Buying homebrews/Starting a brewery

[Etu001]

Hi all,

I am doing a little bit of market research for a business venture and I would love your opinions.

If you could (legally) buy other people's "homebrews":
1) Would you be interested?
2) What would cause you to choose a "homebrew" versus a known craft brew?
3) How much would you pay for a six pack of "homebrewed" beer?
4) What is stopping you from selling your own beer?

For the sake of this, let's assume that the beer that I am referring to is created legally in a clean location by people who love what they do.

Thanks, any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[swackattack]

Wouldnt a commercially produced homebrew just be a craft beer?

 

[m_stodd]

1) Yes
2) Price, established brand
3) 30%-50% of the price of a similar commercial brew
4) Not worth my time. I'd rather drink it, or exchange it for other homebrew

What's the general vision of your business?

 

[Wirk]

1) Yes
2) If I can sample it before buying it then only taste.
3) If it is as good as good as a commercial craft brew then the same price
4) Nothing but laws on this side of the world are a bit different

 

[mattd2]

1...What's the general vision of your business?

I'm going to take a stab in the dark and sya:
1) set up a small micro/nano brewery (with all the state/fed boxes ticked),
2) Then it is a matter of the brewer is brought in to brew a batch based on their homebrew recipe
3) sell the beer as "Homebrewed" beer.

For what it is worth there is at least one other place operating (or soon to operate) under this business plan, forgot the name though sorry

 

[AMonkey]

1) Yes, most craft beer started as homebrew at some point.
2) Nothing. Once comercially produced it is not home brew, I already buy craft beer all the time.
3) Nothing. Paying any amount for homebrewed beer is illegal.
4) Money and time.

 

[m_stodd]

I'm going to take a stab in the dark and sya:
1) set up a small micro/nano brewery (with all the state/fed boxes ticked),
2) Then it is a matter of the brewer is brought in to brew a batch based on their homebrew recipe
3) sell the beer as "Homebrewed" beer.

For what it is worth there is at least one other place operating (or soon to operate) under this business plan, forgot the name though sorry

That's what I was thinking. I could imagine some kind of coop model working like you pay a subscription fee, and every week you get whatever is ready for consumption, brewed by a group of home brewers. If you go more personal, then you're buying homebrew from people you know, which won't happen, or your buying homebrew from shelves in stores (good luck).

 

[sweetcell]

4) What is stopping you from selling your own beer?

the law. have you looked into the regulations that cover the sale of beer? there are a ton of them. the paperwork, license and certifications required to start selling beer are enormous. it will take you months before you can sell your first beer.

there are a ton of threads on this board about people starting up either own nanobreweries (or see ProBrewers' forums, http://www.probrewer.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=29).

one common stumbling block is that beer, in order to be sold, cannot be produced in a residential area. so you need to rent/buy commercial space. and since you're not brewing at home any more, you're technically not a homebrewer.

 

[Etu001]

That's what I was thinking. I could imagine some kind of coop model working like you pay a subscription fee, and every week you get whatever is ready for consumption, brewed by a group of home brewers. If you go more personal, then you're buying homebrew from people you know, which won't happen, or your buying homebrew from shelves in stores (good luck).

This is pretty much what we were thinking. I do understand that there needs to be a lot of legal research to be done but we are just feeling out the market.

I do understand that anything not brewed at home isn't a "homebrew" but we are looking to connect people who are passionate about making interesting beer with people who are passionate about drinking interesting beers.

 

[AMonkey]

This is pretty much what we were thinking. I do understand that there needs to be a lot of legal research to be done but we are just feeling out the market.

I do understand that anything not brewed at home isn't a "homebrew" but we are looking to connect people who are passionate about making interesting beer with people who are passionate about drinking interesting beers.

The problem is alcohol is regulated more than most people realize. You even have to have your labels approved, and good luck getting away with putting "homebrewed" on there. If it was legal, someone would have already tried it.

 

[Phunhog]

Sounds like you want to do something like these guys...http://brewlabsf.com/ I think it is a quasi homebrew co-op/club. Don't expect too much more advice though....This thread will be shut down pronto since you mentioned what shall not be mentioned.

 

[mattd2]

The problem is alcohol is regulated more than most people realize. You even have to have your labels approved, and good luck getting away with putting "homebrewed" on there. If it was legal, someone would have already tried it.

So you are saying that I can not call my micro brewery "Mattd2's Homebrew Brewing Company"? Why?
It is a legally register brewery with all the paperwork signed off, the reason for choosing the name is "we" started as homebrewers and want to get or good beer out to other people...
What I am saying is selling homebrew, yes it is illegal, you can not do it. But selling the concept of homebrewed beer through the right channels is not. For this it would be brewed by a register brewery, but by a homebrewer (most likely would need to be employed by the brewery though, so more paperwork there I would imagine).
They sell the comercially produced beer made by a homebrewer as "Homebrewed" beer. I do not see anywhere in that that the state/Fed can restrict them. False advertising? the whole premise of beer brewed by Homebrewers for comercial production would need to be clear.

 

[mattd2]

Sounds like you want to do something like these guys...http://brewlabsf.com/ I think it is a quasi homebrew co-op/club. Don't expect too much more advice though....This thread will be shut down pronto since you mentioned what shall not be mentioned.

Shutting down this thread is no help, he has not done anything wrong by throwing out the idea that he would like to potentially help homebrewer start selling their beer legally (right there in the third line).
Etu, maybe you want to go back through you post and " " all the homebrew's just to make sure everyone gets that you don't want to sell actual homebrewed beer

 

[mattd2]

...If it was legal and easy and profitable, someone would have already tried it.

