THE SWAN BREWERY.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 154, 22 October 1872, Page 5

THE SWAN BREWERY.

The first hogshead of ale brewed at the new establishment of Messrs A. H. Jaggar and Co., near Hartley’s Beach, was tapped on Wednesday last, in the presence of a number of the townspeople. Competent judges pronounced the ale to be of superior quality and altogether unlike that which is commonly produced at the first starting of a brewery. This satisfactory result is attributable chiefiy to the hardness and purity of the water used in the manufacture ; and a doubtless owing, in some measure, to Mr Jaggar’s skill and practical knowledge of the business in all its details. We were shown a sample of the water, (which is taken from Firewood Creek), and can testify to its shgular clearness and i freedom from vegetable natter or other deleterious ingredients,—qualities which constitute the mun requisite to the manufacture of good beer. The excavation for tie brewery was commenced on the 15th Juty, and fortunately no great obstacles were encountered during the progress of the work,—only one awkward piece of stone having been met with. Several large stones were taken out, b it these were soon reduced, and were either built up in the retaining wall bathe creek, or put info S position in the walls d the building. The j material removed consisted of sand, several ; layers of line gravel, and a kind of concrete, j every shovelful of which was utilised in makI ing a road to the upper building, or in mak- ; ing a yard in front, k fragment of nvm bone was found, but so much decayed that it was not worth saving. Hopes were entertained that more perfect specimens would be turned up, but the expectation was not realised.

Tiic building is princi|nlly constructed of stone 21) inches in thickness ; the roof being of woodrstmngly braced - avd'we;tth'srb<>arded. The exterior measurement is 52 x 28 ; height i of lower gable 17 feet G. inches ; and I height to ton gable from ground door, 23 ieet 6 inches. The stime-wore was executed by Petrie and Clyde: and the carpen-ters’-work by Mr W. Grant, who completed his contract yesterday. The brewing plant was supplied by Messrs Park and Curie, of Dunedin, and consists of boiler, nvysh-tnb, under-butt, fementing-tnn, See. These ap- : pliances are well and strongly made, and are found to work admirably. The Ifrst brewing took place an the Bfch of the present month. . We wish the proprietors all possible success in their spirited enterprise.