New Belgium’s fermentation tanks approach Asheville

Planning the route for New Belgium's fermentation vessels and beer bright tanks was a joint effort involving the Department of Transportation. The approved route, pictured, means the vessels will travel I-40E and I-240E/I-26W to Amboy Road, take a left onto Lyman Street, left onto Roberts Street, exit the traffic circle onto Haywood Road, go over the West Asheville bridge and turn right onto Craven Street. Image of Google Maps route courtesy of New Belgium

New Belgium’s brewing equipment has crossed the globe in presidential style. Rolling road closures, Department of Transportation assisted routing and police escorts mark one final leg of a multi-month, international trek for the brewery’s mammoth fermentation and carbonation vessels. Ranging from 32- to 55 feet in height, the units can handle up to 55,000 gallons of liquid each.

They are now en route to Asheville from Charleston, S.C.

“We are thankful for the collaboration of our partners in this process, as well as the patience of those along the route,” said Alex Dwoinen, New Belgium’s Asheville-based brewing manager. “Placing these vessels into our new home on Craven Street is another reminder that we are one large step closer to brewing in this great city and sharing our beer more widely, and that’s incredibly exciting.”

A 275-ton crane, currently perched on Craven Street, is poised to move the two dozen fermentation vessels and half a dozen carbonation tanks (or beer bright tanks) into New Belgium’s facility during daylight hours from March 9-14. The tanks, which first departed Germany in January 2015,  travel in pairs and are scheduled to arrive on a rolling basis with at least 30 minutes between sets.

New Belgium documented the journey of similar vessels traversing Texas on the way to Fort Collins, Co., during a 2012 tank farm expansion:

Here is the full release from New Belgium:

New Belgium’s Asheville fermentation vessels and bright beer tanks are scheduled to arrive at their east coast home by mid-March. Two dozen FVs and a half dozen BBTs departed from ZIEMANN in Bürgstadt Germany in January and arrived to the Port of Charleston, SC, in early February. New Belgium is building an east coast location with an expected capacity of 500,000 barrels. The oversized vessels require rolling road closures and NC Department of Transportation approved routing and police escort, as they arrive to New Belgium Asheville.

“We are thankful for the collaboration of our partners in this process, as well as the patience of those along the route,” said Alex Dwoinen, Asheville Brewing Manager. “Placing these vessels into our new home on Craven Street is another reminder that we are one large step closer to brewing in this great city and sharing our beer more widely, and that’s incredibly exciting.”

The vessels are currently scheduled to arrive during daylight hours between Monday, March 9 and Saturday, March 14, pending weather delays. They will travel in pairs with a minimum of 30 minutes between arrivals. Installation of the vessels will also begin this week. A media alert will follow.

The two dozen FVs have varying sizes between 32 and 52 feet tall with net volumes between 547 and 1860 hectoliters or up to 49,000 gallons. They house the process where yeast ferments wort into beer and allow the liquid to condition and mature. The six BBTs, which store beer before packaging, are approximately 55 feet tall with net volume of 2090 hectoliters, equivalent to about 55,000 gallons.

New Belgium’s 200 hectoliter brewhouse system arrived seamlessly and on schedule in January with support from NC DOT, the districts along the route, Buncombe County, the City of Asheville, and the Asheville Police Department.

Public hiring for the Asheville location kicked off last month, with two dozen positions filled as of February 2015. New Belgium anticipates brewing beer in Asheville by the end of 2015.

About New Belgium Brewing Company

New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, is recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work and one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Small Businesses. The 100% employee- owned brewery is a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business as designated by the League of American Bicyclists, and one of World Blu’s most democratic U.S. businesses, and a Certified B Corp. In addition to Fat Tire, New Belgium brews ten year-round beers; Ranger IPA, Rampant Imperial IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Slow Ride Session IPA, Snapshot Wheat, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black Ale, Blue Paddle Pilsner, Abbey Belgian Ale and Trippel. Learn more at www.newbelgium.com.

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About Kat McReynolds
Kat studied entrepreneurship and music business at the University of Miami and earned her MBA at Appalachian State University. Follow me @katmAVL

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2 thoughts on “New Belgium’s fermentation tanks approach Asheville

  1. doug

    Those tanks have had a really long journey. The video was published to You Tube on Dec 19, 2012 and the tanks arrive here March of 2015!

    • Kat McReynolds

      Doug, thank you for catching that! I was mistaken — New Belgium’s video was actually documenting a 2012 tank farm expansion in Fort Collins. They sent it along for context of what moving those massive things looks like on the road.

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