Brewfest vs. Franciscan Well

bladebrew · 26-03-2015 7:38pm #1

Hi all I have seen Brewfest advertised around cork recently, it is being run at the same time as the Franciscan Well Easter beer fest,
The Brewfest event is €14 to get in and only includes 1 drink, the Franciscan well is free, Brewfest still promises a big list of Brewers,
Does anyone know will this split up the brewers involved in the Franciscan well?
And why are people paying €14 to get into an event that sounds like a copy of an event down the road that is free?

Brewfest seems to be run by the same crowd that organise Octoberfest Beag which is a pay in event aswell, I won't pay to sit in a tent with one choice of beer but I heard it was a disaster,

BeerNut · 26-03-2015 7:56pm

bladebrew wrote: »

Does anyone know will this split up the brewers involved in the Franciscan well?

AFAIK the brewers don't attend the Brewfest one, they just send beer. That said, a few of the Fran Well usuals won't be at it this year, Eight Degrees for instance. More room for new breweries, I guess.

Insect Overlord · 26-03-2015 8:27pm

I'm just going to check out both events. :cool:

Knifey Spoony · 26-03-2015 10:30pm

I don't see the reason why anyone would pay to get into something that is going to be more or less same and free just down the road in the Well. It also seems a bit stupid to set up a new beer festival on the Easter weekend given that Easterfest in the Fran Well is a long established tradition in the city at this stage. Surely it would have made more sense to pick the May/June/August bank holiday weekend to run this event, so they are not competing with any other craft beer events.

BeerNut wrote: »

That said, a few of the Fran Well usuals won't be at it this year, Eight Degrees for instance. More room for new breweries, I guess.

Eight Degrees won't be in Easterfest in the Well!? Will they be sending a few kegs over and have someone man their stand or will we be totally Eight Degrees free?

BeerNut · 27-03-2015 1:55am

Totally Eight-Degrees-free, I believe. Fran Well doesn't do sending kegs and somebody else serving them.

I suspect this may be the last Easter Festival as we know it.

27-03-2015 2:11am

BeerNut wrote: »

Totally Eight-Degrees-free, I believe. Fran Well doesn't do sending kegs and somebody else serving them.

I suspect this may be the last Easter Festival as we know it.

Damn, I was hoping they would have enigma at the well.

Saruman · 27-03-2015 4:13pm

Knifey Spoony wrote: »

It also seems a bit stupid to set up a new beer festival on the Easter weekend given that Easterfest in the Fran Well is a long established tradition in the city at this stage.

There's a thought floating around that a large brewery conglomerate is trying to ruin the Franciscan Well festival.

Now, you could say that Franciscan Well is owned by another massive conglomerate but it's different. Easterfest isn't being run by the brewery, it's run by the pub which is still independently owned by Shane Long as far as I know. The festival exists for one purpose. To give new breweries a platform to launch. Breweries aren't charged to be there. Just a small share of the profits to offset the loss of business to the pub itself.

Others have said that this big brewery are not involved in the rival event at all and as far as I can see, they probably aren't.

Either way, I know which one I will be going to. The same one I have gone to every year for the last 6 years.

bladebrew · 27-03-2015 4:18pm

I am a bit mystified by the whole thing, there are people commenting on Facebook, saying this is going to be great etc, I feel like telling them about the Franciscan well, I assume they don't know,
It is the kind of thing that might be ok in Dublin, but Cork is so small, the venues are a maybe a 10 minute walk from each other,
I'm not sure where the 14 euro is going, they have a list of crap on the website which makes it sound like a kids birthday party, a beer festival is about the beer,

Saruman · 27-03-2015 4:22pm

As long as the people who normally go to the real EasterFest head to the Franciscan Well, it will be grand. It always gets great numbers, especially on Saturday evening and likely Sunday evening too since it's a bank holiday.

I plan to be there on Saturday and Sunday myself.

What will be interesting is next year because EasterFest is going to be expanding to a larger venue. There could be two large beer festivals in Cork next Easter.

