The BIG next step

Hi,

So I will be the first to admit that I have only been homebrewing for a year, and I'm getting better. My question is, how many of you have given serious thought to taking the next step of MicroBrewery operations?

I REALLY enjoy doing this and I know it's like comparing apples to sparkplugs, but why not? If you truly believe in your product and love what you do, what's wrong with attempting the next step of larger scale brewing, packaging, marketing, and business operations?

Again, just curious to see of anyone has at least ATTEMPTED the big run.

Cheers,
J

I haven't attempted the big run, but I do plan on doing so in the future. Currently, I am working on creating and (most importantly) refining recipes that I hope to use in the old brew pub someday. There's a lot of literature out there on how to get started and I plan on reading all of those first. Once I learn from everything they've done, have my recipes ready, pick out my equipment, location, make my business plan, acquire funding, etc. then I will be ready to get going.

My daughter loves to cook and wants to open a restaraunt when she's grown. She's 13 now. She helps me brew and really seems to enjoy it. We were talking about a small place with pool tables, bar food, stools topped with saddles, and homebrewed beer. Never know. It'd be nice to share your creations with the world for a profit, though. Wouldn't it ?

One of the coolest things for a homebrewer in the PWN has got to be the Collaborator Project with Widmer Brothers. This is a chance to brew 40 BARRELS of your ale and have it on tap at various locations around Portland. Some of these ales are major! Snowplow is so good that it is back again this year as a seasonal.

[I'd put a link to the Oregon Brew Crew's Collaborator page, but it's under re-construction]

Forty barrels of Mumbling Monkey Amber......Damn, that's scary ! That's a pretty cool deal they've got.

I have a friend with whom I've talked about opening a restaurant. We've kicked around the idea for about 5 years now. Now that I'm a homebrewer, I've decided to add a micro-brew operation on the dream. One of my school chums has volunteered to become a semi-silent partner when we get it all together since he's always wanted to home-brew but doesn't have the time or space.