TOPIC:

Just to say, I asked Franciscan Well staff at the RDS if any FW beer was brewed abroad and was given an unequivocal no.

I’d be very surprised if they have the tank capacity to supply all their old and new customers as well as churn out all their new special beers. These are going into keg, cask and bottle and include some that need long conditioning time e.g. the IPA. I asked a few of the FW staff as well and the tone I got back sounded very rehearsed.

Their new brewery won’t be ready until well into 2014 but Molson are still pushing their beers into loads more bars. If it’s all being brewed in Cork then something doesn’t add up.

"irish_goat":2c5imsxu wrote: I’d be very surprised if they have the tank capacity to supply all their old and new customers as well as churn out all their new special beers. These are going into keg, cask and bottle and include some that need long conditioning time e.g. the IPA. I asked a few of the FW staff as well and the tone I got back sounded very rehearsed.

Their new brewery won’t be ready until well into 2014 but Molson are still pushing their beers into loads more bars. If it’s all being brewed in Cork then something doesn’t add up.[/quote:2c5imsxu]

That's all conjecture really. From what I've seen they have installed new conditioning tanks, hired an additional brewer, and are doing more double brewdays, with different brewers taking early and late shifts, so that might help explain the increase in capacity.

Granted but it still doesn't add up.

They only got 2 new conditioning tanks installed at the end of June. And was the new brewer not just hired because another one left for the US?

None of that would explain a drop in quality either.

"irish_goat":2036tyo8 wrote: Granted but it still doesn't add up.

They only got 2 new conditioning tanks installed at the end of June. And was the new brewer not just hired because another one left for the US?

None of that would explain a drop in quality either.[/quote:2036tyo8]

The brewer being replaced that is going to the US, has been out sick for several months, with other people covering his shifts, so maybe the additional brewer didn't affect things directly, but I would think the double brew days would, which wouldn't have been as common place in the past.

I'd agree that none of this explains the drop in quality of the stout, and it's not a beer I really drink, so don't have personal experience of it.

Guy in this thread on Boards says he is aware of Fran Well kegs coming from the UK, fwiw

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