Chieftain ipa · 28-03-2015 11:51am

Yes it is true that Eight degrees will not be attending my festival this year. We were saddened to hear this but understand where they are coming from .
Our festival has always been about giving a level playing field to every brewery both old and new . As there are so many breweries now we had to limit the amount of taps per brewery to 3 so we could fit in as many as possible . The lads at eight degrees felt 3 was not enough as they have such a wide range in their portfolio .
We have been running this festival for the last 15 years and proud to say many breweries poured their first commercial pints at it such as Trouble , Metalman , 9 white deer and this year is no exception with the wonderful Killarney brewing company
Our festival is different to some others in that the owners/Brewers from 16 of Ireland's top breweries will be manning their own bars on hand to tell their story and answer any questions
We are not trying to compete in a volume of beer consumed this is all about the industry as a whole and trying to raise awareness of local breweries .

poitinstill · 29-03-2015 11:21am

i was at the octoberfest thing in beamish last october. very theme pub / forced craic type thing its really a pure money making venture . will be giving this version a miss also.

BaZmO* · 29-03-2015 3:43pm

I like the image from the Eventbrite page.

That's some range of.....eh, Lagers.....oh and a Smithwicks for the aul fellas!

BeerNut · 30-03-2015 3:35pm

The Franciscan Well beer list is now online UCC have done a 100% quinoa beer, the loons.

Lovely Bloke · 31-03-2015 1:31pm

Quinoa is mostly protein though.

BaZmO* · 31-03-2015 1:59pm

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Quinoa is mostly protein though.

It's not though. It's made up of 4 times more carbs.

oblivious · 31-03-2015 4:45pm

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Quinoa is mostly protein though.

Wilki suggests per 100g (all values are for non malted grain)

Quinoa: Total carb 64g Protein 14g and Fat 6.0g
Barley: Total carb 74g Protein 12g and Fat 2.3g
Wheat: Total carb 71g Protein 14g and Fat 2.5g

Just a little Samba · 31-03-2015 4:56pm

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Quinoa is mostly protein though.

Well no it's not but it does have a rather high fat content which could cause problems, it's not a grain so it's carbs won't mash to fermentable sugars in the same way grains would so they'd need to have been playing around with temps to get it to work.

The main problem with quinoa though is the price, it's ridiculously expensive.

oblivious · 31-03-2015 7:11pm

Just a little Samba wrote: »

Well no it's not but it does have a rather high fat content which could cause problems, it's not a grain so it's carbs won't mash to fermentable sugars in the same way grains would so they'd need to have been playing around with temps to get it to work.

The main problem with quinoa though is the price, it's ridiculously expensive.

malted quinoa is available, but recombinant enzyme could be used with unmalted grain as long as it's gelatinizated

oats have more lipids and you can brew an all oatmeal beer.

I would be interesting to know if they brought in the malted quinoa

irish_goat · 02-04-2015 8:59am

Many people heading along to the Fran Well then? I have a delightful 7-8 hours travelling from Derry to look forward to tomorrow for it...

Saruman · 02-04-2015 9:35am

irish_goat wrote: »

Many people heading along to the Fran Well then? I have a delightful 7-8 hours travelling from Derry to look forward to tomorrow for it...

Seems like a great way to spend good Friday. Sure what else would you be doing?

irish_goat · 02-04-2015 9:48am

Saruman wrote: »

Seems like a great way to spend good Friday. Sure what else would you be doing?

Least I'll be able to drink on the train. :pac:

Saruman · 02-04-2015 10:06am

Silver linings and all that.

the beer revolu · 02-04-2015 4:53pm

I heard that all pints ar brewfest are €6 - except Hi Viz which is €12!

€6 Beamish anyone??

Saruman · 02-04-2015 5:13pm

Jaysus, pay to get in and overpriced drinks?
At least at other beer festivals that charge, the beer is usually cheaper than average.

dregin · 02-04-2015 10:23pm

irish_goat wrote: »

Least I'll be able to drink on the train. :pac:

Are you training it the whole way from Derry??? Quite the trip!

bladebrew · 03-04-2015 2:35am

They didn't post a menu at all, there are loads of pictures on Facebook, people drinking pints of Murphys after paying €14 to walk in the door?

Saruman · 03-04-2015 9:38am

dregin wrote: »

Are you training it the whole way from Derry??? Quite the trip!

Except between Dublin and Portlaois as there are line works so a bus transfer is in place. That will suck for him.

a_non_a_mouse · 03-04-2015 1:36pm

bladebrew wrote: »

They didn't post a menu at all, there are loads of pictures on Facebook, people drinking pints of Murphys after paying €14 to walk in the door?

Talking to someone who was there seems as nobody was buying Murphy's they started giving out some for free.
Big crowd there.

irish_goat · 03-04-2015 3:28pm

Saruman wrote: »

Except between Dublin and Portlaois as there are line works so a bus transfer is in place. That will suck for him.

