THE VICTORIA BREWERY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4168, 28 June 1875, Page 3

THE VICTORIA BREWERY.

This establishment, which is situate at the corner of Pitt and Elder streets, is one of the old established breweries of the Colony, and its ale and porter have long been held in high repute. The Victoria Brewery was started by the present proprietor, Mr Strachan, 19 years ago, in Sawyer's Bay. Mr Strachan afterwards removed his business to Ducedin, and the buildings were in course of erection on the present brewery site when the- first rush to the Province broke out. Nearly all the present buildings are new, part being about twelve months old, aud the remainder of the new portion having been re-erected since the fire on the premises some months ago. The older portions of the building, which are of wood, it is intended t > replace by more permanent and substantial material as soon as convenient. Not having ever previously referred at any length to the building, we will now give a short description of it. Wo will first refer to the malt ing floor and kiln. The malting floor is 92 feet long, including the steep, and 3S feet Wide. The steep is capable of holding ISO bubhels at a time ; and, taking the average of the year round, 300 bushels of malt per week are made. At this season of the year -rnnl Senerally a fluantity of grain, equal to ;00 bushels at a time, in process of bein" made into malt. The kiln has a perforated tile floor for h- atinsr the grain, and the interior, with the exception of a do r which is of-wood, is wholly of iron. The kiln is capable of drying off 170 bushels at a time. Ihepowlwhiehsurmountsifcisaloeal "idea " and it is claimed that it draws much better than the cowl of the ordinary design. Certainly it looks more shapely. J n the store for holding barley and malt, there is a bin which is capable of containing ISOO bushels of malt biom this large bin the malt descends and feeds itself into the malt mill. From the malt mill it is taken by elevators to a bin 48 feet above ground, from which it descends into t. c mash tub. Steam-power and the lapid iall of the ground at the brewery are taKen advantage of, so that as little as possible is done by hand. We will now refer to the brewery proper. The brewery is entirely on what is known as the gravitating principle—that is to say, that the brewing process begins at the top of the building, and the wort at each successive stage passes into a vat lower than that in which it last was. By having the vats on different levels simply turning a tap is all that has to be done to pass the wort from one vat to another. All the boiling required in the brewing process is dene1 by steam coils. The coils in use at the Victoria Brewery are different to most, if not all of the others in use here—beiag placed only a couple of inches above the bottoms of the vats. As heat rises upwards, they are on the true principle. There are, however some slight disadvantages in using this coil' but it is considered that the extra benefit more than compensates. With steampipes and hot and coH water pipes the brew house is quite a nest of piping. By the use of the steam coil and hot water pipes, one fire does the work for merly done by four or five. This is an advantage, Dot only in the way of economy but also conduces to efficiency, and cleanliness. 30 hogsheads are brewed at a time but the plant can turn out 33 or 34 hoes heads at a brew. Usually 200 hogsheads a week are brewed, but, if wanted, the brewery is capable of doing double as much as th-vt The refrigerator has oval tubes, which give a larger amount of cooling surface than the round tubes of ordinary refrigerators, the result being that the wort cools in about one third less time. This refrigerator was made by Messrs A. and T. Burt, and Mr Strachan is well satisfied with the way in which it acts. All the copper work required in the brewery was made by the same firm. The whole of the vats and other brewing plant are new. In the engine house there is a new and powerful boiler, also a seven-horse power horizontal engine. The boiler supplies the steam and hot water for brewing, and also the engine. The brewery, excluding the malt house and kiln, is 127 feet long and 37 feet wide. The cellar is 9S fset by 37 feet, and has storage space for 190 casks, each of which holds 90 gallons. The cellar is almost entirely below the level of the ground. Beside the storage ac commodation afforded by the cellar there is a brick building 50ft by lGft, which is used for storing stock beer. Over the cellar is a floor 9Sft by 37ft, partly used for general storage purposes, the remainder of it being taken up by bottling and packing rooms. Behind the buildings is a good-sked yard space, which is being daily enlarged by excavation. The offices occupy the part of the building at tho corner of Pitt and Elder streets, and are very convenient. Nearly

.all the buildings are now of .brick, with bluestone foundations, and the plant and fittings are of the best description. Trken altogether, the -Victoria Brewery "is van establishment which speaks well for the brewing industry of the Province, and it is a credit to its enterprising proprietor. ;•