 Wooden casks were still in use in the 1960s. The cask beer line was removed in 1976, but restored in 1984. In 1984 the original brewhouse was converted into a brewery museum. In November 1985 a new £ 5 million brewhouse opened. Production of Foster's Lager began in 1987. By 1989 the brewery had a production capacity of 1.2 million barrels per annum. Scottish & Newcastle used the John Smith's Brewery to brew many of its ale brands. In 2004, a new £ 24 million bottling facility was opened in 2004, described as the most modern bottling facility in Europe.
