Bell’s Brewing

New Bell’s: Midwestern Pale Ale

Oh, hello.  A new pale ale label from Bell’s Brewery.   Midwestern Pale Ale to be exact.  The art is of Bell’s Brewery Farm in Shepherd, MI.  The earth conscious farm grows all the barley for the brewery’s Christmas Ale.

A blond ale reminiscent Continue Reading →

Bell’s Oberon Party Kegs 2012 Arrive

You can now get your 2012 Bell’s Oberon fix 1.32 gallons at a time.  Party kegs are now shipping.

Bell’s Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with Bell’s signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas. The addition Continue Reading →

Bell’s Cuts Ribbon On Big Brewhouse

Bell’s Brewery officially cut the ribbon to their new brewery today.  The new space can produce 500,000 barrels of beer annually. (15,500,000 gallons.)

All of us here at Bell’s are very excited to open the doors of this brand new facility Continue Reading →

Bell’s Announces Grand Opening (PR)

COMSTOCK, MI — After breaking ground in April 2011, Bell’s Brewery, Inc. is proud to announce the grand opening of its brand new production facility in Comstock, Mich.

A week-long celebration will kick-off on May 14 with a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. and Continue Reading →

Bell’s New Brewery Opens Next Week (PR)

(Comstock, MI) — After breaking ground in April 2011, Bell’s Brewery, Inc. is proud to announce the grand opening of its brand new production facility in Comstock, Mich.

A week-long celebration will kick-off on May 14 with a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. Continue Reading →

Posted in Bell's Brewing, Cool Stuff, Videos

Have You Ever Seen A Bell’s Commercial? Here’s One [Video]

Accordions. Fire. Jimmy Hendrix.  Bells. Live Life. Unfiltered.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Bell's Brewing, Coming Soon

New Bell’s: Midwestern Pale Ale

Bell's Midwestern Pale Ale

Oh, hello.  A new pale ale label from Bell’s Brewery.   Midwestern Pale Ale to be exact.  The art is of Bell’s Brewery Farm in Shepherd, MI.  The earth conscious farm grows all the barley for the brewery’s Christmas Ale.

A blond ale reminiscent of the golden fields at harvest – made with Michigan-grown barley and a delicious blend of pale malts ‘th a distinctive spicy, floral aroma and taste. We invite you to reap what we’ve sown.

Style: Pale Ale
Availability: 12 oz bottles, Draft Arrival: September, 2012

5.2% ABV 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Bell's Brewing, Seasonal Return

Bell’s Oberon Party Kegs 2012 Arrive

You can now get your 2012 Bell’s Oberon fix 1.32 gallons at a time.  Party kegs are now shipping.

Bell’s Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with Bell’s signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas. The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouthfeel, making it a classic summer beer.

Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
Availability: 12oz bottles, draft, mini kegs.  Summer Seasonal.

5.8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Bell's Brewing, Coming Soon

Bell’s To Use 100 Year Old Fermenters In New Project

Bell’s cut the ribbon on their new brewhouse last week, giving the brewery much needed room to grow.  The news doesn’t stop there.  An interesting new project is surfacing, combining some 100 year old history and new brewing techniques for Bell’s.

John Mallett (Production Manager at Bell’s) met with John Stroh (who’s family started Stroh Brewing) and it was mentioned that there were 100 year old wooden fermenters in an old warehouse in Detroit, Michigan.  So now sits in the cellar of the new facility (in pieces apparently) 4 of these century old fermenters.

The plan is to reassemble these fermenters to create a new line of draft only beers brewed with open fermentation (open top).  Part of the brewhouse was built specifically to hold this big tanks.

No timeline on the projects completion, or when the first beers will be released.  [MLive]


by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Bell's Brewing, Brewery Expansions

Bell’s Cuts Ribbon On Big Brewhouse

Bell’s Brewery officially cut the ribbon to their new brewery today.  The new space can produce 500,000 barrels of beer annually. (15,500,000 gallons.)

