I went "pro" - What it actually takes to do so

[bob1852]

Cape's gonna love the direction this thread took.

 

[ghosthef]

Very nice write up! I went to tell my wife about it as we have played around with the idea of going pro as well...before I could start reading the thread she explained what we needed to do. Guess that's what I get for marrying a compliance analyst from the wine and food industry. Still,...very nice write up and really good for forecasting our timeline and financial requirements...just have to finish up the business plan and start securing financing...

 

[herc1354]

I can't seem to find your website, would mind posting it?

 

[Cape Brewing]

In my sig

 

[Hugh_Jass]

And the market for used sankes is extremely tight so I wouldn't simply assume, "meh, I'll grab a pile used for cheap".

We went with 65 new 1/6th sankes... and the ones we bought have the entire spear simply unscrew so we can get in and "manually" clean and sanitize them without either having to have automated keg cleaning equipment or it being a massive PITA

would you mind sharing a link for the sankes with the screw type spear?

 

[Cape Brewing]

Pacific Brewery Systems

... not sure i would go with these kegs again. At first, I think we were psyched because we figured we would unscrew the spears and give the kegs a really good cleaning but up until this point, we have unscrewed a grand total of zero kegs so I'm not sure it is really needed. Also... since the spears unscrew, we've had issues with one of our accounts spinning off the spears when they go to un-tap the keg.... and then not being able to get the tap off the spear (that's a bad situation).

We've been able to lock them down really tight so I don't think we'll have the issue again but like I was saying, I'm not sure I would go the "removable spear" route again.

 

[brewmcq]

Absolutely! Stop in whenever. you might wanna PM me and make sure we are going tobe there but yeah, stop in!

I can give you the VIP tour... "turn your head to your right... see those pots two feet in front of you? That's the rig. turn your head to the left. see those tanks three feet in front of you? Those are the fermenters. This concludes our tour. That'll be $9."

Lol

My friends own and run Twenty2 Vodka.. I kept bugging them for a tour and was told "man, you're gonna be disappointed.. There's nothing to see. Basically a big empty room with some big stainless garbage cans."

Dammed if he wasn't right.. Lol

 

[paulthenurse]

Cape's gonna love the direction this thread took.

No sheet!

I have bad news for you folks. Big Iron Brewery only exists in the mind of a severely autistic boy living in a state run institution just outside of Boston.

 

[Indytruks138]

No sheet!

I have bad news for you folks. Big Iron Brewery only exists in the mind of a severely autistic boy living in a state run institution just outside of Boston.

Good thing he runs Bog Iron Brewing not Big Iron.

 

[Cape Brewing]

Uggg. Don't encourage the nurse. It'll only make it worse.

 

[Hugh_Jass]

Pacific Brewery Systems

... not sure i would go with these kegs again. At first, I think we were psyched because we figured we would unscrew the spears and give the kegs a really good cleaning but up until this point, we have unscrewed a grand total of zero kegs so I'm not sure it is really needed. Also... since the spears unscrew, we've had issues with one of our accounts spinning off the spears when they go to un-tap the keg.... and then not being able to get the tap off the spear (that's a bad situation).

We've been able to lock them down really tight so I don't think we'll have the issue again but like I was saying, I'm not sure I would go the "removable spear" route again.

Would they work for a home brewer's bar?

Having worked with them, would you say they're easier to clean than a regular sanke with the split ring?

I'm considering dumping my cornies for sankes.

Congrats on the brewery, btw. Sounds awesome.

 

[tdhickey]

This is a great idea and we have a brewery here that does this exact same thing. Both the Brewery and the Food Truck seemd to be raking in the cash last Friday

I think though, in the case of the first post of what we are talking about here, if you are doing a "Brew Pub" where you are actually making and serving food, don't let the food be an afterthought. The beer may attract people to your place originally, but the food is what will keep them coming back. Again, this is for those who actually plan on serving food. Once you get a kitchen going, weather you serve a $40 steak or an $8 burger, you are subject to the same rules and regulations. Might as well take some time and thought and do it right.

Don't forget to have someone with a little kitchen/cooking experience help you out as well. No matter how good your beer is, if the food is bad and service slow, that will reflect on your establishment more negatively than any good reviews of your beer will help it.

This is very, very true. I have been to a lot of brewpubs with great beer and ok food, they are easy to get into. A place with great beer and incredible food is always packed. Plus people will stay and drink beer while eating their food!

 

[Cape Brewing]

Would they work for a home brewer's bar?

Having worked with them, would you say they're easier to clean than a regular sanke with the split ring?

I'm considering dumping my cornies for sankes.

Congrats on the brewery, btw. Sounds awesome.

I still use cornies at my house and I will never switch.

Sankes are going run you a solid $100 a pop, not counting the keg connectors to switch over. Cornies are still going to be dramatically easier to clean no matter what and I don't see a single benefit of kegging in sankes over cornies. I know cornies are getting more difficult to cone by but they aren't $100 a whack yet.

 

[Hugh_Jass]

I still use cornies at my house and I will never switch.

Sankes are going run you a solid $100 a pop, not counting the keg connectors to switch over. Cornies are still going to be dramatically easier to clean no matter what and I don't see a single benefit of kegging in sankes over cornies. I know cornies are getting more difficult to cone by but they aren't $100 a whack yet.

