Drilling the well for our Irish microbrewery
Today the sun is shining down on Kilmaley and we finally broke ground on the new well for our new microbrewery. Maurice of Lenihen’s drilling dropped off the truck yesterday evening so that he was ready to go first thing this morning. The sound of the drill once it got going was deafening but the results were instantaneous. The ground in Kilmaley is so porous so the water started flowing with the first boring drill bit.
It was so interesting to see the machine at work. As each drill bit was added, the flow of water became more powerful. By 2pm we finally hit a depth of 300 feet. Maurice advised going to this depth to ensure we’d have enough water to cover all our expected initial needs and have enough for potential future growth.
Once the drilling was complete, Maurice left the hole to fill with water in order to clear it out. So after 10 minutes, he flushed out the water that had been built up in the hole bringing with it any rubble that was in the hole. He repeated this process again although the next time he allowed 20 minutes for the water to build up.
Disappointed with the results, I mentioned to Maurice that I was expecting a Dallas oil style gush of water. Ever the professional, Maurice was more than willing to oblige.
While drilling, he had placed a stopper about 2 feet off the ground to prevent the water spilling out everywhere. For the final flush out, he removed this stopper and allowed the water to build up in the hole for 30 minutes. The results can be seen in the video link. It was magical!! The water shot up over the shed and danced in the summer sun. It was truly beautiful.
Finally Maurice had to replace the drill bits with the permanent pipe casings which will keep the well open and protect the water from contamination. The well was then capped and a sample of the water was taken away to be tested. As water is the key ingredient in our Irish craft beers, we want to make sure it is perfect for brewing.
All in all, this was an extremely productive day and an important day in the development of our microbrewery. The first and most important ingredient in our Irish craft beer is locked up safe and sound and ready for brewing once the microbrewery beings production.