home brewers going pro

[explosivo]

What in amount of time experience-wise you've done, seen, or heard of someone going from home brewer to professional brewer? In a small restaurant or brewpub with 3-5 brews on tap (5 gallons per brew)

 

[ong]

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking. I know it would be extremely difficult to break even brewing 5-gallon batches, though.

 

[Vaureywwc]

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking. I know it would be extremely difficult to break even brewing 5-gallon batches, though.

There's a very successful micro-brewery here in North-Eastern Oregon called Dragon's Gate. They work out of a 20 gallon system (if I recall). They make some of the best beer I've ever had the pleasure of having.

Usually 4-5 brews on tap. Open once a week every other week usually Saturday (1:30-5). They don't use anything to fancy, other than there ingredients. So I would imagine you could follow suit, they also have 10-15 beers they have released and rotate through.

 

[Hello]

Are you asking if you can do it? I know people who had home brewed for years and want to go or went pro and others who brewed a few batches and started looking form a job.

 

[Gameface]

Very hard go of it if you want to go pro doing 5g batches. That's just not enough beer per man hour, imho.

 

[explosivo]

thank you for your responses. honestly i have thought about it recently. i just don't have experience that is the most important part. i have a great opportunity with a family business. there isn't a big rush. even if i did it it would be just 4 brews, i would just do basic ones, nothing fancy.

 

[Rockn_M]

thank you for your responses. honestly i have thought about it recently. i just don't have experience that is the most important part. i have a great opportunity with a family business. there isn't a big rush. even if i did it it would be just 4 brews, i would just do basic ones, nothing fancy.

One thing you'll want to first start looking at are the laws in your state. Can the restaurant make beer on premise, if you do it off premise can you sell to them? What permits and license's will be needed?

 

[explosivo]

yes, I'm Texas. We already have tabc wine and beer license, we would just need to add or modify our current. brewpub license is a fee of 1,426.00.

 

[ong]

There's a very successful micro-brewery here in North-Eastern Oregon called Dragon's Gate. They work out of a 20 gallon system (if I recall). They make some of the best beer I've ever had the pleasure of having.

They're using a 1 bbl system, which, while very small, is still 6x what the OP is suggesting. A 5 gallon batch is only 40 1-pint pours, at whatever rate those are charged.

 

[Paps]

Yes make sure you jump through the gubberments extortion hoops or they'll send the ATF after you to burn your church down.
All that aside i stronlgy suggest getting the capability to do larger batch sizes. It takes roughly the same amount of time to do a 10-15-20 gallon batch as it does a 5 gallon one.
Happy brewing.

 

[idylldon]

yes, I'm Texas. We already have tabc wine and beer license, we would just need to add or modify our current. brewpub license is a fee of 1,426.00.

Are you licensed by the TTB? If not, you would need to get approved by the TTB, which is a federal agency. You can't get approval from the state until you get the TTB approval.

Cheers,
--
Don

 

[HCbrewing]

There is a guy who opened a brew pub near me in Springfield, IL that had only home brewed for a little over a year before he started putting his business plan together.

 

[dkmitg]

If you are serious about this I would highly reccomend going and volunteering at a brewpub to get a better understanding of what your doing.

Also if you are willing to pay the 1.4k licensing fee, you should be willing to make or buy at the very least a one barrel system.

 

[Yreval]

There's a very successful micro-brewery here in North-Eastern Oregon called Dragon's Gate. They work out of a 20 gallon system (if I recall). They make some of the best beer I've ever had the pleasure of having.

Usually 4-5 brews on tap. Open once a week every other week usually Saturday (1:30-5). They don't use anything to fancy, other than there ingredients. So I would imagine you could follow suit, they also have 10-15 beers they have released and rotate through.

To be fair, I don't think opening for 3-4 hours every other weekend is what must of us have in mind when we think of "very successful" microbreweries. That's just not enough business to be really self-sustaining.

 

[BrewTech117]

I am working on opening a small brewery here in Winnemucca Nevada and have done allot of research yes the first thing after getting a name and trademark etc is to register with TBT and that can take anywhere from 6 months to a year - I started the process 3 months ago - there was a nice link that i used for Nevada, ill see if i can find it.

Its a 10 step process to open your own Brewery, brewpub restaurant etc.

 

[Vaureywwc]

To be fair, I don't think opening for 3-4 hours every other weekend is what must of us have in mind when we think of "very successful" microbreweries. That's just not enough business to be really self-sustaining.

It is when you blow everything you have on tap.

 

[pdxal]

It is when you blow everything you have on tap.

I think the poster was referring to a profitable business. Nanos generally don't generate any significant profit. Maybe Denny can chime in here.

OP- you'll have to get your federal license to brew through the TTB. Much more involved than the TABC. I'd also suggest a larger system if you intend to make any profit.

 

[Gameface]

It is when you blow everything you have on tap.

They should probably brew larger volumes...

 

[explosivo]

just checked on TTB, takes minimum of 65 days probably more. No fees involved. only a 1,000 bond is required (which we already have), also they TTB needs to approve operations. interesting stuff. definitely need to read more. thx

as far as amounts on brewing. we are a small bar/restaurant. i would start small to give our customers a new option. also, introduce craft beer to many in my city. i know the initial investment would be kind of high. so breaking even wouldn't be immediate, (i guess thats when brewing higher volumes might come into play)

thanks for everyone chiming in.