Moving from Homebrewer to Probrewer: Doing the research for a Brewpub, need resources

[cannman]

Ah! The dreaded topic...

First and foremost, I'm posting this so that I can approach the reality of Brewpub ownership properly, correctly, and realistically. I'm a scientist by trade, have business management experience (including accounting and payroll experience), have the financial resources to "do things right", and have given myself a 2 year/24 month time period to discover, learn, and prepare for the groundbreaking that will be our brewpub.

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When I first got into homebrewing, I researched the process, discovered what books to read, signed up on this forum, listened to thebrewingnetwork.com, watched youtube how-tos, and ONLY THEN invested in some brewing equipment and an extract kit after learning the process. After I found my first batch drinkable, I slowly started upgrading my equipment piece by piece, and even today, I'm still upgrading 4 years later (little things, 100% Quick Disconnects on every port is the current project). Today I put out about 180 gallons a year, run a brew club, and just started entering competitions. Later this year I plan on testing for BJCP judge and earn my first level with Cicerone as Beer Server.

Naturally, my next though is "Probrewer." Unfortunately, I'm having difficulty piecing together the knowledge-resources that can help me plan out a transition into the probrewing world. I've found Probrewer.com, read "A Brewer's Guide to Opening a Nano Brewery: Your $10,000 Brewery Consultant for $15, Vol. 1" by Dan Woodske, and obviously Google. But I'm missing that one or two bridging resource that can culture the knowledge I already have about All Grain homebrewing and turn that into managing a professional brew house, much like John Palmer's turned my extract knowledge into all grain knowledge.

I have 3 ports on my kettle, Drain-recirc-whirlpool. Then when I look at the professional kettles, fermenters, I'm not sure what I'm looking at, and I'm not sure why there are so many pipes running from here to there... How does one get this knowledge without having worked in a brewery? There has to be a guide to this kind of stuff and a guide to equipment. I need this type of resource. Turn the advanced homebrewer into a a probrewer.

Thank you for your help locating these resources!

Day 1

 

[kh54s10]

Good luck with your endeavors. You have already listed more resources than I know about.

As to all the pipes and plumbing. I think it is the same with commercial systems as it is with homebrew systems. There are so many ways to accomplish the same thing. Each set up will have different plumbing etc doing different things from another system. As in the difference between a HERMS system and a RIMS system. I am sure you can find out a lot of information on different systems but when you finally assemble your own it is likely to be somewhat unique and to take some time to work out how IT works best.

Again good luck and keep us informed on your progress.

 

[metanoia]

Find some local brewpubs/microbreweries, get in touch with the owner, and ask them "how the hell do I do this???" Most are friendly enough that they'll be happy to share their real-world experience with you!

 

[Boonedoggle]

Though I don't work in a commercial brewery setting, I have dreamed big the last few years. In talking with equipment suppliers (yes, very big dreams), particularly one here locally, I learned that included in the equipment order is their consulting services. More specifically, they work with the architect to design piping locations, best arrangement of a facility, and other tidbits that may save headaches down the road. I realize buying used equipment won't put you in touch with these suppliers, but it may be worth paying more upfront to have your sanity in the long-term.

As others pointed out, other commercial brewers are great resources. I've met with a dozen or so breweries to get lessons learned and a few have offered to allow me to join them for a brew session.

 

[MadHomebrewer]

Yeah, I would try and get in touch with local breweries and brew pubs. From my experience, the craft beer industry is pretty friendly. Volunteer some time at a local brewery, if they don't mind the extra help. How big of s system are you thinking of putting together? I don't have the knowledge, but my reading online seems to point to a three barrel system to supply a brew pub adequately. Most of the breweries in my area operate on 20 to 30 barrel systems, but we have new very small brewery running a single barrel system in my area.

 

[sablesurfer]

I have shadowed at three different breweries here in town, and I never intend to be a pro-brewer. I just want to learn the industry to see if there is a niche I can fit into.

All you have to do is find your local nano/micro and start asking to hang out. I have even been left alone in one to monitor a brew and put to work in the other two...LOL. It's really all very specialized to the local brewery. If you learn off one of those 'all in one' kits that comes on a truck, it will be NOTHING like what you do in a 20-30yr old brewery, and any big shop will look completely alien to that.

Just learn the process of a pro brewery...1) Grain in the door to storage and hops into freezers, 2) Milling area and conveyor to mashtun, 3) [Spray grain or dry grain? up to you], 4) Mashing in big tuns, shoveling tuns, getting rid of spent grains, 5) Hot liquor tanks and water needs, 6) Boil kettles (gas, electric, wood[?]), 7) Pumps and hoses to get everything moved around and chilled and what not, 8) Fermentation vessels and bright tanks and pressurization, 9) Filtration? up to you, 10) Serving by way of kegs to tap room? Only packaged? How to get around town?

That is all the hardware side and it's different only at the details level just about everywhere I have shadowed.

Well, then you need recipes and customers and location and crew and theme and licenses and poor schlubs who come in to shadow and see what you are doing.

(FYI - in our town, there is that one brewer that has been doing it a LOOOONG time and EVERYONE goes to him for input on the entire business. I have watched him walk new businesses through their TTB paperwork and everything. Find that guy around you. Make the contacts as you are learning.)

lol...maybe I should open a shop?!?!