How to start a homebrew club.

[gohan32]

I am looking to start a homebrew club located partitioned off from a local craft beer bar.
There is a consumer-grade kitchen already there from the youth center that was there years prior.

New York state is a pain in the butt for all things that could possibly involve paperwork,and especially alcohol. What I am looking for from the forum is basically any advice, particularly from anyone who has done something similar in New York state, especially in In a small town.

It would have to be a club with paid membership. What is a good rate to charge? I have definite goals for what the benefits off joining will be, but at first we will mostly just meet to brew stuff and chat.

I have funding and a location. Does it sound like an idea doomed to fail?

 

[Peruvian802]

I would start by finding the closest homebrew club and see if you get along - https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/community/clubs/find-a-homebrew-club/

If you have a great location to brew/hang out/taste beer, I bet you will be a very popular member!

 

[gohan32]

I would start by finding the closest homebrew club

Good idea. The closest one is 45min~1 hour away. Some of them may come to our place.


Can anyone direct me to some craft beer consumer/market studies? I will google it too, but i hope you guys have better sources.

 

[Peruvian802]

I'll bet some of those members live closer to you than 45 minutes. BTW - where are you located?

As for state rules, etc. if you aren't pitching yeast at the brewing location, you aren't making alcohol so you would likely have a much lower level of regulation. Just making 'barley soup'.

 

[Hello]

The only club i've been to did not involve brewing all of the time. We met, shared beers, discussed stuff and all that. Dues are $25 a year.

What it sounds like you're looking to do is start a club where brewing on site would be the purpose of the club. If so, you do have a ton of red tape to go through. As for dues, it is really going to come down to what other clubs are charging and whether you can afford to charge the same or if charging more, then the members are really getting something more than a chance to brew a batch of beer together. They can brew at home, which is likely what they do anyway.

I'm also not sure what kind of craft beer market studies you're looking for because it seems irrelevant to a home brew club.

I would visit a club or two and see how they're ran. It may be worth the drive.

 

[kombat]

People pay money to belong to a homebrew club?

 

[Sailingeric]

Find some local home brewers, do a round robin of hosting at each others place. I would not charge membership, everyone just bring a few bottles to sample.

 

[Bobby_M]

People pay money to belong to a homebrew club?

Sure, if you're a highly organized club, there will be operating costs. For starters, if you do a bunch of structured tastings, you're going to spend a few hundred in small cups.

 

[gohan32]

The key part here is that it is a club located within, but separate from a craft beer bar.

I forgot that one of the crucial aspects of home brewing in terms of the law is that it occurs at home. Any other setting would probably fall under microbrewing even if the intended purpose is for personal use and not for sale.

Maybe we could have every member somehow claim the upstairs apartment as a residence or something.

 

[Peruvian802]

Double check NY law but many states allow 'brew on premises' operations or refer to 'home fermenting' in the statutes.