How do you guys clean your brewery sankes?

 

[Cape Brewing]

How do you guys clean your sankes?

We (meaning "Frank") built a keg washing machine. We cycle hot water, pbw, fresh water, sanitizer, etc, through them with a pumping station.

Cornies are about 8.7 million times easier.

Bars don't exactly have ball lock connectors though.

 

[TrickyDick]

When I swapped my home built kegerator for a perlick draft system, the installer clamped the sanke couplers to the lines. I gotta go install adapters and cut off 12 oetiker clamps on my knees in a cooler. Darn sankes! the adapters weren't exactly cheap either. PITA! I can probably stuff at least 9 kegs inside though. It's been a pita start to finish.

On your keg cleaner, how long do you run the pbw cycle and what temp out of curiosity?

TD

 

[Hugh_Jass]

We (meaning "Frank") built a keg washing machine. We cycle hot water, pbw, fresh water, sanitizer, etc, through them with a pumping station.

Cornies are about 8.7 million times easier.

Bars don't exactly have ball lock connectors though.

Do you have any pictures of the keg cleaner you could post?

 

[Phunhog]

I still use cornies at my house and I will never switch.

Sankes are going run you a solid $100 a pop, not counting the keg connectors to switch over. Cornies are still going to be dramatically easier to clean no matter what and I don't see a single benefit of kegging in sankes over cornies. I know cornies are getting more difficult to cone by but they aren't $100 a whack yet.

Have you considered using the plastic sanke kegs? I received a quote that was only about 70 bucks a keg(1/6)

 

[yeager1977]

Yeah but they are bigger than corny kegs...

 

[emjay]

We (meaning "Frank") built a keg washing machine. We cycle hot water, pbw, fresh water, sanitizer, etc, through them with a pumping station.

Cornies are about 8.7 million times easier.

Bars don't exactly have ball lock connectors though.

Is there a reason you couldn't just include a sanke adapter with corny kegs?

 

[yeager1977]

They only come the other way around...

 

[Jints07]

Great thread! MOAR! I have exactly 3 one gallon batches under my belt (LOL), but nonetheless it is absolutely fascinating to read about someone taking the hobby to prime time.

 

[Cape Brewing]

Thanks.

Not sure what else to post.

(Knock on wood) things seem to be going really well. I think we're kind of going along a bit better than we had dreamed of. We just started selling growlers (actually 1L and 500ML flip tops) and had a line7-8 people deep out the door of the brewery the other day for almost two hours. That didn't suck. Small tidbit: you make a &€%£ ton more on bottles than kegs.

Other than that... Just humming along.

One negative thing... A running joke between me and my two partners has been that we were strictly doing this for hot beer groupies and the mountains of naked ****ies that would come along with them (and yes, all three of our wives are aware of this lofty goal of ours).

Sale are awesome but... sadly... not a single naked ****ie yet.

Our dreams are teetering on the edge of being dashed.

 

[Indytruks138]

Thanks.

Not sure what else to post.

(Knock on wood) things seem to be going really well. I think we're kind of going along a bit better than we had dreamed of. We just started selling growlers (actually 1L and 500ML flip tops) and had a line7-8 people deep out the door of the brewery the other day for almost two hours. That didn't suck. Small tidbit: you make a &€%£ ton more on bottles than kegs.

Other than that... Just humming along.

One negative thing... A running joke between me and my two partners has been that we were strictly doing this for hot beer groupies and the mountains of naked ****ies that would come along with them (and yes, all three of our wives are aware of this lofty goal of ours).

Sale are awesome but... sadly... not a single naked ****ie yet.

Our dreams are teetering on the edge of being dashed.

Beer For ****ies Tuesday. 1/2 off growler fills for flashing!

 

[Cape Brewing]

Beer For ****ies Tuesday. 1/2 off growler fills for flashing!

Yeah... But then it's almost like we're payin' for it. We figured we would just see a ton of naked ****ies cuz we're super cool pro brewers. (Ahhh. I think I see the flaw in our plan now that I have typed that out)

 

[tdhickey]

Beer For ****ies Tuesday. 1/2 off growler fills for flashing!

Half off for Half off

 

[Piratwolf]

Yeah... But then it's almost like we're payin' for it. We figured we would just see a ton of naked ****ies cuz we're super cool pro brewers. (Ahhh. I think I see the flaw in our plan now that I have typed that out)

The old rule is: be careful what you wish for! Most of the craft beer afficianados I know are men... which means MOOBS!

Some things you just don't want to see--even for free!

 

[Big_Cat]

Yeah... But then it's almost like we're payin' for it. We figured we would just see a ton of naked ****ies cuz we're super cool pro brewers. (Ahhh. I think I see the flaw in our plan now that I have typed that out)

Lol

 

[TrickyDick]

I see more ****s than I care to. Trust me, ****s and work do not mix. Its probably better from a touring rock-star perspective than mine I suppose. Also, age matters, and if you disagree, you've got another thing coming but just don't know it yet. Your beer will be its own reward. Congrats on the success! I am envious - love my job but it sometimes sucks badly and nothing I can do to change, and while I love it, it is with less passion than I have for brewing. Keep fighting the good fight for the rest of us to live vicariously through your success.

TD

 

[LovesIPA]

I see more ****s than I care to. Trust me, ****s and work do not mix.

Mammo tech?