Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-17
A HOME ENTERPRISE.
Such is the Texas Brewing
Co. of Fort Worth.
DESCRIPTION OF BEER-MAKING
The Processes by Which Malt is Made
Notwithstanding of the Mag
nitude OF the Brewery
and Its Work.

An enterprise that carries on its regular
payroll the names Of 100 people, and draws
to this city thousands of dollars that are
distributed through the channels of local
k,ade, is worthy Of place in the columns OF
IHE GAZETTE.
With this thought in mind, represent
alive Of THE GAZETTE called on Mr.. j. j.
Cannon, president of the Texas brewing
company, and asked to be conducted
through the building, and to have the vari-
Gus processes of manufacture explained TO
him. If the aforementioned representa-
tive of the leading Texas newspaper had
had a correct idea of the magnitude of the
work that he was entering upon, he would
probably have gone through that brewery
In installmeuts.
Mr.. Cannon was found in his Office, busy
at work. The business Office proper is Il
work of art and luxury, finished in carved
oak and other costly materials, and shows
taste and prosperity. Adjoining this office
is a remarkably handsome lot of bar
fixtures, plate glass, mirrors, billiard Ia
bles and other furniture that the brewery
company deal in.
Mr.. Cannon readily assented to the re-
quest, and in order to begin at the begin
ming he led the seeker after knowledge to
the passenger elevator, pulled rope, and
the two were soon in the eighth story, from
whence one can see all over Fort Worth,
But, before starting skyward, attention
was called to the bucket elevator by which
gram is carried TO the top of the building,
TO begin its downward course through the
tortuous channels that lead to the beer keg
The carload of grain is switched up along
side the building, the grain flows into the
receiver and is hOisted by the elevator
buckets to the eighth story without hand
having touched it.
Now we are in the eighth story, 13S feet
from the ground, and we Will follow this
grain downward, noting its adventures.
Descending to the seventh floor we find
the grain pouring into an enormous steel
tsnz of 1900 bushels capacity-a big car
,oad-with scale attachments for the pur-
pose Of weighing the malt as it is unloaded
from the car. Having been weighed in the
balances and not found wanting, it goes
down lower, instead of higher. So we will
90 down with it.
Here on the sixth floor it enters the malt
MILL which has a capacity of 300 bushels an
lolr.
in this room is an immense cold water
tank that holds 400 barrels of water. The
wafer from the artesian well in the building
is discharged into this tank, ninety feet
from the ground, by natural pressure, no
pumping being required.
Another fight Of stairs downward and we
are on the fifth floor, where the malt has
VEeCCUCu Us IL LLC lOEIu u uedl, Us II
passed from the malt mill on the floor
above, and it now goes into the fore mash,
where the proper amount of water is added;
from there into the mash tub, which is
situated on this floor. Directly under the
fore mash is an eighteen foot diameter steel
mash rub, with an Olsen & Tllgner hydraulic
mash machine. On this floor also IS the hot
water tank, holding 100 barrels of water,
where the water is heated for brewing pur-
poses.
We are on the third floor by another de-
scent of stair steps. and here, directly ua-
Gerneath the mash machine, is the copper
grand through which the wort" or beer
passes on its way TO a great copper kettle
on the third floor. In this kettle the wort
Or beer is boiled. This kettle is of solid
copper and holds 400 barrels of liquid. 1t
IS Of the finest workmanship, put up es-
pecially rfOr this plant by Deckejach
Sons Co. of Cincinnati Out through a
door, leading from this floor, and over the
driveway, we pass into the cold storage
room for the storage of hops. The brewing
company has this year purchased four car
loads of the best Bohemian hops, imported
directly through the well-known house of
Herman Cooper s. Co. of Cincinnati. This
room is kept at an even temperature of 40
dogs. the year round.
Flowing from the boiling kettle on the
third floor. the beer descends to a copper
lined steel hop jack on the second floor,
which has a capacity of 400 barrels of beer.
Here is where the beer passes over the
hops and gets the hop favor. A critical
Judge will not hesitate to say that the hops
used here are the equal of the best to be
found anywhere, and those who are ac-
guainted with the product of this brewery
will readily attest the fact.
Here, on this floor, IS the Office of Mr..
George Walters, tine brew master, where
one finds him with the scientific instru-
meuts that assist him in his work. There
are thermometers for ascertaining tempera-
ture and keeping it at the required degree:
saccharometers for testing the percentage
Of sugar in the beer, microscopes and
everything else TO enable the head of the
department. TO know the exact quality OF
the beer that is being made. In this Office
Is the "bung measure little gauge that
registers before the brewmaSter'S eye the
exact amount of air pressure that is
brought TO bear in every tub or cask in the
cooling house.
And now we are where we started from
the first floor The beer is there ahead of
US. We find here the air, water and beer
pumps and the beer cooler. This latter af-
fair is composed of copper coils, foruy-twO
IN number, twenty-four feet long and each
two inches in diameter. The beer from the
hop-jack above flows over these coils, the
first one being n q temperature of 100 de-
greeS, each succeeding one lessening in
temperature until the last one is reached,
which is barely above the freezing point,
being kept at 81 degrees. After flowing
ger these pipes 1t is discharge into cop
parad tank, from which it is pumped into
settling tubs on the fifth floor of the stock
house, in which are two settling tubs with
a capacity Of 400 barrels each. Thence the
beer goes to the fermenting tubs on the
fourth floor of the stock-hOuSe. These are
twenty-Seyeu in number, holding 100 bar
ro,s each. The fermentation takes about
fifteen days for its completion and then the
bser Is drawn to the first or second floor of
the aging room. which are on the second or
third floors of the stock-house. To get the
proper age consumes about three months.
On each of these floors are twenty-seven
watts, capable OF holding about 300 barrels
each. After aging the beer goes to the
Chip or filming room, where the pro-
cess of manufacture is completed and it
then reaches the final stage. when it gets TO
the ''racking' room and is pegged ready
for market.
Thus we have followed the fate of the
matted grain from the moment it IS dis
charged from the freight car 10 its present'
liquid state, clear rs amber, when 1t IS
Ready to appease the thirst of thousands of
Texans and others, who insist that Fort |
Worth beer is the best for Texas stom- |
, hs. Now for few facts in regard TO the |
brewery building and the improvements |
that are being added 10 it.
THE BUILDINGS. |
The brew house is 40X50 feet, and is eight |
Stories high. built of brick, stone and iron, |
re-proof, with concrete floors, and the ar