NanoBrewery build

Wow! Here is my obligatory intro:

Spent three days reading 92 pages and now subscribed.

I want to visit you to spend a few bux and shoot the sh|t with you. Just to repay you for the fun the last few days reading this epic thread had brought. This is an EPIC build. You dont know me, but I feel like you are a friend now. So as a friend I must tell you that you would be an ID10T if you did NOT make this into a book. Finish out the 1bbl brewhouse, get the ball rolling and produce the book. Put it on Kindle for $2-3 and you will likely have enough friend s in this thread who'd buy it to pay for the 7bbl facility!

Lastly, there is a big difference between turning a profit and making a living. It is my opinion you are doing it right by keeping the day job. I have opened businesses and even sold one. You are doing it right. Lean and mean.

Prost!

 

Oh yeah! I forgot my other idea.

Get people to be more interested in coming back by having a "label contest". Have them draw up labels on blanks. Then produce "limited edition" labels for a batch. New lable and new winner every batch. Free artwork and lead generator. Of course the entry has to have the address of the entrant!

 

How did it go last weekend?

 

About as expected for this time of year. Still did okay but nothing like summer time. What will really help sales is having bottles in stock. Some people just like to buy a few bottles and take them back to their hotel room or home and drink them there.

 

I believe bottling will help tremendously.
A little nanobrewery in Bend, OR (Below Grade Brewing) is kind of in the same boat. He looks to have been bottling his beers now and is selling them as fast as he can bottle in a local market.

 

I sold 16 bottles the first night I had them out. And that's just in my shop. I can't wait to finally get them out to the local markets.

 

I just read through this entire thread... Truly inspirational!!!

Thank-you for letting all of us follow you on this journey!!!

Keep living the dream!

 

Brewing my Red Ale on the 1bbl system today. It sure takes a lot longer to sparge 35 gallons that it does 13.
Definitely need a larger sparge water kettle. I'm trying to split it between a 10 and a 15 gallon kettle and that's just not working. Going to need to buy a 30 gallon kettle next.

 

Pumping wort into the brew kettle. Fly-sparging.

 

Upgrades!!!!!

 

Just read through all the posts! Very inspiring! Congrats and good luck!:rockin:

 

Thanks. I appreciate you taking the time to read it. More to follow.

 

There any 'pros' batch sparging at this volume? Glad to hear you're open again. Jealous of your space.

 

I don't know. I like to fly sparge.

 

I batch sparge at 10bbl, I am sure others do to.

 

Boss, would you ship a few bottles? I'd love to try the beer. (If this violates forum rules or anything, let me know I'll remove it)

 

Very nice read

 

Whew, add me to the list of 'Holy Hell I just scrolled through the entire thing, trying to take it all in while beyond floored by awesomeness'. I am sick so I have had all day to sit and read this thread. Very awesome.

Hoss, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that my best wishes go out to you and hope that you succeed, beyond all barriers and hurdles, or if not you go down fighting. Judging by your past success, the former seems more likely than the latter.

I did not truly think that by the time I got to the 94th (geeze) page that you'd still be updating the thread, let alone doing what you're doing. My fiancee and I are planning a trip from tip to tip of California soon (sometime in late summer or early fall), and my plan was to go to Russian River and Sierra Nevada while up in NorCal. You've made me decide to amend my plans to include a stop in Mariposa to check out the tasting room. I can only imagine what kind of progress and success you'll be having by then!

I do have a couple questions:

1. Do you have any pictures of the 7bbl system? I notice people keep rapping on that subject, and I hate to add fuel to that fire. However since you seem like such a genuinely nice dude, I cannot help but succumb to my curiosity.

2. How do you keep the books on your operation? Spreadsheets and all that? Is that something you have found to be helpful in scaling up your operation?

3. Do you have any plans of expanding in terms of partnership, beyond your brother?

4. Also, how do you go about filling a giant, stationary propane tank like that? Do you need some kind of mobile propane filling service?
Thanks and best wishes.

 

Wow, thanks for taking the time and hope you feel better soon.

What's a trip to Mariposa without taking in Yosemite? And drinking some craft brew, of course.

I don't have any pictures of the 7 bbl system since that seems so far down the line, I haven't bothered to take any.