All of us here at Bell’s are very excited to open the doors of this brand new facility to our friends, family, business partners and community.

This new brewhouse reflects not only the hard work of our employees at Bell’s, but the 400 skilled trade people that worked tirelessly over the past two years to create a space that is not only functional, but beautiful. It is a reflection of our community and its creativity, initiative and skill,” said Laura Bell, Marketing Director at Bell’s.

Bell’s new production facility includes an expanded grain handling facility, a 200-barrel brewing system, new fermentation vessels and a sophisticated energy storage system that will continue and enhance Bell’s commitment to sustainability.

The facility has the potential to produce 500,000 barrels annually.

Almost all of the components were made in the USA and lumber for the brewhouse entryway (doors, banisters and railing) was grown, sawed, kilned and finished locally.

[PressRelease]

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Bell's Brewing, Press Releases

Bell’s Announces Grand Opening (PR)

COMSTOCK, MI — After breaking ground in April 2011, Bell’s Brewery, Inc. is proud to announce the grand opening of its brand new production facility in Comstock, Mich.

A week-long celebration will kick-off on May 14 with a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. and a noon press conference at the production facility, 8938 Krum Ave. The celebration will conclude with a public open house from noon to 5 p.m. on both May 19th and 20th.

“All of us here at Bell’s are very excited to open the doors of this brand new facility to our friends, family, business partners and community.

This new brewhouse reflects not only the hard work of our employees at Bell’s, but the 400 skilled trade people that worked tirelessly over the past two years to create a space that is not only functional, but beautiful. It is a reflection of our community and its creativity, initiative and skill,” said Laura Bell, Marketing Director at Bell’s.

Bell’s new production facility includes an expanded grain handling facility, a 200-barrel brewing system, new fermentation vessels and a sophisticated energy storage system that will continue and enhance Bell’s commitment to sustainability.

The facility has the potential to produce 500,000 barrels annually.

Almost all of the components were made in the USA and lumber for the brewhouse entryway (doors, banisters and railing) was grown, sawed, kilned and finished locally.

Bell’s will host events for its distributors and contractors in addition to industry professionals, vendors and Kalamazoo businesses throughout the week while downtown Kalamazoo restaurants will also join in  the celebration (May 11-20) with Bell’s beer specials, food parings and other events.

The public open house will include free food and soda. Directions to the Eccentric Café and Bell’s General Store will also be available.

A closer look at the new facility:

Grain handling

  • 16 main silos, each with a 50,000 lb. capacity
  • 10 specialty silos, each with a 4,000 lb. capacity
  • 2,000 lbs. of grain can be milled in approximately four minutes compared to one hour on our older 50-barrel system.

200-barrel brewhouse

  • Our new vessels were manufactured by GEA Huppmann and built in Hudson, Wisconsin. Many were transported across Lake Michigan to Ludington on the S.S. Badger.
  • Each brewing cycle yields about 1,674 twelve ounce bottles or about 400 standard-size kegs.
  • A unique kettle, custom designed by Bell’s employees, features an internal heating system that lowers the thermal impact to the wort and improves quality.

New fermentation vessels

  • The fourteen 400-barrel tanks are designed for dry-hopped beers like Two Hearted Ale and manufactured by Paul Mueller Co. in Springfield, Missouri.

Energy storage system

  • A system of heat exchangers and energy storage captures heat at multiple points in the brewing process and uses that reclaimed energy to pre-heat water and wort prior to boiling, effectively reducing overall energy needs and waste.

ABOUT BELL’S BREWERY, INC.

