Gilded Goat Brewing Co. - Building a Brewery

[ColoHox]

Welcome to another installment of "over budget and behind schedule." It is a little frustrating to be at the mercy of subcontractors and their schedules, but a lot has happened recently.

We have finally received our federal brewing license...around 150 days after submission, so pretty close to their estimated processing time. From what we have heard, plenty of people start brewing or making "test batches" before they receive their license. While we can't start brewing even if we wanted to, I don't know if I would have skirted the regulations and started early. Doesn't matter now though; we can start as soon as our equipment is up and running.

The other big bit of news involves a redesign of our floorplan. Now that the liquor sales laws have changed in CO, we would like to make the footprint of the liquor store larger. If we go this route, the liquor store would extend into the service/keg washing/storage area of the brewery, requiring that we relocate these areas of the brewery. This is an opportunity for both the liquor store and the brewery to be a little bit larger to start. The redesign and expansion will cost an additional $80k. Doing it now will be far cheaper than renovating a year or two down the road. Our debate is do we spend more now and potentially delay our opening so we are better positioned for the future, or do we forge ahead with our plan and open on time, then close and renovate in the future? I am about 80% certain that we are going to expand now.

Now for some pictures:
This is nearly the same view as the picture further up the thread. You can see the concrete cuts for our plumbing and some of the exterior steel. This image is from 6/30.

A month later, this is the view from the parking lot looking at the our front facade. Liquor store is the 20ft store front on the right, the brewery is the 30ft front on the left.

This is the view from where the bar will be looking back to where the brewhouse will be. The steel is the structural support for our mezzanine, which will wrap around the taproom and brewhouse. You will be able to sit on the mezzanine and look over a railing into the brewhouse.

And finally, our brewhouse! I posted some pictures earlier, but here she is in our location. We are probably 2-3 weeks away from commissioning the equipment and starting to brew. Our fermenters, serving tanks, and HLT arrive next Wednesday.

Our current task, outside of herding cats on the construction site, is hiring. We have made a few offers after interviewing nearly 15 people. I think we found our taproom manager last night. It was a great interview. Brew on.

 

[thunderwagn]

Awesome progress!
Crowler options seem to be taking off in the area. Is this something you're considering? Just curious. I know it's something I much prefer over glass growlers. Plus they just look so damn cool lol.

 

[FoCobrewguy]

I don't remember reading about the liqour store was that always in the plan? Sorry been a little while since I started following this thread. Are you going to be a bottle shop or all liqour?

 

[jcav]

That is an awesome building. It's great it's a new space you can make the way you want. I know you got to be frustrated to your wits end, but it will pay off when it's finished and the way you envisioned it! Man that 7 bbl system looks amazing! I hope the rest of the process goes smooth for you!

John

 

[ColoHox]

Awesome progress!
Crowler options seem to be taking off in the area. Is this something you're considering? Just curious. I know it's something I much prefer over glass growlers. Plus they just look so damn cool lol.

Yes, definitely. The seamers are pricey but the cans are so much more portable.

I don't remember reading about the liqour store was that always in the plan? Sorry been a little while since I started following this thread. Are you going to be a bottle shop or all liqour?

Yes, always in the plan. My brothers own and (will) operate the liquor store. It will be craft beer focused, including a large walk-in bomber cooler, but they will also have a wide selection of wine and spirits. Lots of local local and regional products too.

That is an awesome building. It's great it's a new space you can make the way you want. I know you got to be frustrated to your wits end, but it will pay off when it's finished and the way you envisioned it! Man that 7 bbl system looks amazing! I hope the rest of the process goes smooth for you!

John

Thanks for the kind words John. We are very excited to finally see our vision become reality.

 

[thunderwagn]

How goes the battle?

 

[ColoHox]

How goes the battle?

Okay, you asked for it. Where do I begin...

On the construction side, we (and our builder) have made a ton of progress. The overall theme is still over budget and late, however. People aren't kidding when they say, "take your budget and timeline and double it." In this market in particular, there is no way you can open something on a shoestring. Many people try in other markets, and sometimes it can work.

