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Remmy said:
Just got a message from a former colleague of mine. He knows my work situation and asked if I was interested in starting a craft brewery. I know absolutely nothing about getting one started and I don't consider myself a great brewer. I simply love to home brew and try new ****. He says he has investors willing to fund everything this year without me having to put any $ in. What I have been thinking is: #1, would it really survive? #2, what kind of stake would I have in this brewery? and #3, would I get paid similarly to what I was getting paid at my last job?
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Worth hearing him out, at least, no? I think you're asking the right questions. I would have to suspect that in the beginning, pay would not be what you are used to...but that is the case with starting any business. I took the easy way out when I started my business by holding on to my old job on a protracted basis...I still do that job on a protracted basis.

I have never really thought about getting involved with a commercial brewery. I would love to do the back office stuff but would be lost on how to maintain the equipment or even how to efficiently ramp up my volumes to commercial levels. With my brewing now, I don't give a rip about cost of ingredients. If I were making it in volumes measured by barrels, and trying to make a profit, I'd have to change my entire approach to the craft.
 
BreezyBrew said:
What do you use to fill your bottles? I had tried the BMBF a few years ago, but all I got was foam. Maybe it's time to revisit or something else.

On the coffee.
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I still struggle with consistency when bottling off the keg.

I have 10' lines and use the BMBF, purge keg, hit it with ~2 psi and chill bottles. Most of the time it's straight foam in the line, even after "priming" by pouring a pint.

I almost wonder if it wouldn't be best to just fill the bottle at normal serving pressure before the "head" starts to form then blast it one last time off the tap and cap on the foam.

I dunno... it doesn't work for me as described in the thread. I'm going to give it another go this week.
 
Ridire said:
Worth hearing him out, at least, no? I think you're asking the right questions. I would have to suspect that in the beginning, pay would not be what you are used to...but that is the case with starting any business. I took the easy way out when I started my business by holding on to my old job on a protracted basis...I still do that job on a protracted basis.

I have never really thought about getting involved with a commercial brewery. I would love to do the back office stuff but would be lost on how to maintain the equipment or even how to efficiently ramp up my volumes to commercial levels. With my brewing now, I don't give a rip about cost of ingredients. If I were making it in volumes measured by barrels, and trying to make a profit, I'd have to change my entire approach to the craft.
Click to expand...

I will hear him out. He's going to call me when I get back to the states. I love brewing at home and with friends. As a job? Not sure if that sounds good to me but I am willing to get more details around what he expects and what he wants to do.

I don't consider myself the type that turns a hobby like barbecuing or brewing into a paying job. Or the type that "goes pro" for an ego boost. If you look at the history of craft breweries/start-ups, many are created and many fail just a few years after opening.

If you take where I live, for example, which is a suburban town, I have 4 breweries within a 15-mile radius and another 4-5 in the 20-mile range (Two Roads, SBC, Shebeen, among others).
 
Ridire said:
Worth hearing him out, at least, no? I think you're asking the right questions. I would have to suspect that in the beginning, pay would not be what you are used to...but that is the case with starting any business. I took the easy way out when I started my business by holding on to my old job on a protracted basis...I still do that job on a protracted basis.
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I'd agree with this. All of your questions should be answered in his business plan. Ask him to send you a copy for review. If he says "What's a business plan?" Run! :D

I'd think the biggest question would be on the market analysis that they have done in their business plan. Is the demand there for the beer, and will it be in 5-10 years?

Lots to think about when opening a commercial scale brewery... Personally, I'd want to know your duties and how much physical labor is required of your position, since commercial brewing is still a very manual process. You'd have to be ok with the amount that was expected of you. Insurance might be something else to think about if you were to get hurt on the job. Just spitfiring here....
 
BreezyBrew said:
I'd agree with this. All of your questions should be answered in his business plan. Ask him to send you a copy for review. If he says "What's a business plan?" Run! :D

I'd think the biggest question would be on the market analysis that they have done in their business plan. Is the demand there for the beer, and will it be in 5-10 years?

Lots to think about when opening a commercial scale brewery... Personally, I'd want to know your duties and how much physical labor is required of your position, since commercial brewing is still a very manual process. You'd have to be ok with the amount that was expected of you. Insurance might be something else to think about if you were to get hurt on the job. Just spitfiring here....
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I don't think there is a big demand in my specific area. We don't need another NEBCO or Two Roads where I live. There are a few (what I think are) sub-par breweries in my area and I wouldn't want to be one of them if I were to start one. I know most of the brewmasters of these breweries, including NEBCO, and the more sub-par breweries have people that know their ****. I just am not really crazy about their beer. Another factor is I am not willing to relocate, which makes things harder in terms of being able to strike additional opportunities. Another thing is, my quality of life will certainly change and for the money I'd be making ($60,000-80,000/yr tops?), I wouldn't bother working for that amount of money in a business that would be hard to scale or have a decent stake in.


I've created business plans in B-school. I was introduced to it very early (first course, actually) where I had to create a business plan and work by myself - not in groups like some others in my class. 36 pages later, I got an A. It was a plan for my old company on how to expand to other emerging healthcare markets in Eastern Europe along with some Western-european countries (Switzerland, Germany, specifically). Ok, sorry for the @hello /rant. :D

Breezy, the colleague is a PhD and has an MBA from Harvard. Smart dude. He's come to my house to brew with me a few times and we've golfed together several times.
 
Remmy said:
I don't think there is a big demand in my specific area. We don't need another NEBCO or Two Roads where I live. There are a few (what I think are) sub-par breweries in my area and I wouldn't want to be one of them if I were to start one. I know most of the brewmasters of these breweries, including NEBCO, and the more sub-par breweries have people that know their ****. I just am not really crazy about their beer. Another factor is I am not willing to relocate, which makes things harder in terms of being able to strike additional opportunities. Another thing is, my quality of life will certainly change and for the money I'd be making ($60,000-80,000/yr tops?), I wouldn't bother working for that in a business that would be hard to scale.


