Steve Bradt, the brewmaster for Free State Brewing Co., organizes empty kegs in an elevated storage area. The company is moving forward with expansion plans at 1927 Moodie Road, where it will begin bottling its own beer.

As summer approaches, brew kettles will bubble in east Lawrence.

Free State Brewing Co. is moving forward with its expansion and hopes to have its specialties available in bottles by late fall next year.

“We’re installing plumbing drains and getting ready to pour concrete floors,” said Chuck Magerl, Free State proprietor. “It’s not very glamorous, (but) I’m glad to see those steps happening.”

The nearly 12,000-square-foot facility at 1927 Moodie Road previously housed A.B. Coker and needs specific renovations before Free State may begin brewing.

Construction efforts include upgrading plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems to ensure their new brewing system works efficiently.

“We’re so wrapped up in the thick of all the construction details,” Magerl said.

Free State’s warehouse will make around 10 times the amount of beer the brewery produces at its 636 Mass. location each year. The brewing equipment it will use will allow the business to produce significantly more at the warehouse, if the need or want ever arises.

“(It’s) more than we would ever conceivably make,” Magerl says. “(We’ve) got the capacity to (make more than we would) actually dream of accomplishing.”

Brewmaster Steve Bradt’s and his team expect to begin testing – not selling – brews by late May or early June.

“We know there will be problems, but we’re staging the arrival of equipment to allow us to test (its) functions before it becomes (a) critical time,” Magerl said.

Free State purchased the brewing equipment from Portland Ore.’s Widmer Brewing Co. Installation was scheduled to be completed by May.

Free State plans to brew all year from the location at Moodie Road but won’t hire new employees directly after brewing starts.

“There will be a modest increase – nothing dramatic right off the bat,” Magerl said.

As brewers begin testing, they’ll only be using a fraction of the system.

“We’ll have floor space and production capacity to expand as we move into new markets,” Magerl said.

Because of Free State’s success, it’s not surprising that Magerl and his colleagues have been researching the opportunity to sell products throughout the Midwest. Last year, they started implementing plans after they pushed for the state to alter the law allowing businesses to own only one brewing location.

“We haven’t discussed our first batch yet,” Magerl said. “For sentimental reasons it would be nice to do Ad Astra, since that was what we brewed first in our brewhouse on Mass.”

Magerl said that Free State would decide what type of beer to begin brewing at the warehouse in April.

Retail liquor locations around Lawrence share excitement about Free State’s expansion.

“There’s always the staples that we look forward to carrying,” Jeff Jensen said, owner of Jensen Retail Liquor, 620 W. Ninth St. “Hopefully they’ll come out with some more seasonal brews.”

Jensen said his customers prefer to buy and support local and regional beers. He’s thrilled to hopefully carry Free State’s products in the future.

“(Local beers) seem to do very well in Lawrence,” Jensen said.