Our opening has been pushed back to mid-November, which is hopefully the last time we have to delay things. We got our walk-in cooler installed. This is being shared (and legally divided) by the two businesses. The liquor store gets the 1/3 of the cooler which has the doors for retail. Inside, a chainlink fence separates the 2/3 that the brewery is using for serving tanks, kegs, and our draft lines. The cooler is the corner stone of the two businesses, more or less. We have seating above the cooler, looking over the taproom, so we had to have a fairly large steel support beam running through the middle...meaning we had to custom fit the cooler into the space, adapting nearly every panel. We also had to quickly make sure that all of our cooler compressors (we have 3 walk-in coolers total) were cleaned, serviced, and ready to be installed, as a crane was arriving to lift our HVAC units to the roof. Using this crane saved us $1000 by not having to schedule our own; we are looking for anyway we can save money in various places, usually without much luck.

The landlord has nearly completed our demising walls, so the space actually looks like a building. The same guy is framing our interior walls and second floor. Sharing subcontractors between us and the landlord has pros and cons. Sometimes they get pulled away from our build to do other things. The greatest benefit of completed demising walls is that utility lines can be run, getting us one step closer to brewing.

We prepped the brewery and cooler floor for sealant. We did a ton of research, and heard just as many anecdotes, so it was difficult to decide on our best option. We chose a commercial grade, 2-step epoxy sealant for the floors. There were just as many people who told us to go cheap because it will wear out anyway, as there were that said spend a bunch to protect it. It is going to run about $5psf to seal it if we apply it ourselves, versus about $15psf for a professionally applied sealant. Time will tell if this was the right decision.

We need to make a ton of decisions about paint colors and various decorative elements. Our bar top is finished and will be picked up this week. I don't have any pictures of it yet, but wait until you see it. You'll be all "damn I want to sit it at that." Once the bar top is in, we can do a better job matching colors and all that sh!t.

On the brewing side of things, we have combed through our nearly 2 dozen recipes, adjusting the scaling of various malts and scheduling of the brews to pack in as much as we can. I am meeting with a few local maltsters this week to chat about prices and varieties. I would like to use local products, but the price has to be right. Outside of that, we are ordering the bulk of our malt through the large distributors: Country Malt Group, BSG, and a few others. We have hop contracts setup starting in 2017. Until they start, we have to buy all of our hops on spot. So far, I've purchased nearly 250 pounds of hops from other breweries or via a local hop broker, and it is all sitting in the fridge in my garage. We have plenty of storage space and I'd like to get all of our raw materials in so that once the brewhouse is operational we get get rolling. About a month ago, we hired an assistant brewer out of New York. He is young, eager, and jumping in head first. I think he is going to be a great fit. He has already shown a ton of initiative, and I am sure he is anxious to get brewing. We are both anxious to start assembling the brewhouse and pushing buttons.

This post doesn't do justice the pages and pages of little things that we are trying to work through...license amendments, purchase agreements, SBA audit (don't get me stahted), inspections, SOPs, hiring, misc equipment, website, SEO, social media, etc. We manage to check some big things off here and there, which is pretty rewarding.

Here are a few pics, from nearly the same perspective as my last post.

Pick looking at our bar mockup and shared walk-in cooler. You can see the framed holes in the cooler for our tap panels and the joists for the second floor.

This is from the bar looking back into the brewery.

This is us dragging our serving tanks out of the shipping container so we could lift them into our space.

All the tanks safely out and stored, for now.

Our (relative) behemoth of a fermenter. Yes, only 15bbl, but this sucker was a handful to drag out of the back of the container and get inside.

I'll get into some gritty details once we start brewing, or into whatever anyone wants me to get into. This has already been quite the adventure and we are only just beginning. Thanks for reading.

 

[02RedWS6TA]

Awesome read and thread. I might have missed it in the thread somewhere but is this going to be your only source of income? Like quitting regular job and brewery full time?

Also, my other hobby is metal work. You're a bit far but I regularly ship 36" cnc cut signs all over the country. If you can find anyone to make your sign let me know. I have a 5x10 plasma table and a 6x4x6 powder coating oven.

I wouldn't suggest stainless unless you have deep pockets. Brushing regular cold rolled mild steel then shooting a clear powder on it is way cheaper, probably a 3rd of the price. I have a few rust looking powders that look good if that's your end goal. If you can't find anyone local shoot me a message I'd be happy to help.

 

[ColoHox]

Awesome read and thread. I might have missed it in the thread somewhere but is this going to be your only source of income? Like quitting regular job and brewery full time?

Also, my other hobby is metal work. You're a bit far but I regularly ship 36" cnc cut signs all over the country. If you can find anyone to make your sign let me know. I have a 5x10 plasma table and a 6x4x6 powder coating oven.

