From Home Brew to Microbrew
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whitehause
Well-Known Member
I have looked in to it, and it's a really tough thing to do money not withstanding. Your states alcohol bureau and the federal laws, food service inspectors to deal with, not to mention local zoning issues and insurance. We all want to make a living at our hobby, but realistically we probably won't. Not that yours wouldn't, I'm not trying to be a dream basher, but many of the ones that have made it, did it when micobrews were in their infancy. Now everyone wants to do it, and the market is already saturated.
Just as a gauge...over 700 microbrews were opened last year. How many will last, who knows.
Your best bet( and something I'm thinking of) if your in an area that has a lot of homebrewers, is a home brew store. If there is another established store within 20 or 30 miles, it might not work out.
Just as a gauge...over 700 microbrews were opened last year. How many will last, who knows.
Your best bet( and something I'm thinking of) if your in an area that has a lot of homebrewers, is a home brew store. If there is another established store within 20 or 30 miles, it might not work out.
NineMilBill
Well-Known Member
There's been quite a few, and their threads are inspiring reads. You can likely search for more, as I know I've missed a few good ones.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/what-has-two-thumbs-going-pro-185611/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/shade-tree-brewing-company-going-pro-285560/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f5/help-home-brewer-going-pro-311600/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/planning-going-pro-175599/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/what-has-two-thumbs-going-pro-185611/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/shade-tree-brewing-company-going-pro-285560/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f5/help-home-brewer-going-pro-311600/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/planning-going-pro-175599/
Grinder12000
Well-Known Member
I have not but a friend has. Now has a brewpub that is it it's 2nd quarter and should make money this next quarter.
One barrel system. Pretty much exactly like a large home brew system. We have hired 2 people to do the cleaning so Aaron can just brew.
The one thing is for about 4 months you will work 16 hours a day 7 days a week. The can now take one day off a week.
Built it and they will come. Total cost is a little less then 100,000 for a 49 seat brewpub. Just opened a beer garden for 18 more people.
One barrel system. Pretty much exactly like a large home brew system. We have hired 2 people to do the cleaning so Aaron can just brew.
The one thing is for about 4 months you will work 16 hours a day 7 days a week. The can now take one day off a week.
Built it and they will come. Total cost is a little less then 100,000 for a 49 seat brewpub. Just opened a beer garden for 18 more people.
EndlessPurple
Well-Known Member
What's the difference between a microbrewery, brew pub and a beer garden (aside from spelling of course)? or is there one?
Where are you located? Because there isnt any property under $300,000 where I live and surely wouldnt be big enough for a brewpub. Thats not even getting into cost of equipment, supplies, insurances, permits/licensing. Sorry if this sounds stand offish im just curious.
Why would I want to ruin a great hobby by turning it into a job? I had a chance to brew at Rogue recently and that made me more sure than ever that I wouldn't want to brew for a living.
I started home brewing, now I work at a commercial brewery and love it! I still home brew, maybe not as regularly.
It's totally different. At work I brew, run the bottling line, operate machinery like the centrifuge and do various cellar jobs... stuff the average homebrewer doesn't do (obviously). It's physically and mentally challenging but very rewarding.
It's totally different. At work I brew, run the bottling line, operate machinery like the centrifuge and do various cellar jobs... stuff the average homebrewer doesn't do (obviously). It's physically and mentally challenging but very rewarding.
For me, running my own brewery would be just as bad. I turned 2 great hobbies onto businesses and after I'd done one for 10 years and the other for 30 years I wasn't interested in doing either one any longer. It may seem like you're your own boss when you own a business, but in reality you're a slave to your customers. If I owned my own brewery Id be longing to brew exotic beers, but I'd be stuck brewing insipid blond ales because that's what the customers wanted.
logdrum
Well-Known Member
That's what I'm calling my next brew: "Insipid Blonde Ale"
Scottatron
Active Member
Same here. I agree that it is physically and mentally demanding. I decided to turn my hobby into my career and I haven't looked back since.
Well the brewing industry is a consumer based business so what your customers want has to be taken into consideration if you expect to stay in business. But that's not to say you'd be stuck making "insipid blond ales". A lot of people drink very dull beer because they don't know any better. But people are starting to realize that there is other beer out there, which is why microbrews are becoming more and more popular. I understand that doing what you love for a job is still a "job", but if you go into business knowing that then there's not much room for disapointment.
All I can tell you is that when I started my businesses I had the kind of enthusiasm you talk about. 30 years later it was long gone. I'm curious tio know what your experience of running a business has been like.
bwomp313
Well-Known Member
Interesting
kevstev
Active Member
From personal experience, I agree with some previous posts. Doing what you enjoy doing, once it is a job, can really change things. My programming hobby became my profession, and once I was forced to do it 8+ hours a day, working on stuff other people want (very akin to the Insipid Blonde Ale), and following other people's rules (like the gov'ts) and guidelines, it becomes... a job. Being a microbrewery is more about manufacturing and marketing than brewing.
I also did some back of the napkin calculations. Beer is cheap. Lets just say you sold bottles, at wholesale for $1/bottle. You have to sell 100,000 or bottles a year or 700 kegs just to make any money even in my simplistic scenarios which pretty much negated initial equipment costs. Perhaps I am grossly misunderstanding how much beer the average person drinks, but that just seems like a huge number. I had a thought that I could start out locally, selling to bars/stores in my city- it seems ripe for a local brewery- to get a basic operation going, and then expand regionally, but that doesn't seem feasible. Just my two cents, your local regulations and potential market may vary.
I also did some back of the napkin calculations. Beer is cheap. Lets just say you sold bottles, at wholesale for $1/bottle. You have to sell 100,000 or bottles a year or 700 kegs just to make any money even in my simplistic scenarios which pretty much negated initial equipment costs. Perhaps I am grossly misunderstanding how much beer the average person drinks, but that just seems like a huge number. I had a thought that I could start out locally, selling to bars/stores in my city- it seems ripe for a local brewery- to get a basic operation going, and then expand regionally, but that doesn't seem feasible. Just my two cents, your local regulations and potential market may vary.
With any new company comes the risk of failure, that's part of it. I live in Arizona and one of our locals, Four Peaks, is undergoing expansion. They are opening up a second brewery because the demand of their beer is so high. So maybe there is a promising beer market in my area...
If you're going to start a business you have to accept the fact that money will be lost, and a lot of work hours will go into making your vision a reality. Of course this can result to debt and an unsuccessful business, but if done right you get to do what you want as a career.
If you're going to start a business you have to accept the fact that money will be lost, and a lot of work hours will go into making your vision a reality. Of course this can result to debt and an unsuccessful business, but if done right you get to do what you want as a career.
What our food/bev manager has said in convo before and I found it interesting.... its about approaching the liquor rep(usually only a few in the state) with your product and being able to give them quantity since they will market your product. Dogfish Head(whos beers I love) has been really hard to work with because they havent been able to give a steady enough supply to meet the demand bars are asking for in kegs....example; our bar wants 5 of these kegs every other week, liq rep respond saying well we can only give you 1 or 2. Yuengling on the other hand he said came to market from the start with the ability for production able to meet big demand.
ClaudiusB
Well-Known Member
A place with good beer and food, open during summer months.
Pics from a German Beer garden and my beer garden
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The Arizona market is an emerging craft beer market, but everything Denny says is spot on. I tend to respect the opinions of someone with a commercial yeast named after them.