Bell’s Brewery, Inc. began in 1985 with a quest for better beer and a 15 gallon soup kettle. Since then, we’ve grown into a regional craft brewery that employs more than 165 people over an 18 state area, in addition to Puerto Rico and Washington DC. The dedication to brewing flavorful, unfiltered, quality craft beers that started in 1985 is still with us today. We currently brew over 20 beers for distribution as well as many other small batch beers that are served at our pub in Kalamazoo, the Eccentric Cafe. Our ongoing goal is to brew thoughtfully, creatively and artistically. We strive to bring an authentic and pleasant experience to all of our customers through our unique ales and beers. For more information, please visit bellsbeer.com.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Bell's Brewing, Press Releases

Bell’s New Brewery Opens Next Week (PR)

(Comstock, MI) — After breaking ground in April 2011, Bell’s Brewery, Inc. is proud to announce the grand opening of its brand new production facility in Comstock, Mich.

A week-long celebration will kick-off on May 14 with a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. and a noon press conference at the production facility, 8938 Krum Ave. The celebration will conclude with a public open house from noon to 5 p.m. on both May 19th and 20th.

“All of us here at Bell’s are very excited to open the doors of this brand new facility to our friends, family, business partners and community.

This new brewhouse reflects not only the hard work of our employees at Bell’s, but the 400 skilled trade people that worked tirelessly over the past two years to create a space that is not only functional, but beautiful. It is a reflection of our community and its creativity, initiative and skill,” said Laura Bell, Marketing Director at Bell’s.

Bell’s new production facility includes an expanded grain handling facility, a 200-barrel brewing system, new fermentation vessels and a sophisticated energy storage system that will continue and enhance Bell’s commitment to sustainability.

The facility has the potential to produce 500,000 barrels annually.

Almost all of the components were made in the USA and lumber for the brewhouse entryway (doors, banisters and railing) was grown, sawed, kilned and finished locally.

Bell’s will host events for its distributors and contractors in addition to industry professionals, vendors and Kalamazoo businesses throughout the week while downtown Kalamazoo restaurants will also join in  the celebration (May 11-20) with Bell’s beer specials, food parings and other events.

The public open house will include free food and soda. Directions to the Eccentric Café and Bell’s General Store will also be available.

A closer look at the new facility:

Grain handling

  • ·         16 main silos, each with a 50,000 lb. capacity
  • ·         10 specialty silos, each with a 4,000 lb. capacity
  • ·         2,000 lbs. of grain can be milled in approximately four minutes compared to one hour on our older 50-barrel system.

200-barrel brewhouse

  • ·         Our new vessels were manufactured by GEA Huppmann and built in Hudson, Wisconsin. Many were transported across Lake Michigan to Ludington on the S.S. Badger.
  • ·         Each brewing cycle yields about 1,674 twelve ounce bottles or about 400 standard-size kegs.
  • ·         A unique kettle, custom designed by Bell’s employees, features an internal heating system that lowers the thermal impact to the wort and improves quality.

New fermentation vessels

  • ·         The fourteen 400-barrel tanks are designed for dry-hopped beers like Two Hearted Ale and manufactured by Paul Mueller Co. in Springfield, Missouri.

Energy storage system

  • ·         A system of heat exchangers and energy storage captures heat at multiple points in the brewing process and uses that reclaimed energy to pre-heat water and wort prior to boiling, effectively reducing overall energy needs and waste.

ABOUT BELL’S BREWERY, INC.

Bell’s Brewery, Inc. began in 1985 with a quest for better beer and a 15 gallon soup kettle. Since then, we’ve grown into a regional craft brewery that employs more than 165 people over an 18 state area, in addition to Puerto Rico and Washington DC. The dedication to brewing flavorful, unfiltered, quality craft beers that started in 1985 is still with us today. We currently brew over 20 beers for distribution as well as many other small batch beers that are served at our pub in Kalamazoo, the Eccentric Cafe. Our ongoing goal is to brew thoughtfully, creatively and artistically. We strive to bring an authentic and pleasant experience to all of our customers through our unique ales and beers. For more information, please visit bellsbeer.com.

You can also find Bell’s on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr  and foursquare.

by Reid Ramsay