Nano Brewery anyone???

[B-Dub]

I heard from a friend that in Seattle folks are renting "active" spaces, like storage units with the ability to "do something" in them. Folks are home brewing in these places and legally selling to the public.

Look up cottage brewing, nano breweries and artisan brewery. There are some hits out there, but no great "ah ha" that enplanes what is going on.

I would venture that most homebrewers have thought about starting a pub or the like over a pint of brew. Kind of fun to think you could sell homebrew and still keep your day job!

Any else hear about this?? Yes.....I have been drinking homebrew......

 

[McKBrew]

I have heard of this. I think there were some recent changes in the law here in WA which makes these types of businesses harder to run. The latest addition of BYO does have an article on guys using homebrew sized systems to brew at an actual business location. They are dealing with small batches and apparently still turning a profit.

Me personally, I don't know if I will ever brew for a career. I love it as a hobby, and see myself loving it as a job, but I'm nowhere near good enough yet IMO to be a pro-brewer.

 

[SPLASTiK]

I was kind of looking at the viability of a brewery in a storage unit for a while when i was looking at maybe moving into an apartment... personal use though, not for public sale.

Saw this thread on ProBrewer a little bit ago about small breweries: link

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

Interesting.

 

[Mosa]

Yup, we do have some breweries in very small places here in Seattle. I've had a couple of beers from Two Beers and Schooner Exact and they've been excellent. Here's a few nano-breweries near me:

two beers brewery

Gilligan's Brewing Company

I'm not sure if Schooner Exact guys are in an ActivSpace, but their setup looks a lot like many homebrewers here on the site:

First brew in the new space!!

 

[SkinnyShamrock]

I was actually thinking about trying this. Setting up a very basic business, just getting small loans from family, brewing out of a small warehouse or garage kind of a thing, and kegging and putting some in cases and six packs and just selling to restaurants within 20 miles or whatever, very small distribution. But then again I've been reading Sam Calagione's book "Brewing Up a Business" so my head is full of delusions of grandeur...

 

[Panzermann]

I say why not go for it? I certainly might try to one day. I would like to find another homebrewer to work with first.

If you never try, you will never know what could have been.

 

[McKBrew]

One of the basic brewing podcasts I just listened to today talks about the Mt. Caramel Brewery in Cincinatti, Ohio. Just a guy and his wife starting out brewing in their basement.

 

[Plowboymiz]

I was actually thinking about trying this. Setting up a very basic business, just getting small loans from family, brewing out of a small warehouse or garage kind of a thing, and kegging and putting some in cases and six packs and just selling to restaurants within 20 miles or whatever, very small distribution. But then again I've been reading Sam Calagione's book "Brewing Up a Business" so my head is full of delusions of grandeur...

Check out East End Brewing in Pittsburgh, that is how he kinda got started.

East End Brewing Company - BUY A GOOD FRIEND A GOOD BEER (tm)

 

[B-Dub]

With 'nano breweries,' big things come from tiny places - Seattle- msnbc.com

More info from MSN.

 

[KYB]

Hmm. Very interested in this. If anyone has more info please share. Not that I would be trying to do this any time soon or anything.

Also, how are they able to sell it? I thought you had to get a decent place and licenses and health inspections and all that stuff - as in not easy.

 

[Cheeto]

The two beers brewery website is very child like, my 3yr old has a computer game that looks like their website

Good Job for making it drunk person simple !!

 

[Damonic]

I think it's very well done, somebody must have a SWMBO that's a graphic artist.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I think it's very well done, somebody must have a SWMBO that's a graphic artist.

Ditto, I think there website is very cool. I'm so bored with your standard website. It's nice to see someone make one interesting.

 

[Brewpastor]

That is a lot of work for very little product going out the door!

It reminds me of a guy who wanted to use our pilot equipment to make a 1 bbl batch of beer. "How long will it take?" he asked. "About 6 hours" we replied. "But how long does it take you to brew your full 28 bbls?" "About 6 hours."

He figured a small batch would only take a couple hours. In reality (the moral here) it takes about the same time to produce a large batch as it does a small one.

But I guess I am missing the nano point - it is about the beer and not the nano money.

You want to make a small fortune brewing? Start with a large fortune.

 

[Cheeto]

I think it's very well done, somebody must have a SWMBO that's a graphic artist.

Ditto, I think there website is very cool. I'm so bored with your standard website. It's nice to see someone make one interesting.

I am not saying it is bad in any way or form !
I really like it

more websites need to be that way !!!!

-Jason

 

[Brewpastor]

Fresh and friendly website with a playful and open character. It also does not read like a storage shed brewery. Very nice job.