Books??? Spreadsheets??? I actually do use Quicken to do my books with but I based the scaling on demand outside of the Tasting Room. I know I'll need more volume in order to keep who ever decides to carry my brew in stock. I keep a log of my sales since I'm still small I can do that.

My brother isn't my partner but him having the Tasting Room already did help push me into getting my license. My brother has stopped producing wine and is in the market to sell his vineyard. I don't have any plans to bring in partners or anything. If I get to the point of needing the 7 bbl system then I may have to reconsider that.

Where in San Diego are you? I grew up in Pacific Beach.

 

They use trucks like this to deliver propane.

 

Yup, just like that one.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply, and for the well wishing.

I was living in Point Loma for a while, which is incredibly nice but also expensive for a couple of 20 year olds who want a backyard for their dog. We moved east, near City Heights and west of Lemon Grove, kind of in the boonies. Pacific Beach is nice but a little crowded for our taste (probably has changed a lot since you lived there), and the college crowd is a little rowdy. I suppose you could say we are old souls, preferring low key brew days with hot dogs rather than rambunctious partying. Yet, I digress.

I haven't seen Yosemite since I was really young, so if we could fit it into our travel plans then it would be a real boon. If I do show up in Mariposa, you can bet I will have my own homebrew and will be damn sure to bring home some of yours!

Thanks for answering all of my questions by the way, I can't help but romanticize to myself about doing all of it myself. For now I am content with my 5 gallon brews, but the idea of buying 300# of grain for a single batch is literally mind blowing, in the best kind of way.

I hope I find my way to check out your setup someday. In any case, good luck and prost!

 

A great read, and good luck!

 

Wow! Just read this entire thread on my phone at work and my eyeballs are KILLING me! But congratulations on your brewery and storefront. It definitely :rockin: Keep brewing!

 

Great thread. Tagging so I can come back to read it all later!

 

Keep up the great work Hoss! You are definitely an inspiration to all of us homebrewers who have dreams of going big. SWMBO has been talking about a trip to California in the next couple months, if we make it down your way I'll try my best to stop by and have a beer or four. Thanks for such a great story!

 

How's it going? Is the new brewery fully operational yet?

 

It is fully operational. I did a batch of Red Ale that is aging in kegs carbonating. I had a slight medical set back. Double hernia repair so I'm not allowed to lift anything heavy for a few more weeks. Had to put things off until I'm healed up.
I'm looking forward to doing another big batch soon. Thank you for asking.

 

Get well soon, brother! Best wishes.

 

Pictures of the final products for the hopelessly envious that have followed this thread???

 

Phew, what a read. Thanks for sharing your continuing journey.

 

Just read through this whole thread. figure I should subscribe now before you become bigger than BMC and too cool to continue to post

Wish you much success sir, you did this the right way, and you are certainly not afraid to put in the elbow grease. Damn impressive.

 

Every time I read see this thread, I am in awe and re-inspired to do the same thing some day. Get well soon Hoss, I would love to try one of your beers if I can get out there this summer, (if everything goes to plan).

 

We're is the tasting room located in mariposa,going to mariposa this Easter to vist family and try your brew.

 

I'm on the main drag between the Gazette and the 49 Club. Not far from the Pizza Factory.

 

If I ever make it out to Cali. I'll be sure to make the extra trip to see this operation, even if it's on a business trip in the company rental. Way to go man.

 

Big fire in Mariposa. Is your nano brewery okay? A friend who's from there posted pics on FB of the pizza factory looking pretty engulfed.

 

I'm fine, thank you for asking. It destroyed the Pizza Factory and the businesses connected to it. They were still cleaning it up when I left at 6:00 PM today. Apparently it started at around 8:30 PM last night. Total loss of about 4 businesses.

 

Sweet Thread! I am hoping to start my own Micro within the next 5 yrs, but I will have to move back to Massachusetts because Maryland kills small business and breweries( No self distribute and my family and SWMBO's family is in Mass). But I read up to about page 19, I don't know if you have changed your pricing any. But the local liquor store that sells craft 1/6 barrel kegs, the cheapest one I can get is for about $74.99. then after that they are in the mid $90's. MAKE MONEY!

 

Wow what a great read!!!! Cheers to your continued success.