by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
When many people think of Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser and the famous Clydesdale Horses come to mind, not the company’s environmental awards or the fact it’s a major manufacturer of aluminum cans. Many don’t realize that Anheuser-Busch is more than just a cold drink on a hot day.
Sylvester Robinson, plant manager of the Jacksonville Brewery, said the company as a whole takes the environment seriously. The company uses nutri-turf, a system where wastewater is supplied to facilities that grow sod and crops. Robinson said instead of running residual waste into the sewer system, it is sprayed on crops.
“It is a very significant thing. We are good environmental stewards,” said Robinson, who has been plant manager of the Jacksonville Brewery for six years. “We don’t just brew beer, we are also concerned about the environment.”
As a major manufacturer of aluminum cans, Robinson said the company is able to control the quality of its products.
Robinson, who is also a member of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, has been with Anheuser-Busch for 19 years.
Jacksonville Brewery Brewmaster Steve Foppe has been with Anheuser-Busch for 18 years and has been brewmaster in Jacksonville for three years. Foppe, who has a degree in chemical engineering, started out at the company in its engineering department and gravitated towards brewery operations.
Foppe said the brewing process takes about a month, depending on the type of beer that is being brewed. Before the fermentation process, the grains are strained leaving a liquid called wort. It takes one day to make the sugar and one week for the fermentation process to take place (the yeast converts the sugar to CO2 and alcohol). The beer is then placed in beechwood tanks for three weeks. When the three weeks are up, it takes one day to prepare the beer for packaging, he said.
“You want to get the product to the market in a hurry and make sure it gets there as quickly as possible, because beer is like bread,” said Foppe. “As a brewer you like to see an empty warehouse.”
Last month the Jacksonville Brewery announced a new type of beer exclusively for Floridians called Tarpoon Spoon Bohemian Pilsner, as a part of the company’s local specialty beer program. Foppe said the beer goes great with spicy foods and is refreshing in Florida’s sunny climate.
Other tidbits from the brewery:
• The can line produces 2,000 cans per minute
• The bottle line produces 1,200 bottles per minute
• The keg line produces 500 kegs per hour
• 230 trucks leave Jacksonville daily
• The Jacksonville Brewery brews 8.5 million barrels per year
• The Jacksonville Brewery brews 12 different brands
• Bud Light 18-packs are the biggest seller