A Wichita brewery is about to start making hand sanitizer alongside its craft beer
Of all the things he thought he’d brew when he started his business, hand sanitizer was not on the list.
But these are strange times, and strange things are happening.
Wichita Brewing Company co-founder Jeremy Horn is about to launch an unusual project at his brewery’s big production center, which he opened four years ago at 727 E. Osie.
As soon as he gathers the right ingredients, Horn and his crew will mix a giant batch of hand sanitizer in one of the brewery’s 1,800 gallon fermenters, usually reserved for making the beers like WuShock Wheat, V-6 IPA and 5:02 Amber.
When it’s done, he’ll sell it to medical and law enforcement groups in town that are having trouble getting their hands on the stuff.
It all started late last week, when Horn got a call from the Sedgwick County Sherrif’s Office asking if there was any way the brewery could help. In recent days, breweries in states across the nation have started producing hand sanitizer in their facilities.
Horn wanted to, he said, but state law prohibited him from making anything but beer.
The brewery asked the state director of Alcoholic Beverage Control for an exemption that would allow it to buy non-beverage alcohol for the purpose of making hand sanitizer. ABC approved the request, and now, Kansas breweries, farm wineries and distilleries have the go-ahead to help with such requests, as long as they’re making the hand sanitizer for medical and law-enforcement groups.
Horn is now gathering up the ingredients for the recipe approved by the World Health Organization: denatured ethanol, glycerin, distilled water and hydrogen peroxide. He’s found several local chemical companies that are able to provide those things.
He’s also trying to figure out a method for getting the sanitizer, once it’s made, into hand-pump dispensers. The Sheriffs office has a lead on that, he said, and he might ask for volunteers next week to help transfer the stuff into the hand pumps.
Horn will sell the finished product to the organizations who need it, he said, but it won’t be a money-maker for the brewery. Mostly, he wants to help the local agencies in need — and his employees in need.
“We’re going to make sure our costs are covered,” he said. “The benefit to us is just keeping some of our brewers busy while we’re in a slow period — just keeping them employed.”
He should be able to start mixing sometime next week, Horn said. Now, he’s trying to figure out how many agencies locally actually need the stuff. He doesn’t want to buy a bunch of ethanol he won’t end up using.
Horn is asking that anyone who knows of a medical or law enforcement-type agency that might be in need of hand sanitizer e-mail him at jhorn@wichitabrew.com.
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 5:19 PM.
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