Great opportunity......

[dukes7779]

I have a friend who owns a bar but he wants to make it into a brewpub. He asked me about being the "brew master" and to make the beer. The problem is I have only homebrewed and do not know much about professional brewing equipment. I could likely keep up with demand doing a few batches a day with my current AG equipment and expand from there but........just a little surreal!! I would love to be able to post a microbrewer success story on HBT someday!!

Thoughts/suggestions/advice??

Thanks!!!

 

[osagedr]

Thoughts: magnificent opportunity! Chance of a lifetime.

Advice: be a good friend and tell your buddy you are not yet experienced enough to be a professional brewer (unless you honestly think you are). Tell him to advertise for someone to do this for the first year while you apprentice and learn as much as you can. Then take over if/when you are ready.

 

[fletchsj]

Thoughts: magnificent opportunity! Chance of a lifetime.

Advice: be a good friend and tell your buddy you are not yet experienced enough to be a professional brewer (unless you honestly think you are). Tell him to advertise for someone to do this for the first year while you apprentice and learn as much as you can. Then take over if/when you are ready.

I agree with this, but... many professional mirco breweries are just larger versions of home brew systems. google McMenamins breweries. They make good beer on equipment that is inferior to many home brewers systems. If you know your process and are proficient and confident in your home brewing abilities. Take on the challenge. It is going to take him 6 months to a year to get licensed. if you could build the system and get a number of practice batches (cannot sell to the public) under your belt... it might be plausible. you just need to weigh the possible scenarios/outcomes and make a decision.

Stout tanks makes some great stuff for small breweries, but reusing/re purposing like mcmenamins does often gives the brewery a special flair and at reduced cost.

 

[Denny]

I agree with this, but... many professional mirco breweries are just larger versions of home brew systems. google McMenamins breweries. They make good beer on equipment that is inferior to many home brewers systems. If you know your process and are proficient and confident in your home brewing abilities. Take on the challenge. It is going to take him 6 months to a year to get licensed. if you could build the system and get a number of practice batches (cannot sell to the public) under your belt... it might be plausible. you just need to weigh the possible scenarios/outcomes and make a decision.

Stout tanks makes some great stuff for small breweries, but reusing/re purposing like mcmenamins does often gives the brewery a special flair and at reduced cost.

I think I'd say McM beer is adequate, not good. Maybe they should upgrade their equipment!

 

[dukes7779]

His brewpub/taproom will still have plenty of draft beers regardless of on site microbrew production. He thinks it would add a lot to advertising/marketing if we could brew our own though as well. So even if we start slow, in the small town, I think this is something I can't pass up.

 

[kh54s10]

If you can brew quite a few batches you could then sample them before introducing them. That way if you get a dud you can keep it out of the pub. If it is good enough, you can drink it yourself or give it to some buddies.

If I had the resources I would like to try something similar. A pub making a couple of styles each day so that there would be something new almost every day. I'd offer tasters for sampling then pint glasses. Commercial craft beers also in case of inadequate production?

 

[VagabondBrew]

As its been said several times, learning the equipment is key. Sounds simple but there is enough to learn / master. Jumping from homebrew even to a 7bbl system is different enough. Not sure where you are from but if there are other breweries around, go talk with them and even ask to sit in on a few of their brew days.

Knowing industrial sanitizing, reusing yeast, whirlpool (if they have), hop back and numerous other things is critical when moving from your homebrew system. Also managing the beer with taste control etc is important to keep in mind.

As for the Mcmen comments, I've been apprenticing at one lately. Their house beers are inferior but targets a large crowd because they are easy drinking beers. While the business model of one brewer per brewery is amazing and the creativity that has come out of the different breweries would surprise you.

 

[dukes7779]

The equipment will be similar to my homebrew setup......not a 7bbl system. The fate of the taproom would not be dependant on my ability to keep up with demand and would not necessitate such a large system, at least initially in the formative years. A better description of the set up would be a taproom type bar that also brews its own beer.

 

[Darwin18]

That sounds pretty cool. I would just make sure I would have the time to commit to this. You probably will have to brew quite a bit to keep up with demand.

 

[dukes7779]

I work 2 24 hour shifts a week so I have plenty of time! 😃

 

[cravej]

So how much time would you have to put into it, and how much money would you get out of it? Who is buying all of the equipment?

 

[dukes7779]

Time in is to be determined, but I have plenty! We will split the cost of equipment and that is all I need to get out of it initially. His bar is already established and he is converting it to a taproom anyway. He just wants to be able to have a few of the taps have his own beers and figured I could do that for him while he provided the storefront for my brand to grow. Very unique situation in my experience.

 

[davekippen]

Sounds like the perfect scenario to "just do it". I cant see any downside. He is not relying on you for all the beer. If you make a sh*tty batch, so what. Good ones go on tap. Learn and get better with very little pressure. I wouldnt spend a minute worrying about equipment or anything. Learn as you expand.

“He who hesitates before each step spends his life on one leg" ~ ancient Chinese proverb

 

[fletchsj]

I think I'd say McM beer is adequate, not good. Maybe they should upgrade their equipment!

It obviously works for the masses... They also have as someone else mentioned the ability to be creative with 22ish different breweries/brewers. Is there better beer, sure. There are a lot better products out there. But, they have a model that works and has flourished to a scale that most breweries can only hope to someday emulate.

getting back on track... Please make sure you do all the appropriate legal work. You will get in BIG trouble if you don't. It is a long process, even with a pub already in place. It is not just a matter of buying equipment and paying for a license. Sounds like a fun opportunity though. I'd make sure to at least get a 1 bbl set up.