CITY IMPROVEMENTS.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 161, 10 December 1874, Page 3

CITY IMPROVEMENTS.

Messes Vincent and Co's New Bbeweby. The progress of Christchurch, perhaps, is marked more by the increased size and additional appliances noticeable in the various dep&ts of trade, whether they be merchants' warehouses, retail traders' shops, or, as in the case of the building under review, one of the very many breweries which, during late years, have sprung up in and around the city. In the case of Messrs Vincent and Co's brewery, their trade has so largely increased that it became impossible for them to cope with it unless more commodious premises were erected and fitted with improved plant. This is in course of being done, and when completed this will be one of the largest —if not the largest—breweries in New Zealand. We have deemed a brief notice of it worthy the attention of our readers. The site of the building is in Colombo street south, next to the present brewery, and having a considerable road frontage. It is built of brick, with slated roof, and the first portion calling for attention is , ■ ..' f THE STOBAGB CELLAR. This is situate on the town side of the brewery proper, and is 128 x 25, with 18ft high walls. As this faces the N.W. winds, every precaution has been taken to render the cellar thoroughly and completely cool. For this reason there are no apertures such as windows or doors in this wall, it being completely plain the entire length, thus ensuring a low temperature even in the hottest weather. Over this cellar, in which it is intended to keep the beer for maturing, is a grain store extending the whole length of the building. In this, malt, barley, and other requisites for the brewery can be stored without trouble. This cellar runs flush on to the street, being joined on the southern side by the building intended for the office of the firm. This will be 37 by 14, fronting on the street, and built of brick, with slate roof and stucco front. From the storage cellar, a door leads us into THE FERMENTING CELLAR. This is 114. by 37, and is calculated to ferment 240 hogsheads beer. The floor is of 4-iach concrete, on broken metal, made with lin 1 of washed sand and cement. This cellar is also of brick, and the work has been most substantially executed. The upper floor is supported by pillars of totara and black pine, set in stone sills. The floor above is divided into hop and malt rooms at western end, fermenting room in the centre, and grain store at the eastern end. As in the storage cellar, there are no windows on the the N.W. side, and only three on the S.W. and three on the N.E. ends. The floor space is divided so as to allow of five alleys or ways by which the caßks may be taken to the storage cellar, and thence sent out for delivery. In order to preveut the temperature being raised by hot air getting in the casks will be delivered from the fermenting cellar into the passage between it and the storage cellar, after which the doors will be close shut, thus preventing the necessity of opening the fermenting cellar to the outer air at all. Beyond this to the southward access is gained to THE BREW HOUSE. This has been fitted with every convenience of the latest design. The plant comprises, amongst other things, a 20 h.p boiler, h.p engine, which supplies all the power necessary in the establishment. The boiling tub is made of heart of kauri, and is fitted with a copper steam coil 142 feet long and three inch pipe. Here also is a copper oval tube Bandelot refrigerator, fitted to cool forty hhds per- hour. To supply this two artesian wells have been sunk, each having a flow of upwards of six feet through a two inch pipe. On the second floor is a kauri mash tun, capable of mashing 166 bushels, aud fitted with Williamson's patent self-acting masher. To supply the mash tun, there is a hot liquor tub to hold 60 gallons, which is also boiled by means of the steam coil. In the roof are placed twelve tanks, calculated to hold 15000 gallons of water for the supply* of the brewery. These tanks will be filled by means of a steam pump from the artesian wells, calculated to throw sixty gallons per minute, The buildiugs, it may be said, stand upon an acre of ground, and it is intended to erect: coopers' shops and wash houses. At the rear of the building are cottages'for .th'e jhe)ad carter,.the brewer, and others engaged on the premises. By means of an ingenious distribution of steam power, delivering or receiving of goods, &c, can go on simultaneously at five or six portions of the building at once, thus saving a great deal of labor and expediting work.