I'm Creating a Reality Show about Home Brewing

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Ghostrider513

Ghostrider513

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I write reality shows and I'm a home brewer. I've been wanting to do a show on home brewing but I need the members opinions of what to create. I just need to know what they think is going to create the best story and exemplify home brewers to the public at large. I HAVE to tell a story.

Here are the choices:

  1. A home brewers competition where different areas of the country are visited and locals compete for bragging rights etc.
  2. or a lifestyle of hardcore home brewers and how they prepare for competitions. How they make their batch and the like.
  3. or going from hobby brewer to opening a brewery and navigating all of the barriers the fed and states throw at you in addition to making the dream come true.
 
1 or 2. Feels like you could go down the same type of road as BBQ competition shows do. Just as many variations in brewing methods and kit as there is in BBQ styles and rigs. Just please don't just show hipster idiots in beards and lisa lobe glasses. The home brewing community is as much dads and middle aged folks as it is hipsters.
 
Kinda like BYOB-TV?

I say do #3 but also include the stories of people who decided in the end to not follow-through, or someone who had to close within the first year.
 
They all have possibilities. I would certainly watch an episode to see how interesting it is. I do feel that #3 is a developing story, one that many homebrewers dream of. And it could keep the viewer's attention, wondering how it will end. I agree with the comment that having several different attempts to open might be more interesting. Of course it will be more interesting to find homebrewers who have to build up from a small start as opposed to guys with a wealthy father in law. The challenge in creating this is that you have to find people who are in the process, and much of the story will be retrospect. Good luck, keep us posted.
 
One thing all reality shows have in common is drama, created or otherwise.

Deadliest Catch: Are they going to get their quota in time? Will people die?

Counting Cars: Can we finish the build on time? Will the customer like it?

Alaska Bush People: Will we solve the problem in time? Get stocked up in time for winter? Build the house before the snow flies?

Bar Rescue: can we fix this, given the terribly inept owners and sometimes employees? We only have a few days!

American Pickers: Will this pick work out? Will we break even? Is the item we bought worth a lot or nothing?

Pawn Stars: Is the item real? Will the expert validate it? How will negotiations go?

*****************

I'm sure you know this, so the question is, how will you create drama? New recipes that we don't know will work out correctly? Brewing on a deadline? Equipment breakdowns? The competition part is useful, but in the end, you need to build drama.

Maybe in each episode you follow 3 brewers: A newbie, an experienced craft brewer w/ a tap room from which they sell, and a brewer creating brews for competition.

Newbie: will he forget to amend his/her water? Forget to sanitize something? Boil too short a time? Screw up the mash? Will friends like the resulting brew? Bottling or kegging?

Experienced w/ Taproom: Can he develop a new recipe that will make money? is he keeping fermenters full? What about mistakes?

Competition brewer: What's he brewing and why? What mistakes has he made in the past he's trying to correct now? How is he tweaking a recipe to get him past the hump to a win?

In each case, you have an outcome to address whether the brewer succeeded or not, and plenty of possible mistakes (OMG, I dropped my unsanitized yeast packet into the chilled wort!).

Think of the infections you could show!
 
Whatever happened to the mini-series? Why do they have to drag out everything?

Would be neat to see a show like this where you get get a great cross-section of brewers (all of them truly competent) from the backwoods hillbilly to the Ivy-League educated, and have a "Chopped" style brew off. Feature them in their natural environment but bring them together for the tasteoff

Do it for a short season, give the prize, then walk away. The non-brewer will tire of the show soon enough. "Oh! look - he added hot water, but THAT guy added hot water differently. Not only that, but contestant "A" added green pellets while contestant "B" added..............well........green pellets"

I am sure the variety of home-brew methods from BIAB to the more extravagant brew sculptures would get attention and be really cool, but it just does not seem that it would keep interest too long. Might do really well if kept short and gave people the feeling it is something they can do themselves.
 
The Great Brewing Challenge.

Teams of brewers travel around brewing beer with ingredients native to the area they travel to.
 
I vote for 1, with a "Cutthroat Kitchen" type angle... Pit a few home brewers against each other to make the same style brew... Allow them a certain amount of money. Said money could either be used to buy ingredients or purchase disadvantages for the other brewers. (ingredient swap, equipment hindrance, etc.)

Create the drama that reality shows thrive on while still testing their brewing capabilities.
 
mongoose33 said:
I'm sure you know this, so the question is, how will you create drama? New recipes that we don't know will work out correctly? Brewing on a deadline? Equipment breakdowns? The competition part is useful, but in the end, you need to build drama.
Click to expand...

Yep, and the contrived drama in Brewmasters got old after the first episode. They really had no other drama to create than "is Sam going to have to dump ANOTHER batch?? Oh noes!!!!"


No offense, but I just don't think the market size is there to support a reality show about homebrewing....
 
I'm with AZ on this one. One thing I have learned to hate is the fake drama. I know you have to have compelling tv, but IMHO the WORST part about a car rebuild show is the stupid drama. I'd rather just watch how they fix up old cars.

