[Report] "1000 Bottles of Beer per Minute"... The Forward Base of the 'Kelly Craze'

Automated Production of 1,000 Bottled Beers per Minute
Kelly Production Accounts for 20% of Total... Gradually Increasing
Largest Domestic Brewery Produces 500,000 kl Annually

"At this Gangwon plant, 1,000 bottles of beer are produced per minute, totaling 60,000 bottles per hour."

HiteJinro's Gangwon plant is a production facility at the forefront of reclaiming the top position in the domestic beer market. The new beer product 'Kelly,' launched in April this year, has quickly established itself in the market, achieving cumulative sales of 3.3 million cases and 100 million bottles (based on 330mL) as of the 11th, just 99 days after its release. Notably, last month, HiteJinro's total beer sales increased by about 33% compared to March, before Kelly's launch, dispelling concerns about cannibalization effects with the existing 'Terra.'

When visiting HiteJinro's Gangwon plant on the 19th, the busy atmosphere reflected Kelly's rapid growth. In the production building visited that morning, the Kelly wort completed in the manufacturing building was continuously bottled into its distinctive amber glass bottles and prepared for shipment. Beer bottles collected from various locations pass through a sorter at a rate of 1,000 bottles per minute along automated equipment. Bottles that show whitening due to external contact or other causes (scuffing) beyond the standard or are deformed are filtered out by six closed-circuit cameras, and bottles that pass inspection undergo a 35-minute thorough washing process. After washing and sterilization, the bottles move to a sealed facility where the beer filling process takes place.

Kim Tae-young, head of the Liquor Development Team, explained, "Since the beer is non-heat-treated and filled at low temperatures, the final filling process is strictly isolated and sealed from the outside to prevent any bacterial intrusion during filling." The Gangwon plant has seven production lines: two for bottled beer, two for canned beer, one for PET bottles, and two for draft beer. When operating at maximum capacity, the plant can produce 170,000 cases per day based on 20 bottles of 500mL per case.

Beer 'Kelly' is being produced at HiteJinro's Gangwon factory.

At the production site, the rise of Kelly was felt firsthand. Jeong Eemin, quality control team leader, said, "While Terra maintains production volume on each line, adding Kelly makes the workload feel even more intense than during peak season. Currently, Kelly accounts for about 20% of the plant's total production, and since it is still early after launch, we expect this to increase gradually."

The beer manufacturing process was also observed. The first facility encountered was a huge silo storing the main raw material, barley. When the stored barley sprouts and is dried, it becomes malt. The malt is crushed, mixed with warm water, and heated to produce sweet malt wort. Then, the wort undergoes a lautering process to separate bitter tannins and proteins, followed by rapid cooling with a chiller. After fermentation, beer is produced. The finished beer is fermented and stored for at least 20 days. The Gangwon plant has a total of 108 storage tanks, each with a capacity of 600,000 liters.

Completed in August 1997 in Hwahwagi-ri, Bukbang-myeon, Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon-do, HiteJinro's Gangwon plant is located on a 160,000-pyeong (approximately 529,000 square meters) site along the Hongcheon River at the foot of Dodunsan Mountain. Since its completion, it has maintained its position as the largest beer plant in Korea and can produce 500,000 kiloliters (kl) of beer annually. The main products currently produced include beer products such as Kelly and Terra, as well as the sparkling liquor 'Filite,' and export-oriented sparkling liquor products are also manufactured.

The entire production process at the plant is automated, with all beer production processes controlled from a central control room. Additionally, to prevent pollution of the Hongcheon River and ensure sustainability, the plant has introduced Korea's first heat recovery system (ERS) to recycle energy discarded during manufacturing, investing in eco-friendly facilities.

HiteJinro Gangwon Factory Exterior [Photo by HiteJinro]

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.