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(Western Pacific) Depot Restaurant in Oroville, CA
Author: Arthur Keddie
Date: 02-06-2009 - 18:23
Oroville's first brewery gets cooking
By MARY WESTON - Staff Writer
Posted: 02/06/2009 12:00:00 AM PST
[www.orovillemr.com]
OROVILLE -- The first batch of mash went into the cooker at Western Pacific Brewing & Dining at 12:45 p.m. Thursday, and it will be ready to serve as beer in about 14 days.
When David and Debrah Deakins bought out the other owners of the Depot Restaurant, they decided to put in a micro-brewery and make beer.
"We just wanted to revitalize the restaurant and business," David Deakins said. "We want it to be a place for people to come from all around, and I think we're on the right track."
They started in April of 2008, installing equipment in the front dining room.
Debrah's brother, Jim Gowan, had worked at commercial breweries, including Auburn Ale House, Sacramento Brewing Co. and Gold Hill Brewing, so he became the brewmaster.
On Thursday, Gowan started the mash by putting a combination of water and malted barley in a large stainless steel tank called a mash tun.
In this process, the starches are converted to sugar.
After conversion, the mixture is sparged — a type of washing — with water. The water then goes into another large tank or kettle where it boils for an hour and a half. Then, Gowan will add the hops and his own recipe, which he wouldn't share.
Then the brew is cooled down before it goes into another tank to ferment for about 14 days.
On about Feb. 27, the beer will go into the server kegs in the lounge, and it will be on tap for customers by that Friday afternoon.
Gowan plans to brew pale ale, golden ale, India Pale Ale (his favorite), red ale, oatmeal stout ale and some seasonal specialties. The beers will be named after old Western Pacific railroad stops.
The building where the restaurant and brewery is housed was once a railroad station. It's located beside the Western Pacific railroad at 2191 High St.
The brewery will also sell kegs and grouters, which are glass jugs of beer. Customers can take the grouters home, drink the beer and bring the jug back for a refill.
The equipment for the micro-brewery would cost about $150,000 new, so the brewery is an investment they hope pays off.
Gowan's goal is to sell lots of beer to serve happy customers.
"I just want to make the best beer I can," Gowan said.
Mary Weston can be reached at 533-3135 or mweston@orovillemr.com
By MARY WESTON - Staff Writer
Posted: 02/06/2009 12:00:00 AM PST
[www.orovillemr.com]
OROVILLE -- The first batch of mash went into the cooker at Western Pacific Brewing & Dining at 12:45 p.m. Thursday, and it will be ready to serve as beer in about 14 days.
When David and Debrah Deakins bought out the other owners of the Depot Restaurant, they decided to put in a micro-brewery and make beer.
"We just wanted to revitalize the restaurant and business," David Deakins said. "We want it to be a place for people to come from all around, and I think we're on the right track."
They started in April of 2008, installing equipment in the front dining room.
Debrah's brother, Jim Gowan, had worked at commercial breweries, including Auburn Ale House, Sacramento Brewing Co. and Gold Hill Brewing, so he became the brewmaster.
On Thursday, Gowan started the mash by putting a combination of water and malted barley in a large stainless steel tank called a mash tun.
In this process, the starches are converted to sugar.
After conversion, the mixture is sparged — a type of washing — with water. The water then goes into another large tank or kettle where it boils for an hour and a half. Then, Gowan will add the hops and his own recipe, which he wouldn't share.
Then the brew is cooled down before it goes into another tank to ferment for about 14 days.
On about Feb. 27, the beer will go into the server kegs in the lounge, and it will be on tap for customers by that Friday afternoon.
Gowan plans to brew pale ale, golden ale, India Pale Ale (his favorite), red ale, oatmeal stout ale and some seasonal specialties. The beers will be named after old Western Pacific railroad stops.
The building where the restaurant and brewery is housed was once a railroad station. It's located beside the Western Pacific railroad at 2191 High St.
The brewery will also sell kegs and grouters, which are glass jugs of beer. Customers can take the grouters home, drink the beer and bring the jug back for a refill.
The equipment for the micro-brewery would cost about $150,000 new, so the brewery is an investment they hope pays off.
Gowan's goal is to sell lots of beer to serve happy customers.
"I just want to make the best beer I can," Gowan said.
Mary Weston can be reached at 533-3135 or mweston@orovillemr.com
(Western Pacific) Depot Restaurant in Oroville, CA