system is thermally efficient and airtight. It reduces overall energy usage and, as an added benefit, also increases a building’s curb appeal.

The IMPs eased the critical path of construction for the Bale Breaker Brewery project as the installation process eliminated the need for any added building insulation or extra interior finish work. By minimizing the construction schedule, the result was faster on-site installation compared to multi-part foam insulated panels. The product did not take much more time to install than typical metal building siding, however, they eliminated some time-consuming processes that could have been used to finish out a building.

 The Bale Breaker Brewery had its grand opening at high noon on Saturday, April 13, 2013. In the 12,000-square-foot facility, Bale Breaker Brewing Company now produces 3,000 31-gallon barrels of beer annually.