Jeff Maisel, managing director of both Bayreuther Bierbrauerei AG and Brauerei Gebr. Maisel, has unveiled plans for a EUR 90 million greenfield brewery in Bayreuth’s Oberobsang district. After overcoming legal hurdles from local opposition, the path is now clear for construction of a state-of-the-art production site dedicated exclusively to the brewing of Bayreuther Hell.
The new facility is scheduled to go into operation by the end of 2026. The engineering and implementation contract was awarded to Bavarian plant manufacturer Krones, with Thomas Ricker, Krones Board Member for Sales, joining Maisel in signing the agreement earlier this April.
The modern brewery will launch with a production capacity of 500,000 hectoliters annually and is scalable up to one million hectoliters. Its brewhouse, fermentation and storage areas, and utilities will be delivered by Steinecker, a Krones subsidiary. A returnable-glass bottling line with a 40,000-bottle-per-hour output will mirror the setup already in place at Maisel’s Brauhaus, located just 1.5 kilometers away—allowing flexible personnel deployment between both breweries.
The project, first revealed in 2021 (inside.beer, 22.6.2021), and initially contested by a citizens' initiative concerned about environmental and residential impacts, received a green light after the Bayreuth Administrative Court rejected the lawsuit and no appeal was filed by the deadline. Although a zoning-related legal challenge is still technically possible, experts see minimal likelihood of success.
To bridge the gap until the new brewery comes online, Maisel has also acquired the nearby Püls Bräu in Weismain, located about 30 kilometers from Bayreuth (inside.beer, 10.10.2022). The acquisition helps alleviate the most pressing capacity bottlenecks and ensures continued availability of Bayreuther Hell as demand continues to rise.
The new plant reflects a strong commitment to sustainability. Solar panels will supply green electricity, while a woodchip heating system will cover thermal needs. Waste heat from the brewing process will be recaptured using Steinecker’s EquiTherm system, contributing to a dual heating network with central storage—one system for high-pressure wort boiling and another for general process heat.
The strategic expansion strengthens the longstanding collaboration between Bayreuther Bierbrauerei AG, specializing in bottom-fermented beers, and Brauerei Gebr. Maisel, known for top-fermented wheat beers like Maisel’s Weisse. Though legally separate entities, both breweries have operated closely since Gebr. Maisel acquired a majority stake in 1965.
The first deliveries of brewhouse components are expected in late 2025, with bottling equipment following mid-2026. By the end of that year, the first bottles of Bayreuther Hell from the new site are set to hit the market.
