Conclusion

More narrative that I haven't posted yet:

After a night in Bamberg, we got on the bus in the morning and Kitzingen to visit Huppmann, the major competitor of Steinecker. While the design of their mash tuns, kettles and whirlpools were similar to those of their rival, the fabrication shop was smaller and seemed less oriented towards large equipment and more focused on customized orders. We saw a mash tun that was made with a polished copper interior, something that Steineker no longer offers as an option.
We then headed for Ziemann, the maker of the largest brewing vessels in the world. Their warehouses resembled aircraft hangars from the outside, and many of their machines that shaped the tanks together were one of a kind. The largest fermentation tank that they made was ten and a half meters across, and at least six times as long. With such a large interior surface area in each cylindro-conical tank, the entire interior is polished smooth to aid in cleaning and sanitizing. For the largest size tanks, the barge transport down the Mainz river requires them to be cut in half length-wise to allow them to pass under bridges along the way.
After our tour of the Ziemann plant, we checked into our hotel rooms and then went to have a quasi-Thanksgiving dinner at the porportedly oldest restaurant in Germany. Halfway through the meal, we learned that the Ziemann representative had graciously offered to take care of the bill for the entire class, and even left the tab open after he left. I had a few more beers and the best apple strudel I've ever tasted, and eventually wandered back to the hotel to get some rest.
The next morning we headed for Heidelburg to visit Wild, a flavor extract manufacturer. There wasn't much in the tour about beer, but it was interesting to find out that they produce Capri Sun drinks and own the patent on the pouch filling technology. After a long tour of the facility that involved long walks between buildings in a downpour, we arrived in Heidelburg at our hotel.
I had been to Heidelburg with my folks in the summer of 1998, but this time the rain made it a different experience. We went on a privite tour of the Kulturbrauerei brewpub that had been pre-arranged, and the beers were great. The dinner that I had there had three kinds of meat on the same plate, and I couldn't even come close to finishing it.

More soon...