It's done: the official inauguration of the new brewery took place at the beginning of July with more than 100 guests of honor from politics and business. Roland and Oswald Kundmüller and the team had to wait more than two years for this event due to the corona virus. But there was now all the more reason to toast to it at the brewery festival.
Pastor Christian Montag took over the official consecration and blessed both the guests present and the new buildings and equipment. Europe Minister Melanie Huml praised the family's hospitality and emphasized that she felt very comfortable every time she visited the Brewery inn. District Administrator Johann Kalb recalled that the Kundmüllers were the first to develop the idea of the district beer and referred to the progressive nature of the brothers. Lisa Badum, member of the Bundestag for the party „Die Grünen" and chairwoman of the non-partisan parliamentary group Brewing Culture, called the brewery a "best practice" example and promised that the quantity-based tax on beer would remain low.
And Stefan Stang, Managing Director of the Private Breweries in Bavaria, compared the new building project to a heart transplant. “The brewhouse is the heart of every brewery. Unfortunately, the old heart of the Kundmüller brewery became weaker and weaker. After a few operations, a heart transplant was finally necessary.” And now you can get a clear picture of the optical success and the examination of the patient in the form of the beers, which have won several international awards.
Oswald and Roland Kundmüller thanked those involved and above all the entire Weiherer team for their perseverance and commitment over the past two years. Together with the architect Dieter Fischer, the Bamberg brewery machine factory Kaspar Schulz, Roth Flaschenbau from Wiesenbronn, Haas Anlagenbau from Chieming, the coppersmith Deinlein from Unteraurach, Täuber Mühlen- und Maschinenbau, Kasendorf, Elektro Reis from Geisfeld and many regional craftsmen, the new construction of the brewery has developed a promising concept that combines sustainability with the highest quality.
The heart of the new brewery is the 60-hectoliter Schulz brewhouse, which is no longer in the old wing next to the restaurant, but 200 meters further in a newly built hall. Visually appealing, also presented from the outside by a large glass wall, it can score particularly well in terms of energy. Heat recovery and a sophisticated mashing process currently saves more than 30 percent of energy - one of the most important aspects of the new building, as Roland Kundmüller explains: "Our old brewhouse from 1989 had reached its limits and was simply no longer up to date in terms of energy. With the new building, production can now be economical, forward-looking and sustainable. And of course with the same typical Weiherer taste. That was particularly important to us.” Oswald Kundmüller also explained: “Anyone who thinks that from now on they have to pay special attention to the taste, I have to disappoint them. You guys have been drinking the beer for two years already.”
The construction of the new building started in January 2019, and the first beer from the new brewery was bottled in May 2020. For almost two years now, all varieties have been brewed exclusively on the new facility. A total of 375 days were worked on the project and 2300 meters of pipeline were laid. There were 65 employees at the plant and two new jobs were created. The investment volume was over 3 million euros.
