McCall St. Brewer
Well-Known Member
Back a few years ago before I knew anything about brewing someone once told me that brewpubs weren't exactly as they seemed to be. He said that they made all their beer from extracts.
Now that I know a little more about brewing I wonder about that. I guess I certainly wouldn't put it past brewpubs that are owned by largish corporations to do it if it's cheaper. How, you ask, could it be cheaper if extract costs more than grain? Easy. You could avoid the cost of hiring an experienced brewmaster at each of your locations. Instead you could train staff to run the equipment and to make three or four regular house brews plus a rotating seasonal one. Just give them the recipes and have them do the same thing over and over again.
The other thing I have wondered is, do brewpubs actually make their beer on site as one would expect from a place that bills itself as a brewpub. I'm sure that some or most of them do. But still-- they all have all that shiny, fancy looking equipment on display-- but did you ever notice that in most places you never see anyone actually using it? Also, I have never noticed brewing smells either inside or coming from outside any of the ones I have been to. Maybe I'm just being cynical, but what's to stop them from making all their beer at one central location, or even contracting out for it?
One of my father's favorite expressions is that "ignorance is bliss." Sometimes that is really true. Sometimes I'd really rather that I didn't know how some things are made.
Now that I know a little more about brewing I wonder about that. I guess I certainly wouldn't put it past brewpubs that are owned by largish corporations to do it if it's cheaper. How, you ask, could it be cheaper if extract costs more than grain? Easy. You could avoid the cost of hiring an experienced brewmaster at each of your locations. Instead you could train staff to run the equipment and to make three or four regular house brews plus a rotating seasonal one. Just give them the recipes and have them do the same thing over and over again.
The other thing I have wondered is, do brewpubs actually make their beer on site as one would expect from a place that bills itself as a brewpub. I'm sure that some or most of them do. But still-- they all have all that shiny, fancy looking equipment on display-- but did you ever notice that in most places you never see anyone actually using it? Also, I have never noticed brewing smells either inside or coming from outside any of the ones I have been to. Maybe I'm just being cynical, but what's to stop them from making all their beer at one central location, or even contracting out for it?
One of my father's favorite expressions is that "ignorance is bliss." Sometimes that is really true. Sometimes I'd really rather that I didn't know how some things are made.