Bengaluru craft breweries face production slowdown amid LPG shortage

BENGALURU: The cooking gas crunch is beginning to hit Bengaluru's craft beer industry, with city microbreweries warning of a production slowdown if supplies remain disrupted. Boilers used in the brewing process at many craft breweries run on LPG, and the shortage has left brewery owners worried about losing business during the peak summer season, when beer consumption is at its highest. Depending on facility size and beer production volume, a craft brewery requires anywhere between five and 15 LPG cylinders daily to keep production running. With suppliers restricting the sale of industrial cylinders, some breweries are exploring alternative fuel options."We have enough stock of LPG to last until Sunday," said Mukesh Tolani, co-founder of Toit Brewpub. "To avoid disruption in production, we are speaking to our vendor to see if we can shift from LPG to diesel," he added. "We are installing electric grillers and induction plates to optimise LPG usage," Tolani added. Bengaluru is home to 80-plus microbreweries, mostly patronised by the city's young crowd. Prasanna Kumar, co-founder of Bengaluru Brewing Company, said their beer stock may only last another 15 days if the supply situation does not improve. "Gas is the primary fuel for running the boiler during the brewing process," he said. "The gas boiler generates steam and heat required to process the malt. Switching to firewood or electric boilers on short notice is expensive and time-consuming. Moreover, it can affect the purity and flavour of the beer," he explained. Menu changes are also becoming inevitable. Nirmal PV, co-founder of Mannheim Craft Brewery, said LPG shortage has forced his team to rethink cooking practices. "We are modifying our menu and focusing on dishes that require less heat. Some cuisines, such as Asian, Chinese, and Italian require high heat. So, we are shifting towards simpler cooking methods." Anirudha Kheny, managing partner at Keen Mustard Ventures, said the uncertainty around gas supplies is creating anxiety among restaurant and pub owners. "Pubs and restaurants already face restrictions on the number of cylinders they can store, and the current situation can further tighten those limits." He added that menu changes may also impact customer preferences. "Weekend crowds could be affected because some of the favourite dishes may no longer be available." Vinay Chandrashekar, founder of Long Boat Brewing Co, said the pub is removing some of the deep-fried items and using electric equipment for cooking. Distillery pauses production Craft rum distillery Huli has paused operations after failing to procure cooking gas for its boiler. Aruna Urs, founder of the Mysuru-based distillery, said the unit was unable to secure LPG cylinders despite approaching both public sector and private suppliers. "Huli is closed from Monday as we are unable to procure LPG for our boiler," Urs said in an X post Thursday. "We had a public and a private supplier, and both categorically told us that they have been told to only refill domestic canisters."