starting a brew pub

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rycov

rycov

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Location
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hey all,

i've been talking to a friend of mine who owns a pub. their main deal is craft beer, and they have been liking the beer i make. we've been kicking around the idea of me brewing for them, but i have a question. when i see "1bbl system" does that mean i can brew one bbl of beer at a time? like 1 bbl in the boil kettle? also does anyone want to offer me advice? i'm in south carolina, so if you have any helpful info on specific ways the law works here that'd be nice too.

i realize that this will be a ton of work, and i'm ok with that. i love working, being really busy and working my ass off is the only thing that gives me a bigger boner than brewing! i also realize that i do not know enough about brewing to do it professionaly. this is still at least a few years out for me. but i'm trying to gather as much info as i can now.

i know i should be posting this on pro brewer, buti registered on there and couldnt post :mad: anyway, if you have info, lemme git it. i'm a sponge!
 
Do they like it enough to be a backer? I hear it's an expensive process, among other things.
 
i imagine a "1 bbl system" would have to be able to boil 35-40 gallons to get 1 bbl of product.
 
rycov,

you may want to check out the live show tonight on The Brewing Network. Here's the description of tonights show. "This week, the Brewcasters will talk to BN Army soldiers who have taken their passion for brewing and turned it into their profession. Their stories will intrigue you, they will scare you, but most of all, they will inspire you.'
http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/The-Sunday-Session
 
turtle said:
Do they like it enough to be a backer? I hear it's an expensive process, among other things.
Click to expand...

yes. actually it would be their brewpub. their the ones who would be buying the brewing equipment to add into they're already existent craft beer pub. they like the idea of having their own offerings. like i said i still have a lot to learn and process. this thread is just part of me trying to be prepared a head of time.

jtakacs said:
i imagine a "1 bbl system" would have to be able to boil 35-40 gallons to get 1 bbl of product.
Click to expand...

thats what i was thinking. i just keep reading that its best not to start smaller than 7 bbls, and (while i know 1 bbl is 31 gallons) i'm not really sure where the 7 bbls is coming from. (is that one batch? seems like a lot to be the minimum)

NTabb said:
rycov,

you may want to check out the live show tonight on The Brewing Network. Here's the description of tonights show. "This week, the Brewcasters will talk to BN Army soldiers who have taken their passion for brewing and turned it into their profession. Their stories will intrigue you, they will scare you, but most of all, they will inspire you.'
http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/The-Sunday-Session
Click to expand...

thank you very much NTabb!

thanks guys, i know that this will be hard, and that it will take years for me, and a ton of work. i'm looking forward to getting my ass kicked. thanks for the info and for not just telling me it wont work!:mug:
 
another question; i have seen that seven bbls is the recomended minimum for a brewery. is that for a brew pub too? or is the minimum for that smaller since they have income from the restaurant and other beers too?
 
7 bbls seems to be about the magic number where cost and production match up. There is a really good story by a member who started a brewery with a 2 bbls system very cheaply (under 100 grand I think). The key was the partners all had skills that covered very expensive aspects of starting a brewery (like one was a lawyer). They quickly stepped up to about a 7 bbl system. I'm not sure it's complete yet though.

Found the thread:
Don't Try This at Home
This is one of my favorite one's on here. I might have to go through and read it again myself.

I think there's a part 4 too. There's probably a link somewhere in the thread.
 
I'm not a pro but I'd say the 'system' is how much you can brew at one time. If you keep it going 24/7 you can brew more you'll just need more fermenters, storage and packaging.
 
If your looking for a used system. The guys at orlando brewing have a 10bbl complete thats for sale. They also might be able to help you with any questions you may have.
 
Have you read brewing up a business? He started a brewery and not a brewpub, but you area sponge, and thats an ocean. My dad the other day asked me if we could start a brewstore, lol.
 
NWMOBrewer said:
Have you read brewing up a business? He started a brewery and not a brewpub, but you area sponge, and thats an ocean. My dad the other day asked me if we could start a brewstore, lol.
Click to expand...

Love it haha...but dude, didn't Sam start a Brewpub, not a brewery? I know that they had all the food/kitchen in order, but had to work thru the licensing and brewing for the beer, in what I remember being a ten Gallon brew house. Yes. Gallon.
 
meatwad said:
Love it haha...but dude, didn't Sam start a Brewpub, not a brewery? I know that they had all the food/kitchen in order, but had to work thru the licensing and brewing for the beer, in what I remember being a ten Gallon brew house. Yes. Gallon.
Click to expand...

I have no idea. All I know is its a book others have recommended and he makes good beer.
 