I wouldn't suggest stainless unless you have deep pockets. Brushing regular cold rolled mild steel then shooting a clear powder on it is way cheaper, probably a 3rd of the price. I have a few rust looking powders that look good if that's your end goal. If you can't find anyone local shoot me a message I'd be happy to help.

Hey thanks! I am a contractor for the federal government, and have been for the last few years. I just negotiated a reduction to 50% time starting this week. I wasn't sure if they would take it, but they did! This means that I will be a Fed on M/T/and 1/2 of W, and a small business owner the rest of the time. It also means that I will have steady (albeit reduced) income while we get operational. I will try to do both for as long as I can, then move over to the brewery full time.

We actually need some metal work done would love to use a HBT friend. If the shipping doesn't make things cost prohibitive, this could be perfect. We need a ~24" diameter sign of our circular logo. We were thinking mild steel then apply our own patina, as you mentioned. I am not sure what gauge is appropriate, but it will be outside and attached to our entrance arch. There might be a rendered picture of this earlier in the thread. We also need the same logo in 4-6 4" diameter pieces. Can you make brands? Both my brother (liquor store) and I would like to get brands made of our logo so we can brand some of the wood we are using. Send me a PM and we can hash out some details. Cheers!

 

[02RedWS6TA]

Hey thanks! I am a contractor for the federal government, and have been for the last few years. I just negotiated a reduction to 50% time starting this week. I wasn't sure if they would take it, but they did! This means that I will be a Fed on M/T/and 1/2 of W, and a small business owner the rest of the time. It also means that I will have steady (albeit reduced) income while we get operational. I will try to do both for as long as I can, then move over to the brewery full time.

We actually need some metal work done would love to use a HBT friend. If the shipping doesn't make things cost prohibitive, this could be perfect. We need a ~24" diameter sign of our circular logo. We were thinking mild steel then apply our own patina, as you mentioned. I am not sure what gauge is appropriate, but it will be outside and attached to our entrance arch. There might be a rendered picture of this earlier in the thread. We also need the same logo in 4-6 4" diameter pieces. Can you make brands? Both my brother (liquor store) and I would like to get brands made of our logo so we can brand some of the wood we are using. Send me a PM and we can hash out some details. Cheers!

Shot you a PM but any updates? I followed you guys on Facebook.

 

[ColoHox]

Shot you a PM but any updates? I followed you guys on Facebook.

Hey! Yes, sorry, saw the PM but haven't had a chance to go through details. We are still plowing through construction; trying to stay on track.

Our framing is finished and we just passed our in-wall electrical and plumbing inspection, so we are starting to button up the walls as of today.

We spent the weekend sealing the brewhouse floors. Once they cure, we will move our equipment in. Once the equipment is in place, we can run the power, water, and gas to the brewhouse.

Our latest opening estimate is Mid-late December. At this point, there isn't anything we can do about the delays besides try to be flexible and realize that the we are nearing the end of the process.

 

[mikeshoup]

Holy crap this is awesome! I love reading about your progress, all the planning and snags that you've run into. I'm only just starting with homebrewing... I can't even imagine the work that goes into a commercial brewery.

I have family that live in the area, and will definitely stop in for a pint or two once you finally open.

 

[thunderwagn]

Looking great! Can't wait to drop in for a pint or two. Thanks for the update.

 

[dallasdb]

Subscribed

 

[BentBrewer]

Looking very nice! Stay the course!

 

[m00ps]

Hey man, cool stuff on the progress. Seriously excited for you.

I was actually in the Ft Collins, Boulder, and Denver area for the GABF weei. I told the brewery I was with Id like to swing by a nearly-opened brewery called "Browns Shoe Fit Co"... and it turns out it was less than 10min from the BnB we were staying at!

Just saying, it's not too late to change the name, or at least name a brown ale or something accordingly...


But seriously, best of luck dude. I have a good friend in Denver that is overdo for a visit. If I go, I will make sure to visit your place

 

[ColoHox]

Holy crap this is awesome! I love reading about your progress, all the planning and snags that you've run into. I'm only just starting with homebrewing... I can't even imagine the work that goes into a commercial brewery.

I have family that live in the area, and will definitely stop in for a pint or two once you finally open.

