Two Injured in Beer Tank Explosion

DALLAS (CN) - A Texas brewery's fermentation tank exploded and injured two people on a tour, they claim in court.

Jon Rudin and Erin Kirby sued the Franconia Brewing Co., its owner Dennis Wehrmann and head brewer Richard Horn, in Dallas County Court.

Rudin and Kirby say they were on a tour of the defendants' McKinney brewery, which included a visit to a room full of fermentation tanks. Horn was working a tank in the room.

"Shortly after the tour group left the fermentation room, the tank exploded, which sent it through the metal wall between the fermentation room and the main room," the complaint states. "Plaintiffs were struck by the tank and other debris from the explosion."

The lawsuit does not say what, if anything, happened to Horn

Rudin and Kirby accuse the brewery of failing to properly inspect or operate the tank and associated equipment.

Franconia Brewing, which opened in 2008, offers public tours every Friday, according to its website.

The brewery did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Rudin and Kirby seek damages for negligence.

They are represented by David Marchand with Marchand Ross in Dallas.

The worst recorded beer explosion in history was the London Beer Flood of Oct. 16, 1814, in which 610,000 liters of beer exploded in a vat and flooded the streets. Two streets were flooded with beer, a woman and daughter died as they took tea, and a wake was ruined.

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