I'm not sure you can generate enough storyline with homebrewing to make a successful series. Most brewing is exactly like all other brewing when it comes down to it. After a half-dozen episodes you've probably covered all of the different methods of mashing and sparging. Maybe had an AG brewer go head-to-head with an extract brewer or something.

I think IF it's going to work past that you have to incorporate some kind of gimmick like time limit, limited or specific ingredient, special hardware/equipment, etc.

And as a homebrewer, I'd want details on that. Most reality shows gloss over the technical stuff as they try to appeal to a wider audience. I'd rather know more about the subject than have it left out (Unless it's described incorrectly, as I've seen on a few other shows.)

And, strange as it may seem to some, I don't think I'd be all that interested in watching something I do myself all the time. I don't think I'd be interested in watching the pros brew any more. That's probably just me, though.
 
AZ_IPA said:
Yep, and the contrived drama in Brewmasters got old after the first episode. They really had no other drama to create than "is Sam going to have to dump ANOTHER batch?? Oh noes!!!!"


No offense, but I just don't think the market size is there to support a reality show about homebrewing....
Click to expand...

Yeah, I actually liked the show when they would, you know, brew something. Sure it sucks when you have to dump a batch, but I don't need it every friggin episode.

Homercidal said:
I'm with AZ on this one. One thing I have learned to hate is the fake drama. I know you have to have compelling tv, but IMHO the WORST part about a car rebuild show is the stupid drama. I'd rather just watch how they fix up old cars.

I'm not sure you can generate enough storyline with homebrewing to make a successful series. Most brewing is exactly like all other brewing when it comes down to it. After a half-dozen episodes you've probably covered all of the different methods of mashing and sparging. Maybe had an AG brewer go head-to-head with an extract brewer or something.

I think IF it's going to work past that you have to incorporate some kind of gimmick like time limit, limited or specific ingredient, special hardware/equipment, etc.

And as a homebrewer, I'd want details on that. Most reality shows gloss over the technical stuff as they try to appeal to a wider audience. I'd rather know more about the subject than have it left out (Unless it's described incorrectly, as I've seen on a few other shows.)

And, strange as it may seem to some, I don't think I'd be all that interested in watching something I do myself all the time. I don't think I'd be interested in watching the pros brew any more. That's probably just me, though.
Click to expand...

I'm with you here. Reality tv blows. I've enjoyed watching experience people talk about their processes, but no way am I going to watch a show about something I do. It would be like watching people write code all day, only with more boiling water and I can only assume stand-offs between people who would normally have no issue with each other.
 
Do an Iron Chef ripoff called Iron Brewer. Two top homebrewers would be challenged to make a beer using secret ingredients.
 
Now, if there were a documentary made based on Oogle's book (Ambitious Brew), I'd watch that.

But, enough of the Beer Wars, How Beer Saved the World, and other docu-dramas....
 
Wait, so you are writing a show about couples who get a divorce because the HB'er spends too much of the monies, has too much **** spread out around the house, leaves sticky residues on the cooking appliances or has run-ins with the law about meth cooking on the driveway?
 
I would like to see something like brewing tv again.

I think it's possible. People love shows the like the great British baking show, I don't see why something like this couldn't work.
 
I don't think it would work. There's not a lot of cross-over with reality tv and home brewers, I think.

mp5284 said:
I vote for 1, with a "Cutthroat Kitchen" type angle... Pit a few home brewers against each other to make the same style brew... Allow them a certain amount of money. Said money could either be used to buy ingredients or purchase disadvantages for the other brewers. (ingredient swap, equipment hindrance, etc.)

Create the drama that reality shows thrive on while still testing their brewing capabilities.
Click to expand...

This would be the most interesting in theory, but its impossible in practice. Everyone knows how to cook at some level, so all viewers can relate. But only brewers will have any idea how beer is made. If a contestant screws something up or struggles somewhere, there would have to be a long explanation of its effect on the brewing process.


But please, tell me the show UNREAL is accurate?
 
A Bob Villa, instructional, type show would be far more useful, much easier to generate ideas for, and watched far less, by the general public, than any of the other ideas.
But it's the only thing I would watch. I wouldn't watch anything else that has been proposed.
 
I guess since no one else wants to you can use me to film the Pilot episode. But you have to have the intro like the original Real World however instead of multiple people just me and bags of ingredients just sitting on random objects.
 
HoppyDaze said:
whatever you do...make sure there's no millennials with skinny jeans, scarfs, fedoras ...etc
Click to expand...

If it's these guys getting punked by fat old bald guys, that'd be good. I could relate.

(But if you want to include hipster chicks, that'd be good, too. Hipster chicks can be quite hot ;) )
 
JohnSand said:
They all have possibilities. I would certainly watch an episode to see how interesting it is. I do feel that #3 is a developing story, one that many homebrewers dream of. And it could keep the viewer's attention, wondering how it will end. I agree with the comment that having several different attempts to open might be more interesting. Of course it will be more interesting to find homebrewers who have to build up from a small start as opposed to guys with a wealthy father in law. The challenge in creating this is that you have to find people who are in the process, and much of the story will be retrospect. Good luck, keep us posted.
Click to expand...

