At 15 years old he started an internship in the store of Malthe Conrad Lottrup, a local businessman who among other things owned a sizable brewery.

Initially he rationalized and bought new technology in the form of a steam engine.

From 1872 to 1888, a large expansion program was undertaken which eventually made Ceres the largest brewery in Jutland and Meulengracht one of the wealthiest people in Aarhus.

Meulengracht was also one of the forces behind the establishment of Aarhus Theatre and he sat on the first board after it was opened.

[1][3] Meulengracht died 9 April 1903 after a lengthy illness and during a healing trip to Monte Carlo.