Annandale brewery hopes to open in June

ANNANDALE – Dan Seaberg's homebrewing hobby was driving his wife nuts.

"She was complaining about the beer smell in the house," said the Annandale native. "She's not a hop lady. She couldn't stand it."

So Seaberg decided to start his own brewery.

Along with three other partners, they plan to open Spilled Grain Brewhouse at 300 Elm Street E.

The brewery is awaiting federal approval — the application was submitted more than 100 days ago — and hopes to start brewing in May and open its taproom doors in mid-June. It's considered Annandale's first commercial brewery.

The number of breweries in Minnesota is expected to surpass 100 in 2015.

"A lot of things have worked out in our favor," said Seaberg, whose great-grandfather was a brewer in Germany and Illinois. "We are really anxious to get started."

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Spilled Grain's head brewmaster will be Jacob Schnabel, a St. Cloud Cathedral High School graduate who started homebrewing after receiving a six-gallon extract kit as a 2005 Christmas present from his parents.

"The first one was just a mess — A washtub and garden hose ended up getting involved," said Schnabel, an engineer who now lives in Annandale. "But the beer that was made was passable. When I brought some on a road trip, my co-workers couldn't believe that I had made it."

Schnabel ended up founding a Wright County home-brewing club and owns a collection of medals from homebrew competitions throughout the country. Fellow members of the Wright County homebrew club went on to found Lupulin Brewing which opened in Big Lake earlier this month.

"Beer is both an absolute science and an art form," said Schnabel, who helped judge the Cloudy Town Brewers March Mashness competition this spring.

"There's so much going on behind the scenes in terms of chemistry but then everybody's palate is different. That's where the art form comes in. While I taste something a certain way, somebody else might perceive it a different way. The key is balancing the two."

Spilled Grain plans to have six taplines with a trio of flagship beers: an American-style India pale ale based off a Seaberg homebrew, an American stout and an extra strong bitter based off Schnabel's recipes.

They will brew off a 3.5-barrel system made by Minnetonka Brewing and Equipment Co. While the system is set up, Spilled Grain can't start brewing until its licensing is complete.

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They plan to expand in the future and make smaller special batches on a pilot brewing system.

They also plan to brew sodas that will be free in the taproom for designated drivers.

Their taproom's bartop is already finished — it was built by co-founders Dave Hartley and Josh Hart, who work as cabinet makers. They will also have a patio and offer growler sales.

Schnabel said the community support for the brewery has been "unbelievable" and Seaberg said the city of Annandale has been "proactively working for us."

And with the brewery plans gaining steam, Seaberg has a happy wife and thus a happy life.

"Our house doesn't smell like beer anymore," Seaberg says with a smile.

Follow Jake Laxen on Twitter @jacoblaxen.