Fixed that for you

 

[AMonkey]

So you are saying that I can not call my micro brewery "Mattd2's Homebrew Brewing Company"? Why?
It is a legally register brewery with all the paperwork signed off, the reason for choosing the name is "we" started as homebrewers and want to get or good beer out to other people...
What I am saying is selling homebrew, yes it is illegal, you can not do it. But seeling the concept of homebrewed beer through the right channels is not. For this it would be brewed by a register brewery, but by a homebrewer (most likely would need to be employed by the brewery though, so more paperwork there I would imagine).
They sell the comercially produced beer made by a homebrewer as "Homebrewed" beer. I do not see anywhere in that that the state/Fed can restrict them. False advertising? the whole premise of beer brewed by Homebrewers for comercial production would need to be clear.

You really think no commercial brewer has ever started as a homebrewer? Most start as homebrewers, that is why they start a commercial brewery. And I am not going to do the research now, but if it was legal to put "Homebrewed" on the label someone would have done it by now.

 

[Xpertskir]

I would not pay to drink most of the beers made by members of my HBC. Your reputation would ride on tastiness of beers just as any brewery. What I was willing to pay and how often would also depend on how good the beer is and if you are brewing styles that I like.

I would be extremely hesitant to purchase a membership unless I had many positive experiences with you across many styles.

 

[mattd2]

You really think no commercial brewer has ever started as a homebrewer? Most start as homebrewers, that is why they start a commercial brewery. And I am not going to do the research now, but if it was legal to put "Homebrewed" on the label someone would have done it by now.

The concpet is not for a single person to start a microbrewery and start selling the beers as "homebrews"
The concept is to start a microbrewery that will allow for homebrewers to be the comercial brewer for a batch of their recipe, produced & packaged under that microbrewery and sold as beer brewed by a homebrewer.

This is a very niche market the OP is going for, a small corner of the normal market that craft breweries sit in. Why would a comecial craft brewery want to associate their premium product with something that anyone could make at home (basically what the general public that is not knowlegable in homebrewing but still likes craft beer would think)?
Think about it this way, what's the difference between putting homebrewed and chicken brewing on a label of comercially produced beer. Both of them have little to do with how the beer was actually produced but I wouldn't imagine that anyone would think twice about chicken brewing on the label.

 

[mcspanner]

Sounds like you are planning on being a contract brewer.

A legally licensed brewery selling solely guest brewers recipes. In this case those guests would be drawn from the homebrew community. Not sure what process you'd go through to qualify the recipes or select the guests. Even small runs will have quite an investment in terms of ingredients, time, distribution and marketing to get to a break even point. Some people will try a brewery once and if the "guest (home) brewers " aren't up to scratch you'll not get a 2nd purchase from them.

 

[mattd2]

I see this as a good brewpub/tap room concept.
Lots of different inovative beers, limited availability, and (hopefully) lots of new choices everytime you visit!

 

[thetmaxx]

I know there are distillers selling thier stuff under the name "Moonshine" SO the law maybe similar that the word "Homebrew" is OK to use. However ABC does inspect every word on your label before approving, so who knows...

But this sounds along the lines of a company in Sacramento called "Brew It Up" you could basically pay to brew your own batch of beer. I never went because it seemed expensive, and it wasn't really hands on. They hae sense closed, one of our family friends went there several times and enjoyed it. You could also eat there and enjoy other peoples concauctions.

Another buisness I know of in CA (sorry don't remeber the name) brews beers for nano breweries. Basically a nano brewery sends them the label and recipie and they brew it, bottle it, and distribute it for you.

Anyways, just a few examples that seem inline with what your talking about.

Almost forgot to answer your survey
1. Yes
2. Nothing, I just love trying new beers
3. Same as craft as long as the quality can back it
4. Legal. Some of my friends buy me grain so I can make them a batch of something....

 

[thetmaxx]

Why would a comecial craft brewery want to associate their premium product with something that anyone could make at home (basically what the general public that is not knowlegable in homebrewing but still likes craft beer would think)?

When I was in the general public, not a homebrewer, I thought home brew was simply powder in water that was fermented (Mr. Beer?) and would never taste like the quality craft brews I was enjoying. I looked at it as a fake substitute. One possibility of why you don't find homebrew on craft labels....

 

[jeepinjeepin]

I know there are distillers selling thier stuff under the name "Moonshine" SO the law maybe similar that the word "Homebrew" is OK to use. However ABC does inspect every word on your label before approving, so who knows...

Moonshine often if not always has "corn liquor", "whiskey", "corn whiskey" or something similar also on the label. I think the company started from Popcorn Suttons recipes and designs had to change their product name to remove "moonshine" from the name in Tennessee.

 

[mattd2]

When I was in the general public, not a homebrewer, I thought home brew was simply powder in water that was fermented (Mr. Beer?) and would never taste like the quality craft brews I was enjoying. I looked at it as a fake substitute. One possibility of why you don't find homebrew on craft labels....

Yep pretty much why no comercial brewer would put homebrew on their bottles
What the OP is going for sounds different and targeting that niche in the market that knows what "real" homebrewing is and how much variety you can get in the homebrewing community.
i have to rack my brain now to figure out what that comapny was call doing basically this... it was posted on here not to long ago... and they had done a simlar thing with a resurant/cafe, basically each night a differnt chef would run the kitchen so you would get a varity of different food from the same place depending when you went.

Hahaha - Found it http://breweryincubator.com/details/

 

[Etu001]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the feedback!