I've created business plans in B-school. I was introduced to it very early (first course, actually) where I had to create a business plan and work by myself - not in groups like some others in my class. 36 pages later, I got an A. It was a plan for my old company on how to expand to other emerging healthcare markets in Eastern Europe along with some Western-european countries (Switzerland, Germany, specifically). Ok, sorry for the @hello /rant. :D
Click to expand...

"It's important to have a job that makes a difference, boys. That's why I manually masturbate caged animals for artificial insemination." ~ Clerks
 
Remmy said:
Just got a message from a former colleague of mine. He knows my work situation and asked if I was interested in starting a craft brewery. I know absolutely nothing about getting one started and I don't consider myself a great brewer. I simply love to home brew and try new ****. He says he has investors willing to fund everything this year without me having to put any $ in. What I have been thinking is: #1, would it really survive? #2, what kind of stake would I have in this brewery? and #3, would I get paid similarly to what I was getting paid at my last job?
Click to expand...


It's worth hearing their plan, but the answer to your #3 is pretty easy. No. Judging by what I've seen on here, you are probably accustomed to a 6 figure salary. There's no possible way they could pay you that much. You'd most likely have to survive on a low 5 figure salary for a long time or get a second job. Be prepared for a lot more physical work, more hours and severely less pay.
Also, they (investors) need to know that starting a craft brewery is not a huge money maker. People start breweries because they love beer, not to make a lot of money. So, they would have to be realistic about their expectations of return on their investment.
Just my .02. Tl;dr
 
Def doesn't hurt to hear the plan @remmy. Just have to imagine it would be a huge reduction in salary and require a lot more of your time. Especially in the area we live in (CT, Long Island, etc) that's a tough deal with the high cost of living.
 
WesleyS said:
It's worth hearing their plan, but the answer to your #3 is pretty easy. No. Judging by what I've seen on here, you are probably accustomed to a 6 figure salary. There's no possible way they could pay you that much. You'd most likely have to survive on a low 5 figure salary for a long time or get a second job. Be prepared for a lot more physical work, more hours and severely less pay.
Also, they (investors) need to know that starting a craft brewery is not a huge money maker. People start breweries because they love beer, not to make a lot of money. So, they would have to be realistic about their expectations of return on their investment.
Just my .02. Tl;dr
Click to expand...

Wait, it was my understanding that owning a start up brewery involved work that looks a lot like this...are you telling me I have been deceived?

fat-cat-businessman-cartoon-character-daily-sketch-coghill.jpg
 
Ridire said:
Wait, it was my understanding that owning a start up brewery involved work that looks a lot like this...are you telling me I have been deceived?



fat-cat-businessman-cartoon-character-daily-sketch-coghill.jpg
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Close. Except those bags would be full of grain instead.
 
Remmy said:
I've never had that but I bet that pairing is great. Medalla Light and Coors Light are close seconds. I find the IPAs I've been drinking (from the USA) really heavy with this heat and humidity.
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Remmy said:
Just got a message from a former colleague of mine. He knows my work situation and asked if I was interested in starting a craft brewery. I know absolutely nothing about getting one started and I don't consider myself a great brewer. I simply love to home brew and try new ****. He says he has investors willing to fund everything this year without me having to put any $ in. What I have been thinking is: #1, would it really survive? #2, what kind of stake would I have in this brewery? and #3, would I get paid similarly to what I was getting paid at my last job?
Click to expand...

Remmy said:
View attachment 271425
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Have those finished drinking themselves yet?

Finished with coffee and on to water. I have beer coming today and some will be definitely be consumed while grilling some filet for dinner.
 
Remmy said:
Just got a message from a former colleague of mine. He knows my work situation and asked if I was interested in starting a craft brewery. [...] would I get paid similarly to what I was getting paid at my last job?
Click to expand...

The answer on that is no. Everybody always asks me when I'm going pro, and my answer is always "I couldn't make half of what I make in IT working for a brewery unless I was the only principal and even that would take a couple of years".

Coff.
 
Water. Mostly.

Remmy said:
I will hear him out. He's going to call me when I get back to the states. I love brewing at home and with friends. As a job? Not sure if that sounds good to me but I am willing to get more details around what he expects and what he wants to do.

I don't consider myself the type that turns a hobby like barbecuing or brewing into a paying job. Or the type that "goes pro" for an ego boost. If you look at the history of craft breweries/start-ups, many are created and many fail just a few years after opening.

If you take where I live, for example, which is a suburban town, I have 4 breweries within a 15-mile radius and another 4-5 in the 20-mile range (Two Roads, SBC, Shebeen, among others).
Click to expand...
As others can say, if you venture into this, you're doing it making pennies to the dollar that you've been making. Sad but true.

Remmy said:
Ok, sorry for the @hello /rant. :D
Click to expand...
****. I'll never rant again.
 
Hello said:
Water. Mostly.


As others can say, if you venture into this, you're doing it making pennies to the dollar that you've been making. Sad but true.


****. I'll never rant again.
Click to expand...

Could be a worse thing to be @Hello ed about. You could be known for BUCKNUT ting.

And back on topic (is that allowed?) a spinach smoothie with Mango, Pineapple and blueberries
 
Hello said:
Water. Mostly.





As others can say, if you venture into this, you're doing it making pennies to the dollar that you've been making. Sad but true.





****. I'll never rant again.
Click to expand...


I bet. Besides, I like to drink when I brew. Imagine that type of disaster.

Finishing a water before I have lunch with my aunt and cousins. They cook good ****. I eat. Simple.
 

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