Franconian Beer Message Board

Barnikel (again)

Posted by Ben R on 2012-08-27 10:05:58

Hello everyone, first-time poster, recent follower of this message board. I have to admit that I am very excited about posting here and gaining further insights about Franconian beer, seeing that I am trying to get to as many breweries as possible. I have been following the threads about Barnikel recently and have seen the various articles related to the recent closures as a result of an LGL compliance failure. I go out to Barnikel about every 2-3 weeks and like one previous poster who spoke with the brewer personally in May or June I believe, I am sharing what the family told me in the first week of August. She said that they had to close because they burned through their Sudkessel for the second time, which also correlates with a recent Facebook post from the brewery. Apparently it would cost them in the range of 500,000 Euro to replace the equipment and modernize the piping in the brewery, which is something that the son would like to do when he takes over, but at the moment they do not have the funds. When I asked about how soon they could get back up and brewing in Herrnsdorf again (possibly a naive question), she didn't seem to have an answer and I left it at that to be respectful. The Facebook post on their webpage indicates that they are still brewing, but at the Aufseß brewery. The last time I was there, I saw both the brewer and his son unloading beer cases with Aufsesser regalia all over. A very bitter moment for me. Like a lot of other posters, I had noticed over time that something seemed different, not so much in the taste of the beer, but at the place itself. The door to the brewery was often closed this year, whereas in the past I always remember seeing it open and observing the bottles lined up on the machine. The labels on the beer had also changed back in the late spring/early summer for the Helles at least, but now they are all different. Back in the early summer I did mention to the brewer that I would be interested in watching him brew at some point (I took a tour last year) and he replied that in the winter it would be possible, just to add another twist to all of this. I posed the question at a time when I was unaware of any of the major challenges facing the brewery, so this remark should not be taken out of context, but I do hope that it is a sign of things to come and not for my own personal sake of course. Aside from Winkler in Melkendorf, Schwanen-Bräu in Ebing and Adler in Schlüsselfeld, this is one of my favorite places to go to and I'm hoping that there will be a happy end. If there's any other information that people have now or in the future it would be much appreciated, since I don't want to impose any further questions on the family itself. Hopefully this post could provide a few more points to the dramatic timeline associated with this brewery. Anyway, I'm glad to be part of this board and look forward to contributing to future discussions!

Barnikel (again) by Uncle Jimbo on 2012-08-27 12:51:54

Barnikel (again) by Ben R on 2012-08-27 23:43:15

Barnikel (again) by Jürgen Wening on 2012-08-28 00:59:06

Barnikel (again) by John Ratcliffe on 2012-08-28 01:11:59

Barnikel (again) by Ben R on 2012-08-28 01:47:11

Barnikel (again) by Ben R on 2012-08-28 02:18:53

Barnikel (again) by Mike B. on 2012-08-28 02:43:17

Barnikel (again) by Mike B. on 2012-08-28 02:48:01

Barnikel (again) by Jürgen Wening on 2012-08-28 03:02:41

Barnikel (again) by DonS on 2012-08-28 07:17:26

Barnikel (again) by Doug on 2012-08-28 16:13:54

Barnikel (again) by Nick B. on 2012-08-28 23:06:08

Barnikel (again) by Nick B. on 2012-08-28 23:08:41

Barnikel (again) by Ben R on 2012-08-29 00:16:04

Barnikel (again) by Ben R on 2012-08-29 00:18:09

Barnikel (again) by Jürgen Wening on 2012-08-29 02:16:46

Barnikel (again) by Jürgen Wening on 2012-08-29 05:30:12

Barnikel (again) by Ben R on 2012-08-29 10:15:42

Barnikel (again) and Fawlty Towers by Uncle Jimbo on 2012-08-29 12:15:07

Barnikel (again) by Jürgen Wening on 2012-08-30 02:34:09

Barnikel (again) and Fawlty Towers by Mat W on 2012-08-31 21:35:50

Barnikel (again) by Mat W on 2012-08-31 21:37:09

Barnikel (again) and Fawlty Towers by Edo on 2012-09-01 11:16:59

Barnikel (again) and Fawlty Towers by Nick B. on 2012-09-01 11:40:02

Barnikel (again) by Danny on 2012-09-15 12:52:36