I've hitched a lift with a minibus full of Derry fans. Enjoying an Armagh Cider as we speak.

Saruman · 03-04-2015 3:30pm

irish_goat wrote: »

I've hitched a lift with a minibus full of Derry fans. Enjoying an Armagh Cider as we speak.

Score

dregin · 03-04-2015 6:01pm

irish_goat wrote: »

I've hitched a lift with a minibus full of Derry fans. Enjoying an Armagh Cider as we speak.

You're not able to get your hands on Farmaggedon stuff, by any chance??

oblivious · 04-04-2015 9:36am

dregin wrote: »

You're not able to get your hands on Farmaggedon stuff, by any chance??

Molloys in Dublin have it

dregin · 04-04-2015 9:38am

oblivious wrote: »

Molloys in Dublin have it

Class! Any specific one or can I just wander down to the one at Crumlin Shopping Centre and expect em to have it. Cheers for the heads up!

BaZmO* · 04-04-2015 12:02pm

dregin wrote: »

Class! Any specific one or can I just wander down to the one at Crumlin Shopping Centre and expect em to have it. Cheers for the heads up!

They definitely have some in the one in Clondalkin, or at least they did last week.

04-04-2015 7:13pm

At the Fran well now, I have never seen the place so busy, had to queue up to get in.

oblivious · 04-04-2015 8:10pm

dregin wrote: »

Class! Any specific one or can I just wander down to the one at Crumlin Shopping Centre and expect em to have it. Cheers for the heads up!

I was under the impression that ist should be at most, as long as stock lasted

Saruman · 05-04-2015 12:13pm

Deleted User wrote: »

At the Fran well now, I have never seen the place so busy, had to queue up to get in.

It was the busiest one yet. I was there from about 2:30 and normally it's quiet enough until 6 but we had 6 o'clock crowds in the afternoon already. Incredible turnout yesterday. I left about 9 and there were queues outside because the place was at capacity so they could only let people in as people left.

The breweries should make a profit which is great for them. Even at events like this one where they have no stand fee, it can still be hard to turn a profit once accommodation and travel are taken in to account.

Weather is great today so hopefully there will be another good crowd. I got caught out last night heading for the 22:50 bus to Bandon only to discover in the small print that it only runs Monday to Friday? Last bus is 6:30 on Saturday? Madness! Luckily my mate in Bandon is a trucker so he called one of his mates who happened to be heading that way and I got a lift a few minutes later. Otherwise, I would have had to wait until 2am until he got back to Cork. Mad thing is, there's a 22:45 bus on Sundays, how does that make sense? Surely Saturday night should have better late bus options.

Insect Overlord · 05-04-2015 1:58pm

Just home after spending yesterday in Cork. The Fran Well was fantastic. Amazing beers, lovely atmosphere, gorgeous pizza and a quality band at the end of the day in One Horse Pony.

We had tickets bought for the Brew Fest on Mac Curtain Street as well so went there for an hour too. It felt like wandering into Oxegen. A festival for beginners. Overpriced, disappointing range of beers (even from some great breweries) and more of a nightclub style atmosphere. Novelty hats should have been a clue of what to expect! Had one glass of beer/cider each and went back to the Well instead. Lesson learned.

oblivious · 05-04-2015 9:42pm

Ooh novelty hats, sweet Jebues

the beer revolu · 06-04-2015 11:44am

oblivious wrote: »

Ooh novelty hats, sweet Jebues

I will always blame jamiroquai.

a_non_a_mouse · 07-04-2015 1:40pm

Fran Well festival was great.
Unfortunately, didn't to spent a lot of time there, just about 2.5 hours on Sat nite.
Place was jammed with a queue to get in around 6.45 on Sat, but no real hassle getting drink as no real queues at taps. Only trouble was getting around the place and deciding what to have!
Such a selection of beers..incredible.

best for me was the Seaweed Saison and the UCC quad.
Followed closely by; Chancer, Killarney Helles, and Sheep Stealer.
Had Roaring Ruby and Sherkin Lass from West Cork, both decent preferred Ruby.
Wasn't too impressed with Buck-It, Mine Head.

Great credit to everyone involved on making this such as success, especially when rival festival on also.
I need to make sure I'm free to get to Fran Well next Easter Sat & Sun.

Brewfest vs. Franciscan Well

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