Carl's Weekly Update | 5.6.14

This week's update will be short: We completed the flooring, furnishing and painting of the tasting room, as well as executed the last remaining equipment install over the weekend. As such, the tasting room and brewing areas are now complete. The remaining work to be done is minor in nature, and includes tasks which we will complete as we approach the opening. While we were held up on being able to start engineering runs this past week, we will get them running in the coming week.

This week we will also be scheduling our inspections/walk-through's with various interested departments within town of Merrimack and look to achieve their blessing on our work to date.

Thank you all again for your interest and support. My partners and I look forward to welcoming you all into our lives as we open these doors. Have a great week.

Carl

Co-Founder | Accounts & Engineering

Carl's Weekly Update | 4.28.14

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We accomplished a great deal this week, with the added benefit of our partner Jim making a trip back home to help us push closer to completion.

We are at the final stretch of the facility build, with plumbing and electrical work being completed, as well as the installation of our new propane tanks (dedicated solely to the boil kettle). We also completed the last piece of fabrication work and placed all brewing equipment into final position on the brewery floor. Our tasting room is also near completion, with the only remaining aspect being the installation of our new floor, and moving in the new furniture (both occurring this week).

Next week we will dedicate our time to putting the finishing touches on the facility. By this time next week, we expect to be conducting engineering runs, with brewing to begin shortly following.

We trust your week ahead will be as productive and fulfilling as ours. Enjoy.

Carl

Accounts & Engineering

Carl's Weekly Update | 4.21.14

This week was a busy one at Able Eb. We accomplished a great deal, and continue to progress towards brewing and announcing a grand opening. This week, we completed the following:

  • Completed the installation of the brewery sign.

  • Sealing of the brewhouse floor.

  • Finishing of the lobby flooring.

  • Finished detail painting work.

  • Completed the lobby/retail space.

  • Competed the public restroom.

This coming week, Mike (our Head Brewer) and I are featured with Michael Haupley-Pierce and Tim Robbins on the New Hampshire-based Taphandle Show (link), which will be available Thursday (4/24). I encourage all of our followers to take a moment to check out their show, and give a listen to previous shows as well (including some great ones with Bill from White Birch, Brew Hampshire filmmakers Bryant and Meagan, among many others).

In terms of facility work, we are complting final fabrication to the brewhouse, as well as plumbing and electrical work in the tasting room and brewery areas. We also anticipate the reception of the last pieces of brewing equipment (plate chiller, brite tank), as well as our new cold room.

Thanks again to everyone for your continued support. We anticipate the announcement of our grand opening very soon. With that, we look forward to the week ahead. Time to get back at it. Have a great week everyone.

Carl

Co-Founder | Accounts & Engineering

Carl's Weekly Update | 4.14.14

This past week was very productive at Able Ebenezer.

  • We completed our trench floor drain and wastewater pretreatment system.

  • Paint is just about finished throughout the facility (aside from touch-up work).

  • Our new pine wood flooring has started to go in.

  • Associated piping for the brewhouse is complete.

  • Our tap handles went into production.

I would like to expand on that last item, because tap handles are an item that every brewer needs to invest in if they are interested in being on tap at local venues. Like much of the other work we’ve done to build this brewery, we decided to make the handles ourselves. The idea we had was to brand the names and logos into the side of NH White Pine, creating a look that we feel represents us well.

We acquired a White Pine tree from here in the town of Merrimack. From that tree, we began cutting, shaping, fitting and finishing handles. This week, we brought the handles to New Boston, NH to our branding artist; we came away with what we have decided will be the final product (see image below).

This coming week, we have several items on our plate, and will try to get all of them.

  • First off, we are welcoming the new season by taking today (the 242nd anniversary of the Pine Tree Riots) and heading to the Seacoast for NH brewed beer and sun.

  • Finishing of the brewhouse floor, then moving equipment into final position.

  • Finishing of the tasting room and lobby flooring.

  • Final electrical and plumbing work within the facility.

  • Commencing of propane piping and burner work (boil kettle).

