New Micro Brewery

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Beermaker

The NAVY WALRUS
Joined
Oct 30, 2005
Messages
839
Reaction score
3
Location
Beautiful Beaumont, TX
Well, I am a gluton for punishment, but, I am seriously thinking of getting of few fellow beer club members to join me in starting a new brewery. If Abita can do it, so can I. Seeing that there are only 2 between Houston and New Orleans to deal with. St Arnold being one to worry about. Wish me luck....and buy my beer.
 
One word: USED

www.nabrewing.com/complete.shtml

This will give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for complete used brewing systems. There's a brewpub near me that closed in August. They built an all new 15 barrel system about two years ago. Brewer wasn't very good, though. $300K down the drain, as very few brewers want a 15 barrel system.

Look around, talk to old-timers. The guy at Oregon Trails has a mash tun that is 80 years old and a beautiful copper boiler only slightly newer.
 
Beermaker said:
Well, I am a gluton for punishment, but, I am seriously thinking of getting of few fellow beer club members to join me in starting a new brewery. If Abita can do it, so can I. Seeing that there are only 2 between Houston and New Orleans to deal with. St Arnold being one to worry about. Wish me luck....and buy my beer.


Brother, I wish you all the luck in the world. I hope you or your backers have deep enough pockets to get it off the ground.

I've been researching this for a while and went into $ shock. Maybe one of these days. Just the insurance and bonding for the TABC is defeating.
 
ScottT said:
Brother, I wish you all the luck in the world. I hope you or your backers have deep enough pockets to get it off the ground.

I've been researching this for a while and went into $ shock. Maybe one of these days. Just the insurance and bonding for the TABC is defeating.

Isn't this a dream for just about every one of us? :D

I'd love to do it too. I just know it would be extremely expensive and hard work like you don't even know, every single day of the week.

The food biz is highly stressful. I hope my beer is good, so I can un-stress myself.

I've talked with a few buddies about getting one started but it is a scary proposition.
 
It seems difficult...everytime I get the notion in my head I pop a "defunct brewery" cap off a homebrew and try to think of something else. I feel like I'd need some kind of formal training to hedge my bets on success, and I just don't have that kind of time.

OTOH, there are a lot of people out there who are operating successful breweries, and there will be more in the future so I hope you're one of them!
 
Hard work, quality, consistancy. The new low volume canning lines might be a real break-though for micro startups. Trying to get bar taps is tough.

And if at all possible, locate between a good pizza place and a sausage or BBQ joint!
 
Check out probrewer.com for information on startups. There is a lot of good info on that site for used equipment, startup considerations, and general microbrew knowledge. From what I have read on this site these guys know what they are doing and there have been many previous threads on this topic in the past. Hope you got lots of dough and good buisness sense, making good beer is one thing, running a brewery is a whole different level. Regardless, good luck.

Cheers, Jordan
 
I am thinking about a 2 bbl system to get off the ground with. Then up to a 7 bbl, and keep the 2 bbl for specialty stuff. I am working on distributor info here in my area. That would make things a bit easier. And the licensing is a killer, close to 5k, per year for everything. TABC sux. But I will give it a try. I have a few bucks in my 401k, and I am only 36 YO. I have time. I am in no9 hurry to jump in both feet though. Might take a few months.
 
When you are looking, keep in mind a 4 barrel system isn't much more work than a 2 and can make smaller batches if necessary. As you need more volume, you can add a couple 8-10 barrel fermenters & double up on mashes. If you are making two identical mashes in a row, you don't have to clean up between them. (at least that's what Dave Wills at Oregon Trails says)
 
Beermaker said:
I am thinking about a 2 bbl system to get off the ground with. Then up to a 7 bbl, and keep the 2 bbl for specialty stuff.


That is exactly how I'd start out. The 2bbl system would be cool for seasonals and special projects. I'd continue to do experimental batches similar to the way I do now, in case it sucks. :D
 
Back
Top