On May 9, 2008, Russian River Brewing began brewing in their new production brewery, located just a couple of miles from their brewpub, also in Santa Rosa, California. I was on hand that morning during the mash-in. Here are some photos of the new brewery.

The exterior of the new brewery from the parking lot.

The barrels sitting expectantly in the parking lot, filled with possibilities and waiting to be filled with beer.

Around the side, which when construction is completed will be the main entrance.

The trailer of spent grain from the first batch done in the middle of the previous night.

The spent grain of Batch 001, the first half of a brew of Consecration.

I don’t know exactly what this is, but I liked the look of it.

Pallets of 16 oz. bottles, waiting to be filled with Pliny the Elder, and others. The first batch of Pliny the Elder should be brewed on Sunday, May 11, assuming all goes well with the prior brews. That would mean bottling would take place toward the end of the first week of June.

Transferring the grain for the next brew.

This tube takes the malt into the brewery.

And into this silo, ready for the brew kettle.

Vinnie and James work on a last minute pump problem.

More fermenters, ready to be filled.

The first batch of beer was fermenting in this tank.

Bubbles from the fermenting Consecration beer.

Vic Krajl, from The Bistro, made hamburgers for everybody on a new grill he bought for the brewery as a housewarming gift, or would that be a brewerywarming gift?
 

Continue on to Part 2: The Mash-In