A special thank you again to every one of our followers. Be sure to take some time this week to enjoy a beer brewed right here in the “Live Free or Die” state. Cheers, everyone!

Carl

Co-Founder | Accounts & Engineering

Carl's Weekly Update | 4.7.14

We accomplished a great deal this week (adding a number of miscellaneous skills to our resumes in the process).

One aspect of brewing that people don’t put a lot of thought into is the Wastewater from the brewing process. Merrimack, with its high concentration of industrial manufacturers (such as our neighbor, Anheuser-Busch), has been deemed by the EPA as one of the few municipalities within the state of New Hampshire that must have a wastewater pre-treatment program in place; meaning that we need to collect, test and neutralize all waste water produced from the brewery prior to putting it down the drain.

While we do not utilize harsh chemicals in our brewing and cleaning processes, and the primary product of our manufacturing process is delicious beer, we must adhere to the standards put in place by the EPA. The way it was put to us, we “need to be held to the same standard as Anheuser-Busch and others in town.” My partners and I welcomed this challenge.

As part of that effort, we spent the early part of this week installing our 50-foot-long trench floor drain, which does not enter the sewer system directly (which you would expect with most floor drains). Instead, the system pumps water entering the drain into batch tanks that once full, will be tested, treated and logged prior to release to the sewer.

The trench is in place, and will be complete on Monday morning once we pour and level the fresh concrete.

Other work this past week:

  • Completion of the trim, doors, glass and final coats of paint within the tasting room/retail area.

  • Completion of our self-designed heat-exchanger (as part of our 10-BBL HERMS system). More to follow on this aspect in future updates.

  • Beginning of piping work on the brewing system.

This upcoming week, we will tackle:

  • Installation of pine wood flooring within the tasting room/retail area.

  • Concrete pour into the trench drain.

  • Sealing of Brewery floor.

  • Completion of piping work.

  • Installation of new propane tanks (boil kettle dedicated) and finalization of propane piping/burner system.

  • Brewing.

Thank you all again for your continued interest in us and our venture. We remain on target, and look forward to the day when we can share a beer with you all. Prost!

Carl

Co-Founder | Accounts & Engineering

Carl's Weekly Update | 4.2.14

It is officially the spring season, and this means that we are getting closer to the grand opening of the Able Ebenezer Brewing Company. My partners and I know that you are very interested in when we will open our doors and make Able Ebenezer beer available to all. Therefore, we will be publishing weekly detailed updates to ensure that you, our followers, are up to date on the latest developments of our facility build and opening timeline. With that, here is where we are as we mark the beginning of Spring: In December 2013, we announced the plan to open a new brewery in Merrimack, establishing a facility occupying the high-ground overlooking the intersection of the DW Highway and Columbia Circle (@ 31 Columbia Circle). Since that time, a number of engineering, construction and regulatory activities have commenced. They include:

  • Complete resurfacing of our facility’s concrete floor, and thorough cleaning of the entirety of the space (a clean brewery produces clean beer).

  • Accumulation and building of our brewing equipment (boil, mash, heat exchangers, mill, fermenters, brite/conditioning tank, etc).

  • The building of the tasting room.

  • Framing of our 27’ bar.

  • Delivery of our kegs, growlers, pints and tasters.

  • Painting walls, ceiling, etc.

  • Federal approval of our Brewer’s Qualification.

  • Many other miscellaneous activities, many of which can be seen on our Facebook page.

Ahead are a number of activities that we are taking on each and every day as we progress towards opening. In the coming week, we will execute the following:

  • Digging out 40’ of concrete floor to install our trenched floor drain and implement our waste water pre-treatment process.

  • Piping work on our custom 10-BBL (310-gallon) brewing system.

  • Complete plumbing and electrical installation in our new tasting room.

  • Brewing.

With that, we are on target to open later this spring. We will continue to update you all on our progress each week, and will make it known when we are able to announce a date for our grand opening. Until then, we welcome all of your questions and comments, and look forward to the opportunity to share a beer with you in the coming months. Prost!

Carl

Co-FOunder | Accounts & Engineering