Let’s Raise A Glass For POLYCAST!

Tom Ayers and three of his buddies were all home craft brewers and would meet often to discuss the finer things in life – with beer mugs in hand, of course. Sharing a passion for crafting, one of these friends, Brian, approached Ayers about starting a brewery. During a planning stage that lasted one year, the four friends agreed they wanted to keep their day jobs until Ill Mannered Brewery was firmly established.

The entrepreneurs realized they needed some financial help, so they raised much-needed funds with an exclusive event that also provided a unique opportunity to recognize contributors. Partnering with a local glass blower, each attendee of the event was treated to an artistically crafted one-of-a-kind glass mug and their first Ill Mannered drink for free. The mugs are now proudly displayed in the brewery for members of the “Groundbreakers Club” to easily find and use each time they visit.

They’ve become well known for giving memorable names to their brews. Their flagship drink – a fruity, well-balanced IPA called “Powell, Right in the Kisser” – quickly became a crowd favorite. Ayers admitted that he has a harder time deciding his personal favorite. “I like all of them; they are like your children,” Ayers said. “It’s hard to pick a favorite but I’m slightly partial to a Belgian we named ‘Fat Bottomed Girl.’”

The response to their brewery was so overwhelming that after six months, Ayers began working for Ill Mannered full-time as the Chief Mad Man & Head Brewer. It didn’t take long for them to realize their 1,000 sq ft space was too small. By May 2016, they were looking for a new home but couldn’t find anything that met their needs. In passing, their current landlord mentioned wanting to build on the green space near the existing structure. The guys jumped on his offer and began planning their expansion.

The expansion took a little longer to complete because of city permits, planning, and zoning boards. But with a shovel and about 40 of their biggest fans witnessing the groundbreaking of Ill Mannered Brewery’s latest 3,000 sq ft project in February 2019, the expansion was realized.

Trench Drain Install

Ayers is excited by the growth potential they’ll have thanks to the installed POLYCAST® 600 drain system.

“Our current setup is terrible. It’s plastic, cracked, isn’t sloped very well, and drains very slow,” Ayers lamented. “This new system has a ‘U’ set up that allows all of the fermenters to face inwards without slowing down production. Not only will it speed up our current production but there’s plenty of room for growth.”

The POLYCAST® 600 was selected by Don Kirkham from Kirkham Building Solutions, Inc. He had searched online and found that Trench Drain Systems provided the most information about draining solutions for the brewing industry. He was pleased to find that there was a more economical choice for drainage channels with POLYCAST® compared to stainless steel.

The POLYCAST® drain system has a unique blend of either a polyester (140°F and minimal chemical resistance) or vinyl ester resin (180°F and high chemical resistance) and concrete that makes it perfect for the brewing industry. When creating craft beers, there is a lot of heat and chemicals involved in the brewing process. You need a drain that can hold up to harsh and sometimes caustic conditions. Other materials can break down, crack, or even melt due to the high temperatures of the liquid runoff.