MIDDLEFIELD - In response to increasing demand for their beers, Brewery Ommegang is planning an expansion project which will boost production capacity by 40 percent.

"We're selling every drop of beer we can make," said Ommegang marketing director Larry Bennett.

The eight-year-old brewery on County Route 33 recently capped its five millionth bottle and is having trouble keeping up with customers who want more of its Belgian-style beers and ales.

The brewery was purchased by Duvel Moortgat in January of 2003 and since then they have slowly been putting to together a strategy, said brewmaster Randy Thiel.

That strategy has paid off and demand continues to increase.

"We're struggling to meet demand for our beer. Things have really taken off," Thiel said.

The expansion project will feature the addition of a fermentation vessel outside the brewery building.

Thiel compared the stainless steel fermenter to a dairy bulk tank. The 9,000 gallon tank will be vertically oriented and stand 35 feet tall - the same height as the roof of the brewery.

The tank will be located on the east side of the building and not visible from the roadway, Thiel said.

Because of the frigid winter temperatures in Central New York, the tank will have three inches of insulation to prevent the beer from freezing.

The tank will be connected to the main building by way of an enclosed walkway to allow brewers access to the business end of the tank without having to go outside, he explained.

The other exterior component to the expansion is a grain silo to store the barley malt used in brewing.

"As we brew more beer, it makes good sense to bring in a silo," Thiel said.

Currently the barley malt comes in bags, but with the silo deliveries will be make in bulk.

The silo will be more slender than the fermenter, stand 30 feet tall and hold 50,000 pounds of barley malt. It, too, will be located on the east side of the building.

Inside the brewery, a wall will be removed to add more space to the cellar where the beer is bottle conditioned and a new steam boiler for the building will be installed.

Thiel said no additional storage space is anticipated at this time because much of their product is warehoused in New Jersey.

The brewery plans to stick with its five main beers because it can't fit anymore into the commercial pipeline currently. When the expansion of their production capacity is complete, it may allow them consider some others, Thiel said.

In the short-term, the expansion will not result in more employment, but ultimately there will be more jobs and that's good thing, he said.

"We're gaining momentum and will probably have to turn around and think about more expansion," Thiel said.

The Middlefield town planning board will conduct a public hearing in regard to the expansion plan next Tuesday, April 12, at 7:15 p.m. in the town hall.