04/11/2012

Red Hand Brewery: An update

I took my fiance and in-laws along for lunch in the Brewer's House yesterday. Owner Ciaran walked through the door and offered to show me the newly arrived brewkit. Its a 100 litre setup and so new its yet to be wired in. It'll be located in a (yet to be) converted stables and there will be a weekly brew to supply both pubs. 


Initially trial batches will be brewed and given away to get feedback from regular pub customers. In the long run the 100litre kit could serve as a trial plant fora bigger setup or allow for limited edition releases to be brewed.
Conditioning tank

The pub itself is going from strength to strength, and was featured on national news last week, the phone hasn't stopped ringing ever since. People from all over the island of Ireland are coming to eat and drink here and its certainly putting the tiny village of Donaghmore on the map.

According to Ciaran, of 18 people on his brewing course, 6 have bought the same kit; so we could see a spate of similar start-ups in the coming months. I for one am certainly keeping my fingers crossed.

7 comments:

  1. An extract from Lewis topographical dictionary 1837:

    The parish is situated on the road from Dungannon
    to Omagh, and comprises, according to the Ordnance
    survey, 18,410½| statute acres, of which, 146 are water;
    there are about 3000 acres of bog and mountain, but
    the greater part of the remainder is arable land. The
    present village has been built since the year 1796, under
    the direction, and by the spirited exertions, of A. Mackenzie,
    Esq., and is in a very flourishing state, comprising
    88 well built and slated houses, mostly in one street.
    There is an extensive brewery of the celebrated Donaghmore
    ale, where upwards of 10,500 barrels of ale and
    beer are annually brewed; also soap and candle manufactories;
    much business is transacted in the spirit
    trade; and there are large brick-works adjoining the
    village.

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    1. yes, I'd spotted that. I'll have to speak to Ciaran to see if he has any further records

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  2. Looks great, did he say where the kit is from? and how much it cost? Thanks.

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  3. That's excellent. It's tiny, being only the size of a large homebrew setup. Some people on Beoir have similar setups in brewsheds.
    I have yet to make it to this place.

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  4. All in good time on both counts!

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  5. That looks like a kit from ES Fabrication to me…

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  6. That looks like a kit from ES Fabrication to me… I’m going to have to try to get to the brewers house, maybe on the way back from the Belfast beer festival.

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