Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-14
{. R. BREWERY
AS SEEN BY PITTS.
WILLIE EDITOR
Well Regulated Plant Producing
aFine Product.

| G. E. Mckee, editor and proprietor
! of the Pittsville Record gives US the
| following on one of cur local enter
| prises':
Friday of last week while the writ
er was in GRAND Rapids, among other
| places of business duty called him to
attend was the office of the Grand
| Rapids Brewing. Company Business
was converted into a rare pleas
ure however when am mvitation was
extended to look over the plant by
| Manager Frank Rourke. Mr.. Romke
hunted UP Joseph Holly and under
the guidance of this genial son of the
Fatherland of Brewmasters the trip
from the intense heat of the furnace
rooms to the icy atmosphere of the
cooling and aging cellars was made
a source of information and delight.
Brewmaster Holly lis justly proud
of the plant under his guidance.
Everything about the place was clean
as a Dutch housewives kitchen and
the brass of kettles and wood watts
showed plainly that "OId Dutch
Cleanser plays am important part i'm
the brewing of beer i'm the Grand
Rapids plant. Steam, hot and cold
'@'NSl eblAA NiCciiIo OOIII pOuIutl uHctlI1-
pu1ated through high pressure hose
give the germ of disease a slim show
to get in his work about the estab-
Iishment presided over by the faith
full Mr. Holly Almost the first thing
that impresses itself ON one after en-
tering the plant is the strict dici-
pHne of cleanliness about the place
The brewery has a capacity yearly
Of = 000 .I- = oI;,
mostly from Lacrosse and the hops
from Washington and Oregon. The
process of the beer liquid after leav-
ing the cooking vats is through the
fOmenting watts of 500 barrels capacitr
each and from these to the aging vat
OF 1000 barrels capacity each. From
here the liquid goes into the ripeQ-
ing watts or casks, for they look like
huge kegs set horizontally, each hold
Ing 125 barrels. Into the process
somewhere hazelwood or white maple
chips are put into the IiQuid for the
purpose of clearing the beer. These
absorb all sediments and impurities.
The bottling department. is am i'm
teresting part of the brewery The
bOttlng and cOrking forms an inter
estng process to one who has never
seen this work performed. And it lis
dome with such SlWiftneSS and sure
ness aus to almost tarthng.
The bOttIdej goods is al better class
of beverage than that obtained from
the keg. After a certain process of
the brewing that liquid intended for
bottling takes another course and lis
heightened by the addteR9n OF a,ice and
sugar. Rice forms Is per cent of the
bulk of the bottled goods All beer
before it is put into kegs or bottles
goes through the big filtering plant
a very important part of a we'll regal
lated brewing establishment.
Particular care is given to the
washing of the kegs and bottles after
they have been returned to the brew
cry. This is work that is accom-
plished in a swift though efficient
manner, each keg being thoroughly
and individually inspected by the use
of lights before another filling is
made.
The Grand Rapids Brewing Com
pany have a very neat plant for its
capacity and seem to have all the
business the plant can handle. The
writer's visit found the office force
busy FILLING orders for the Fourth Of
July, but not too busy to be coJrte-
ous and attentive to the CASUAL visit
ed. A trip through on institution of
this nature ilsi of educatinoal value 10
anyone.