I agree. I've had some negative comments but I think 3 is what I'd like to do, maybe with the people having several recipies, marketing tasting and so on. It would be great to see the failures and the struggles to recover. I will be showing real brewers, not the "Ken aND Barbies" but the average guy going for it hard core.
 
Wow! What a response. I didn't think I'd have so many comments so fast. Let me say thank you. Even for some of the negative stuff. I've had positive feedback and some non constructive comments. To answer several questions about it being faked or kept real, I'm keeping it 100% real.

Number 3 is the direction I'm going to go. I think I'll have some of 1 and 2 but the real story is regular guys making the dream come true, and their failing too. How they come up with recipes and the hoops they have to jump through with the state and feds.

One slant I'm bringing to the show is the federal laws prohibiting brewing and all of the restrictions. By exposing the fed and state laws, maybe the show can help make changes through our viewers representatives.

Another facet is the science behind brewing. It's really fascinating. I brew my own beer and it's a lot of work. Make a mistake and the batch is ruined, unless you really know your stuff. I'd also like to do the show like Anthony Boudain's format. A lot of one on one about the process over a couple of pints. Visiting places where they get hops etc. would add a real twist. Along the way maybe some local impromptu competitions at local pubs, bars and restaurants. Let the public decide if they like a particular brew.

The best part is all of the free publicity a hopeful brewer gets for allowing us to follow along. The people will already be emotionally attached to the brand. Nice way to start a brewery. What do you fellas think?
 
If you're looking to be able to film throughout the whole opening process, your production time will be massive for limited content. So much legal red tape and waiting over what is often a several year process.
 
Ghostrider513 said:
I write reality shows and I'm a home brewer. I've been wanting to do a show on home brewing but I need the members opinions of what to create. I just need to know what they think is going to create the best story and exemplify home brewers to the public at large. I HAVE to tell a story.

Here are the choices:

  1. A home brewers competition where different areas of the country are visited and locals compete for bragging rights etc.
  2. or a lifestyle of hardcore home brewers and how they prepare for competitions. How they make their batch and the like.
  3. or going from hobby brewer to opening a brewery and navigating all of the barriers the fed and states throw at you in addition to making the dream come true.
Click to expand...

I've seen some one-offs on Netflix I believe; especially #3. Just do a search: "beer".
 
Ghostrider513 said:
Wow! What a response. I didn't think I'd have so many comments so fast. Let me say thank you. Even for some of the negative stuff. I've had positive feedback and some non constructive comments. To answer several questions about it being faked or kept real, I'm keeping it 100% real.

Number 3 is the direction I'm going to go. I think I'll have some of 1 and 2 but the real story is regular guys making the dream come true, and their failing too. How they come up with recipes and the hoops they have to jump through with the state and feds.

One slant I'm bringing to the show is the federal laws prohibiting brewing and all of the restrictions. By exposing the fed and state laws, maybe the show can help make changes through our viewers representatives.

Another facet is the science behind brewing. It's really fascinating. I brew my own beer and it's a lot of work. Make a mistake and the batch is ruined, unless you really know your stuff. I'd also like to do the show like Anthony Boudain's format. A lot of one on one about the process over a couple of pints. Visiting places where they get hops etc. would add a real twist. Along the way maybe some local impromptu competitions at local pubs, bars and restaurants. Let the public decide if they like a particular brew.

The best part is all of the free publicity a hopeful brewer gets for allowing us to follow along. The people will already be emotionally attached to the brand. Nice way to start a brewery. What do you fellas think?
Click to expand...

I kinda like the Bourdain idea. He likes to see local people and how they do stuff...


I wouldn't necessarily like to watch a show about brewers in different states trying to open their own breweries constantly. But what would be intriguing imo would be breaks in the story where you go check out local homebrewers (of the area where your newest brewery story is taking place) and see where/how they brew. Kinda like when Anthony goes into people's houses to eat.

Take my brew day for example. I brew in my garage, constantly kicking the kids yard toys across the garage, complaining that they never clean their crap up, and constantly worrying that the wife is gonna complain that I'm taking too long.

Then I dump a pound of hops into my whirlpool, pour a beer, and be satisfied with another successful brew day... while I wait for the wife to come down and ask if I'm done yet. Chill and transfer. Then I get the kids to come help clean up. Lol!


Really though, I just wanna see other small time homebrewer's setups (brewer porn) and the way they may brew differently than others... and when their brew days go bad and why.

Just a thought. I figured I might as well be helpful. :mug:
 
Qhrumphf said:
If you're looking to be able to film throughout the whole opening process, your production time will be massive for limited content. So much legal red tape and waiting over what is often a several year process.
Click to expand...

I think that's the case for most of these reality shows--with the possible exception of Pawn Stars. Deadliest Catch has cameras going virtually all the time, in the hope of catching something quite worthy of broadcast. In this day when video is stored digitally, not that costly to film everything and let the editor sort it out.

I'm usually loathe to say something can't work. Who, in their right mind, thought Antique Roadshow would be a hit? Some of this stuff you just cannot predict, and in other cases, producers tweak the format to reflect the good stuff, cutting the bad stuff.
 

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