Sam started a brewpub with a 10 gallon system like meatwad said. He states in the book that he was doin 3 brews a day at one point and used converted kegs as fermenters. The reason he went with a 10 gallon system was because of financial issues.

It would be much better to start with a 7 barrel system like you are saying if you have the cash. The system I brew on in the brewpub where i work is about a 12 barrel system. We brew at least once a week (usually twice) and we have 3 fermenters. With a brewpub it makes more sense to have a system this size because if you have a small system (say... 3-7 barrel), you will have to brew more often which means more fermenters, which means more space is needed, which means less tables for customers. A 12 barrel fermenter takes up a less room than 4, 3 barrel ferementers when it comes to sq. ft.
 
I would recommend checking out some of the other breweries in SC and ask them all the questions they're willing to listen to. Westbrook just opened up in Charleston so maybe their recent experience would be a nice place to start. And yes a 1bbl brewery should end up with 31 or so gallons or 2 "normal-sized" 1/2 bbl kegs after the entire brewing and fermentation process.

EDIT: also you're probably going to get a ton of flak for considering running the brewery side of a brewpub and not understanding how brewery sizes work. just a fair warning- good luck, and make sure you get that brew to myrtle beach as soon as possible!
 
Nah I'm in Montana but I went to law school in Charleston and spent a lot of my summers at my Grandma's house in Myrtle. I'm not really into most of the tourist stuff around Myrtle, but I really is a wonderful beach if you can get away from the strip/hotel area.

Another place to visit might be the "Liberty Taprooms"- I think they're a chain but I believe they also brew their beer on site.
 
yeah, i like living here at the beach. the off seasons are less touristy. but i don't mind all the tourists (that's how we make our monies here!). liberty is a good place, and i think it is a chain. which is fine, but since they're a chain i bet they'd be less willing to share info with me :( we also have a Gordon Biersch now (also a chain). and a brewery called new south (not a chain). i'm gonna look to some of those guys for answers too. but i thought i'd ask her for additional info, and to see what kind of questions i should ask.

also you guys all have supportive things to say so far, which is great, but don't hesitate to tell me i'm stupid, and i don't know what i'm getting my self into. just tell me why i'm stupid, and what it is exactly that i am getting my self into. i'm here to learn, and don't mind criticisms, as long as i can get something out of them.
 
rycov said:
hey all,

i've been talking to a friend of mine who owns a pub. their main deal is craft beer, and they have been liking the beer i make. we've been kicking around the idea of me brewing for them, but i have a question. when i see "1bbl system" does that mean i can brew one bbl of beer at a time? like 1 bbl in the boil kettle? also does anyone want to offer me advice? i'm in south carolina, so if you have any helpful info on specific ways the law works here that'd be nice too.

i realize that this will be a ton of work, and i'm ok with that. i love working, being really busy and working my ass off is the only thing that gives me a bigger boner than brewing! i also realize that i do not know enough about brewing to do it professionaly. this is still at least a few years out for me. but i'm trying to gather as much info as i can now.

i know i should be posting this on pro brewer, buti registered on there and couldnt post :mad: anyway, if you have info, lemme git it. i'm a sponge!
Click to expand...

Well...the first step should be advertising...where's the pub's name so we can all stop in for a pint ya goon :D :mug:
 
rycov said:
yes. actually it would be their brewpub. their the ones who would be buying the brewing equipment to add into they're already existent craft beer pub. they like the idea of having their own offerings. like i said i still have a lot to learn and process. this thread is just part of me trying to be prepared a head of time.



thats what i was thinking. i just keep reading that its best not to start smaller than 7 bbls, and (while i know 1 bbl is 31 gallons) i'm not really sure where the 7 bbls is coming from. (is that one batch? seems like a lot to be the minimum)



thank you very much NTabb!

thanks guys, i know that this will be hard, and that it will take years for me, and a ton of work. i'm looking forward to getting my ass kicked. thanks for the info and for not just telling me it wont work!:mug:
Click to expand...

I'd prove the concept first with a 1 or 2 bbl system first before jumping up to a 7bbl. One of my day dreams is my own craft brewery. A decent 1bbl system will run you $15k...a 7bbl system is close to $100k
 
NWMOBrewer said:
Have you read brewing up a business? He started a brewery and not a brewpub, but you area sponge, and thats an ocean. My dad the other day asked me if we could start a brewstore, lol.
Click to expand...

Actually, he started a brewpub, not a brewery. The brewpub was the revenue vehicle that allowed Sam to establish dfh brewery. He did it that way on purpose
 

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