A brewery in Wisconsin has residents foaming at the mouth. Unfortunately, it's not after enjoying a pint.
For the better part of nine years, a leak in a containment vessel in the City Brewing Company's bioreactor has been belching hydrogen sulfide into the air. As a result, the community in La Crosse, Wisconsin, has been subjected to a smell akin to rotten eggs.
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, local officials have had enough and recently expedited a new compliance order to fine the home to the world's largest six-pack $100 per day until the stink is stopped.
The hydrogen sulfide is a byproduct of the plant's wastewater treatment process.
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The company has tried some temporary fixes but has yet to come up with a long-term solution. Now, City Brewing will continue to be cited daily, but not until a fix is implemented. Rather, the company just needs to devise a plan for proper repairs.
Plant manager Matthew Sweet told the Wisconsin State Journal that the company has been working on a fix for nearly three years, but turnover has caused several fits and starts. He says it will likely take a month to get a firm plan in place, and the beermakers have already spent more than $1 million on repair efforts that have come up dry. The company will likely need to replace the entire wastewater facility.
The brewery is the birthplace of Old Style beer, which was created in 1902. Last August, Pabst moved production back to La Crosse after a 24-year absence.
The La Crosse plant can make up to 16 brews daily, 1,100 barrels each, giving it an annual yield of some 7 million barrels of beer. According to the company's website, City Brewery currently brews about 40 different recipes for contract brewing customers.
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