Erzquell Brauerei Bielstein Haas GmbH & Co. KG

About the Erzquell Brewery

The Erzquell Brewery is a traditional, family-run brewing group with two legally independent breweries in Bielstein (Oberbergischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia) and Mudersbach-Niederschelderhütte (district of Altenkirchen, Rhineland-Palatinate). Its roots go back to 1885 (Siegtal Brewery) and 1900 (Adler Brewery Bielstein) respectively; since 1976 both locations have operated under the name Erzquell. The product range includes, among others, Zunft Kölsch, Erzquell Pils, Bergischer Sportsfreund, country beers, Radler variants, Fassbrause and alcohol-free products as well as the export black beer “Erzquell Dark”. The beer is brewed with the company’s own soft spring water: in Bielstein via a water pipeline directly into the brewery, and in Mudersbach from a spring in the Giebelwald forest via a four-kilometre-long pipeline. The brewhouse in Bielstein with copper kettles went into operation in 1987; in the 1980s investment was also made in keg and bottle filling operations. Annual output of the Zunft Kölsch brand amounted to 150,000 hl in 2012. The brewery offers tours and events and sells its beer through an online fan shop.

Site

Wiehl-Bielstein

Processes

Beer brewing (brewhouse, keg/bottle filling), Brewery tours & events, Fan shop

Materials

Own spring water, Malt

Founded

1900

Employees

100

Industries

Brewing/Beverage industry

1. 01

   Brewing water from own spring

2. 02

   Brewing in the brewhouse

3. 03

   Fermentation and maturation

4. 04

   Keg and bottle filling

5. 05

   Distribution and gastronomy

Raw Materials & Brewing Process

Brewing Locations

Bielstein (Wiehl)

DE

Brewery (Erzquell Brauerei Bielstein)

Materials

Spring water, malt

• Brewhouse with copper kettles (1987)
• Keg and bottle filling plant (1980s)

Mudersbach-Niederschelderhütte

DE

Brewery (Erzquell Brauerei Siegtal)

Materials

Spring water from the Giebelwald (4 km pipeline)

Inside the production

Processes & technical limits

2 Anlagen & Maschinen

History

1. 1885

   Foundation of the Siegtal Brauerei Burgmann & Wildenberg oHG in Mudersbach by Hermann Burgmann and Heinrich Wildenberg

2. 1900

   Ernst Kind founds the Adler Brauerei GmbH in Bielstein; first pilsner brew on 5 September, output of 15,000 hl

3. 1910

   Conversion of the Siegtal Brewery into a joint-stock company

4. 1920

   Carl Haas takes over the management of the Bielstein brewery

5. 1930

   Carl Haas provides financial support to the Siegtal Brewery; the Adler Brewery receives a majority stake

6. 1936

   Conversion into a limited partnership (Kommanditgesellschaft) and renaming to Bielsteiner Brauerei

7. 1948

   Resumption of beer production under Werner Haas

8. 1950

   Modernisation of the Siegtal brewhouse

9. 1963

   Siegtal Brewery exceeds 100,000 hl of production

10. 1976

    Renaming to Erzquell-Brauerei (Bielstein) and Erzquell-Brauerei Siegtal respectively

11. 1979

    Axel Haas becomes managing director of the Siegtal Brewery; Zunft Kölsch is introduced in Berlin

12. 1983

    Axel Haas takes over the management in Bielstein

13. 1987

    Commissioning of today's brewhouse with copper kettles in Bielstein

14. 2002

    Zunft Kölsch receives the gold medal at the World Beer Cup (German-Style Kölsch)

15. 2005

    50 employees at the Erzquell Brauerei Siegtal; keg beer share of Erzquell Pils 35%