Holy Poop on a Stick!!!

Hate to tell you, son, you were still an hour's drive away!

 

Good luck..Brew it good and they will come..:drunk

 

Good luck..Brew it good and they will come..

 

http://www.nabrewing.com/newlist.shtml

May I ask your exit strategy? Just curious as to how long you've planned on being able to support rent, licensing, etc if you have to close.

 

Check out this link:
http://www.flyingfish.com/fishtales/business1.cfm

 

Hi Cnbudz,

I just saw this thread today. Congrates on your up and coming brewery. How is everything going as of late? How are the legal and logistical things going?

As far as equipment, have you thought of hiring a welder to possibly fashion your brewery from scratch. There is probably one around that has done it before. Maybe one of the local breweries knows someone.

I may be able to convince a bar here in Milford to put your beer on tap. I know the owner. You can add me to your customer base as I'll have to get some for myself.

good luck and keep me posted

 

Well, I just got some bummer news...

I submitted my applications to the CT liquor board a little while ago. Called today to get an update and they told me they are back logged and won't even be looking at my application for approximately 6 months and then the licensing process will take at least another 4-6 months

Oh well, I guess this just gives me a bunch more time to develop and refine more recipes...

 

Maybe the Hops situation will be more in your favor by then.

 

Just licence your business in another state, if that's an option...

 

Well at least that gives you more time to plan, both on the business and the brewing side of things.

 

Time to dig up an oldie but goody. Any updates on this?

 

This sounds like a daunting task... best of luck!

 

Still working on it...

The investment money is still there, but my business partner and I had to make some changes to our original plan due to cost, licensing, and the general curve balls and monkey wrenches that life throws your way. Currently I have been brewing at an area brewpub to learn as much as possible about large scale brewing. We're also discussing contract batches with a small brewery that has some extra capacity, but the earliest they would be able to accommodate a batch would be this fall/winter, and on top of that their distributor would require my partner and I to line up all the end buyers for the batches. So, still in the works but moving along very slowly.

 

I know you probably have read a ton of books on starting a brewery but for kicks .. I bought Sam Calagione's book Brewing up a business and its a great read. He started really small and has a ton of great insights on a lot of things including things you may have given no thought to. Its a really easy read too. http://www.amazon.com/Brewing-Up-Business-Adventures-Entrepreneurship/dp/0470050454/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213980284&sr=8-1

 

Budz I wish you all the luck in the world. I think I speak for most everyone on here when I say I wish I could do that, even if you are experiencing some difficulty.

I definitely don't have enough money to even set up the legal end of things or pay an attorney to make me understand the laws regarding brewing professionally.

 

So, you won't be requiring my services as Head of Fermenter Sanitation Services anytime soon?

 

That's one of my new primary duties at the brew pub

I do, however, have a couple carboys that need cleaning if you're interested

 

Budz, did you see this? It *just* showed up in my email...

EDIT: sh!t...

 

Wow. I know SA gets bashed a lot(not by me, I like their beers) but you have to admire the ways they try to help the craft beer industry

 

There is a brewpub in Louisville that uses a small system. I think it is Cumberland Brews. If you start small, many times you can talk another brewpub/brewery into making beer for you if you need it. I would also look at the brewey in Dexter Michigan. They have a small system and sell bottles of their beers individually. I think it is Jolly Pumpkin. I have 2 bars that have agreed to put a beer on tap, if I can get a brewpub to make a batch. I have asked 2, but they said no. They used to, but not now.

I like the idea of a smaller system since you can transfer it to homebrew when you upgrade. If you brewed more specialty and harder to find beers (belgians, barleywine, etc... you could tap into a higher priced market where consumers are used to buying by the bottle.

 

Brooklyn still does contract brews, and we (Harpoon) got started by 2 guys in harvard business school who met up with a recent graduate of UC Davis' brewing program.

I have seen a lot of camaraderie in the craft beer industry, so get your feet wet and dont be afraid to call/e-mail/get into contact with the heavy hitters like Ommegang, Rogue, Stone, SA, Harpoon, etc and talk to them about it. Theyre good, honest, hardworking people.

Check out Cape Ann Brewing Co. in Gloucester, Ma too. Theyre about 5 yrs old and working out of a very small location and cranking out GREAT beers on the micro level. Same with Terrapin Brewing Co. in Athens, GA

 

You, sir, are living a personal dream of mine. Best of luck to you. New Haven, CT? If I'm ever near there, I'll stop by, and I can pick your brain about how you started a brewery

Aside from the mortgage company part. More power to you if you can deal with that kind of thing every day...