Mark,
Thanks for getting back to me. I can get by on less than $80k to start. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm interested in brewing as a second stream of income. Would you be open to a profit sharing relationship so we can both grow our income if things take off?
What kind of beer(s) are you planning to go to market with? I've got a few recipes that I am pretty happy with, and based on the ad it seems like you have some recipes as well. I'm thinking something light and crisp. But then, IPAs are a big hit on the craft scene right now, too.
What are you thinking for distribution? If we're going 5 gallons batches, are you planning on bottling or just distributing corny kegs? I can probably brew a batch per day to start out. But if we're going to make any money, we need to scale up to doing multi-BBL batches regularly probably. Do you have a facility to use? An old warehouse or airplane manufacturing plant perhaps?
I realize you don't know much about me yet, but I want you to know I'm really excited about pursuing my dream of brewing for a living. Besides beer, I make wine, mead, cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, a mean lacto-fermented salsa, and just about any other fermented food I can think of. My biggest hits for beer are a blonde ale (my Miller Lite buddies go nuts for it), an IPA with a full 2 pounds of hops in every 5 gallons, a spicy and malty red ale I make at the beginning of every football season with some cayenne pepper and okra (sounds weird at first, but trust me it works), and a saison that I brew repeatedly in the summer whenever there is an impending heat wave. As far as life commitments, it's just me and my turtle. I need to cover rent, utilities, food for both of us, and home brewing, but between brewing and a day job that shouldn't be a tough nut to crack. I am hoping to brew full time eventually. I also like snowboarding (the powder on the west coast is awesome!) and noodling for catfish. Are there any good fishing holes around Seattle?
I'd love to hear more about the beers you are planning on getting started with and the timeframe you are looking at to get started.
Regards,
Dave