Tribe Breweries is establishing its operation in the former Coles Distribution site on the corner of Ducks Lane and Hume Street.

Over the past year the company has been setting up utility infrastructure and equipment in the vast space.

CEO Anton Szpitalak said while his family company initially intended to lease out some of the 20,000 square metres, it now needed all the area.

Inside, large vats, kegs, a bottling and packaging line, bags of grain and cartons of beer and RTDs fill the complex.

"We are ramping up significantly faster than expected," Mr Szpitalak said.

"We had a three to four-year ramp up plan and we're a year ahead, which is requiring us to expand."

The company is winding down its Smeaton Grange operation to focus on Goulburn. Mr Szpitalak said while Smeaton Grange wouldn't be completely "shuttered," he was exploring options for its future.

Twelve staff have moved to Goulburn from that operation, including head brewer, Sunny Browning and supply chain director, Greg Stones.

A total 41 people are employed onsite, excluding contractors.

Tribe's people and culture manager David Finch said the company would aggressively recruit for staff up until early next year across brewing, production, packaging and other areas.

An extra 25 employees are needed and training is provided. Recruitment is underway through seek.com

Mr Szpitalak said some equipment had been imported from overseas, including Germany. A new keg line is expected early next year.

"The network is performing really well and we just need to keep commissioning," he said.

"We expect to finish this early next year."

He could not say exactly when the Brewery would start production.

The operation won council approval in 2014 to initially manufacture 30 million litres of craft beers annually. But the plant will also turn out ciders, soft drinks, RTDs and boutique non-alcoholic beverages.

Tribe already exports to China, Thailand and Singapore, among other countries.

"We expect to expand our export markets but there's a very strong response in Australia so we have to feed that," Mr Szpitalak said.

Over 100 beers, many for contract brewers, will be produced at the site. Tribe also produces labels for Coles, Woolworths and Aldi but has its own craft beers, including Stockade and Mornington Peninsula, the latter produced at the company's Victorian brewery.

Grain for brewing is sourced domestically. Mr Szpitalak said initially this all came from NSW but due to challenging conditions, was now sourced all around Australia. Local farmers are sourcing the spent grain through carriers.

There's also a ready water supply under an agreement struck with Goulburn Mulwaree Council last year for a special industrial rate. The operation expects to use 27.3 megalitres in its first year.

"Water is not an issue but we also want to minimise our use...If it wasn't for the ready supply we wouldn't be here," Mr Szpitalak said.

An onsite treatment plant outside, managed by Goulburn man Nathan Langham, cleans the water for discharge into the sewer.

Mr Szpitalak, whose father and brothers are also involved in the company, said Goulburn's wasn't the largest venture with which he'd been involved.

"But it's the most exciting," he said.

"...It started out as a $15m project, now we're up to $30m. Who knows where it will stop?"