***Update: On July 19, Buffalo Brewing hit their funding goal and will now be able to get a replacement chiller for their Fillmore Avenue brewhouse.
Buffalo Brewing Company has launched a GoFundMe after their glycol chiller was vandalized and the aluminum evaporator coil was stolen at their 662 Fillmore Avenue location on July 10. The incident has left the brewery without the ability to brew and approximately 3,100 gallons of beer in the tanks are in danger of being ruined.
“Since the vandalism, we can no longer produce product. The glycol jacketed, insulated tanks that contain the beer in process have now lost the ability to regulate temperature, essential to the brewing process,” Buffalo Brewing Company owner John Domres said.
Domres stated that they filed an insurance claim; however, their policy only covers the Fillmore location for liability and building damage, so their glycol chiller will not be covered.
“We finalized the claim with our insurance carrier, and unfortunately, our policy only covers Fillmore for liability and building damage,” Domres explained. “Therefore, the chiller and product will not be covered. So now it’s time to try and fundraise as much as possible to help offset the cost of a new (used) chiller.”
As of July 17, Buffalo Brewing has raised nearly $5,200 of their $8,000 goal. You can donate to the cause here.
“I knew all along that this would be an uphill battle, but never thought we’d suffer a setback of this magnitude. I want to thank you for your donation or just reading and learning about our little brewery with a tremendous heart,” Domres said.
Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on X (@buffbeerleague), Instagram, Threads and Untappd (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).
