Brewing big in Washington State.

Hi all. I got into brewing not to long ago. I have made over seven batches but cant keep up with demand from family. Its legal to give your beer to family members but selling is a whole other ball game. So I have been looking into licensing. I have the State covered, but the feds requior a few extra things. Does anyone have experience licensing their beer to distribute?

Unfortunatley it's not that simple. As a manufacturer of human consumed goods you would be subject to FDA inspections, and be required to pay hundreds, if not thousands in permits and fees. You'd likely have to establish a commercial presence (not brewing out of your home), and brewing 5 gallon batches for distribution is not economical. All you would ever do is brew beer.

I'm sure you're making good beer after 7 batches, and I don't mean any offense by this at all - but brewing 7 batches doesn't necessarily mean that you're producing a product that's of the quality required to have success in commercial sales. I'm at batch 60 something and I'm no where near perfecting my processes enough for producing beer as a business to be anything more than a pipe dream.

Sorry to be a party pooper, but that's most likely the reality of it.

Where are you in WA? I'm in the process of opening a brewpub in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle. Right now I'm in permitting hell!

do u want to open a pub or start a brewing company?

If you're wanting monetary compensation, why not ask your mooching family members to buy you ingredients? There's nothing illegal about that.

I've been wondering recently about family members 'chipping in' for beer. While I know there's not really a difference between 'buy me this bag of grain' and 'give me $5 for a 6 pack,' not having it itemized out seems to make it more like selling.

Of course, this is probably one of those things where no one would probably ever find out about it (unless you post about it on the internet. *backspace backspace backspace*)

I'm sort of getting to the point where I have enough people interested in my beer that if I give each of them a six pack, that leaves me about (lemme do the math) 2/5 of my batch. I suppose I should set up some sort of kickback system... giving that much away is great because I don't drink that much, but good god I'm hemorrhaging money!

Hire some local gangsters to enforce payment.

If you're breaking the law anyway, might as well go for broke.

Sorry I left this post go for so long. Im in Gig Harbor WA. Im actually brewing out of a tree house. I actually requested the paperwork from the TTB (tax and trade buerough). Apperently the FDA doesnt deal with alchohol, but Im not sure if I believe that. And yes, the permiting process is rediculouse.

I know of another guy opening a brewery in Gig Harbor. He bought the 8.5 bbl brew system from Stix.

Wow, did he actually get a permit to build, or is he doing it in a residential area. I just wanted to be able to make a few gallons to sell to a one or two taverns. I think it would be a great way to get feedback and the bars wouldnt mind having a local batch on tap. Nothing big though. I guess thats not what the feds have in mind though.

Wow, im totally making a trip up to the Naked City Brew house when you open, Im sure you will let us know.