 

[tspilker]

How does brewing like that reflect from a legal standpoint. I mean, aren't their taxes you have to pay for selling alcohol? If they are selling directly to the public they need a liquor license... how about for selling to bars/resturants?

I think that would be really cool actually to get a keg a month on sale somewhere. Just to make your favorite restaurant that much cooler.

 

[krausenmustache]

If it is possible to get licensing to do this, I think its a great way to fulfill the pro-brewer bug that we all get, while keeping your day job. I would love to do a ~1bbl batch on Saturdays, bottle, and sell to local bars/beer stores. As long as I could turn enough profit to buy what I want for my nano-brewery, I'd be happy.

 

[frolickingmonkey]

As for Gilligan's Brewery in Seattle... it's for sale. They've been kicked out of the storage unit by their landlord.

 

[z987k]

That is a lot of work for very little product going out the door!

It reminds me of a guy who wanted to use our pilot equipment to make a 1 bbl batch of beer. "How long will it take?" he asked. "About 6 hours" we replied. "But how long does it take you to brew your full 28 bbls?" "About 6 hours."

He figured a small batch would only take a couple hours. In reality (the moral here) it takes about the same time to produce a large batch as it does a small one.

But I guess I am missing the nano point - it is about the beer and not the nano money.

You want to make a small fortune brewing? Start with a large fortune.

That's what I don't get. It applies to almost all scales. A batch of beer, doesn't really matter the size takes the same amount of time. So would you like $10 back for your 6 hours or $1000?

 

[krausenmustache]

That's what I don't get. It applies to almost all scales. A batch of beer, doesn't really matter the size takes the same amount of time. So would you like $10 back for your 6 hours or $1000?

The difference is the cost of equipment and space. Im sure if 90% of the people on this forum had unlimited funds they would set up a 30+ bbl setup in a 10,000sqft warehouse. But when working with limited disposable income, putting together a 1bbl setup in your detached garage is something that could be done reasonably and would be a lot of fun. But brewing 1bbl is excessive for someone whos only feeding beers to his buddies. If you could turn virtually any profit, its worth it, IMO.

 

[z987k]

yeah but at 1bbl you can make more money taking collections when your friends come over.

 

[krausenmustache]

yeah but at 1bbl you can make more money taking collections when your friends come over.

not if you have cheap ass friends.

 

[missing link]

I think the cool idea here is that you can start out brewing 10 gallons a few times a week and sell it with almost no investment other than renting the small space and paying whatever licensing fees there are. Most of us can brew 10 gallons already.

Then as you get more sales or accounts, you can move to 20 gallons without much investment, or move to 1BBL with some new pots, etc. No need to get the $3,000,000 loan to open up something with a 7BBL capacity.

Linc

 

[z987k]

I think the cool idea here is that you can start out brewing 10 gallons a few times a week and sell it with almost no investment other than renting the small space and paying whatever licensing fees there are. Most of us can brew 10 gallons already.

Then as you get more sales or accounts, you can move to 20 gallons without much investment, or move to 1BBL with some new pots, etc. No need to get the $3,000,000 loan to open up something with a 7BBL capacity.

Linc

you forget the cost of all the inspections and licenses. They cost a lot. You're probably looking at an absolute minimum of 2k there.

 

[tspilker]

Bah, I hate the problems that come with business dealings with "Sin products"

Uncle Sam will tax you to death to do something like this. Its hard enough for the little guy in America these days, I can't imagine a nano-brewery's problems.

I hear Washington and Oregon just raised their alcohol taxes (although I think in WA it only covers spirits and doesn't go into effect until August... stock up now!)

 

[philrose]

two beers brewery

Gilligan's Brewing Company

I saw gilligan's set-up on craigslist for 14 k last week. are they out of business?

 

[philrose]

I saw gilligan's set-up on craigslist for 14 k last week.

Not that I uhhh....troll craigslist for brewing supplies 24/7....


ok I do

 

[Brewpastor]

This seems like a really hard way to make a little bit of money. Retailers are the ones that make the money (and not much there either) You pay rent, utilities, taxes, license, ingredients, liability and other insurance, kegs, chemicals, delivery costs and time, promotion, spoilage, equipment and repairs and who knows what else. I can't see much left over at the end of the day. It would be interesting to know what they are able to get for a keg.

If you could retail the product/open a pub or tap room, your margin would increase dramatically. A keg that wholesales for what, maybe $100, could bring in $310 at 2.50 a pint. But that would bring its own problems as well. Liquor laws are really dangerous right now for anyone who is serving the public. You would also have sales tax and different insurance concerns.

If you are interested in this I would highly advise some serious number crunching. I don't mean to be a wet blanket for anyone's dreams, but I do want to offer some words of caution and realism so decisions can be made advisedly.