Snags...ha. If only they were just snags. Let me tell you about a recent "snag": 1 of our 3 walk-in coolers uses the old R22 refrigerant instead of the new R44 (?) type. HVAC company wants $8k just to commission the cooler unit use R22. First company wanted $12k! It's not a floccing car, it's a cooler! The lesson here is to incorporate all costs associated with getting equipment running when buying used stuff. Yes, we got a sweet deal on this used walk-in, but our savings were not nearly as significant (we did still save by buying used) when all the other costs are included.

The other bit, which we were scratching our heads over, was the placement of the fire suppression pipes. The sprinkler guys ran these massive cast iron pipes (some are 6-8" diameter) right through the middle of hallways and rooms. When we pointed this out, and how it might be difficult for our customers to walk around without concussions, they thought it might be a good idea to move them out of the way. :smack: Yes! Great idea! Now, do it for free!

If you are able to make it in, please ask for me and I will show you around.

Hey man, cool stuff on the progress. Seriously excited for you.

I was actually in the Ft Collins, Boulder, and Denver area for the GABF weei. I told the brewery I was with Id like to swing by a nearly-opened brewery called "Browns Shoe Fit Co"... and it turns out it was less than 10min from the BnB we were staying at!

Just saying, it's not too late to change the name, or at least name a brown ale or something accordingly...


But seriously, best of luck dude. I have a good friend in Denver that is overdo for a visit. If I go, I will make sure to visit your place

Thanks moops. If you do make it back up here, let me know and we can walk down to the shoe store and have a beer. I think that's as close as I want you to my brewery.

 

[02RedWS6TA]

Hey! Yes, sorry, saw the PM but haven't had a chance to go through details. We are still plowing through construction; trying to stay on track.

Our framing is finished and we just passed our in-wall electrical and plumbing inspection, so we are starting to button up the walls as of today.

http://i.imgur.com/ux5DIUO.jpg[/IM

We spent the weekend sealing the brewhouse floors. Once they cure, we will move our equipment in. Once the equipment is in place, we can run the power, water, and gas to the brewhouse.

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/1aXGKL3.jpg[/IM

Our latest opening estimate is Mid-late December. At this point, there isn't anything we can do about the delays besides try to be flexible and realize that the we are nearing the end of the process. :mug:[/quote]

No problem, awesome man is looking great. Hopefully I can make my way across country and check it out. Looks super cool.

Have your stated test batches or anything yet?

 

[jcav]

Love the updates! Keep them coming, and hang in there!

John

 

[thunderwagn]

Status Check! Hope things are going well and really looking forward to your opening.

Merry Christmas!

 

[coypoo]

Just moved about 0.3 miles away and can't wait for it to open

 

[thunderwagn]

I think today is the grand opening. I've got growler in tow and hope to stop by for my 1st goat fill today :rockin:

 

[coypoo]

Yeah, they announced today is the day. Not sure what time exactly, but I'll be there!

 

[Domminigan]

I hope it is a grand, grand opening! I cannot wait to see the photos of the finished place!

Yeah, they announced today is the day. Not sure what time exactly, but I'll be there!

Fbook says 3pm

 

[thunderwagn]

I stopped in on my way home today. It was about 330 and packed! I was in a bit of a rush so just got a growler fill of the Eldora Pale Ale. Place looks great. The staff was eager to help, smiling and a pleasure to deal with. I noticed @Colohox and others by all the photos that have been floating around locally. I met John from the brewery in the parking lot on my long trek across it to my car. Was great, someone noticing I had come out of their brewery with a growler in hand, to come over and introduce himself and just say hi.
Congrats on the opening! Must be a fantastic feeling seeing your dreams live!
Looking foward to the flanders red and kolsch!
...and pale ale with brett

 

[coypoo]

The place is awesome! They did such a good job inside and all the staff that I talked to were super nice. Can't wait to start trying some of their sour and funky brews coming up

 

[Murphys_Law]

Looks like I may be up in Ft Collins tonight...how's the place turning out?

 

[FoCobrewguy]

Checked out the place last night. Did a great job with the taproom. Nice and open comfortable feel and the fishbowl upstairs is pretty sweet. Would be cool to come in on a brew day. Enjoyed the beer sure they will only get better with experience and dialing in the system. Will say the server's could speed it up a little but sure that will come with time as well.

 

[FrankAbagnale]

I'd love an update with pics!

 

[Murphys_Law]

Stopped by last night. Agree re the tap room. We got a flight and my favorite was acitra hopped sour.

Sorry, no pics!