So my friends are trying to get me to sell beer commercially...

[K-Bizzle]

What the heck?

I just started, and I botched my first batch in about 3 different ways.
It turned out awesome, but not at all how you expect it to taste.

Anyway I had a friend, with a pretty expansive pallet, telling me it was the best beer he had ever had, and going on and on forever about how different/good it was and was trying to talk me into trying to sell it to the local brewpubs.

I like it.
But its a freaking extract kit recipe.
Ha.
Ever after telling me this, my friend all but told me he'd lose respect for me, if I didn't bring some of my brews to the local brewpubs/craftbrews for them to have a taste.

Haha.
Anyone have friends like this?

 

[MSUConrad]

95% of people you give free beer to will respond the same way.

Send it to a competition to get a real opion. If its good, go from there.

 

[jonp9576]

my friends tried that one on me. what i found out that their idea of a good beer is anything with more flavor than a coors light. so as far as they are concerned, i am a master brewer.

 

[truckmann]

Ya I hear that too from time to time. People who don't brew don't really understand that we do this for a hobby because we enjoy doing it along with the beer we make. Sure it might be fun to open up a brewery but it takes a lot of cash to get started with no guarantee that you will be able to sell enough to make a profit. I guess that's what business is all about though!

 

[K-Bizzle]

95% of people you give free beer to will respond the same way.

Send it to a competition to get a real opion. If its good, go from there.

Well this is the type of guy, who normally, is quick to say anything is ****, or suck, or is terrible, etc.

So this is very strange.
Actually, when I gave him my first beer, I knew that he would be one opinion I could count on being honest.
So his response was rather strange to me.

 

[eschatz]

Tell them that for a nice tip you'll brew something for them. That's what I have been rumored to do.

 

[K-Bizzle]

my friends tried that one on me. what i found out that their idea of a good beer is anything with more flavor than a coors light. so as far as they are concerned, i am a master brewer.

Haha.
Well fortunately, my friends have been exposed to me enough that they're pretty savvy on the craft brews. Especially the friend in question.

Ya I hear that too from time to time. People who don't brew don't really understand that we do this for a hobby because we enjoy doing it along with the beer we make. Sure it might be fun to open up a brewery but it takes a lot of cash to get started with no guarantee that you will be able to sell enough to make a profit. I guess that's what business is all about though!

Yeah.
Honestly, I just don't get the big deal.
Yes its good, but its not THAT good.

I have no interest in starting a business, however I may take it and have some of the more savvy brewpub guys give it a taste to see what they think.

 

[kaiser423]

Well this is the type of guy, who normally, is quick to say anything is ****, or suck, or is terrible, etc.

So this is very strange.
Actually, when I gave him my first beer, I knew that he would be one opinion I could count on being honest.
So his response was rather strange to me.

This is good. Now go for repeatability. If you have a recipe that seems awesome, see if you can repeat the success (it can be fleeting, you could've hit fermentation temps just right by luck, and all types of things). It's an art, and I just hope that this isn't your one-hit wonder

 

[carnevoodoo]

I have no interest in starting a business, however I may take it and have some of the more savvy brewpub guys give it a taste to see what they think.

That's the way to go. I took some to a beer snob bar and to the old brewmaster from some big brewery around here (the guy who actually wrote the recipe for the clone I made) and had them try it. They were all impressed, so I know I am on the right track. Just be sure they'll be honest with you.

 

[K-Bizzle]

This is good. Now go for repeatability. If you have a recipe that seems awesome, see if you can repeat the success (it can be fleeting, you could've hit fermentation temps just right by luck, and all types of things). It's an art, and I just hope that this isn't your one-hit wonder

Well I made 3 fairly large mistakes that I think contributed to it tasting different.

That's the way to go. I took some to a beer snob bar and to the old brewmaster from some big brewery around here (the guy who actually wrote the recipe for the clone I made) and had them try it. They were all impressed, so I know I am on the right track. Just be sure they'll be honest with you.

 

[Grinder12000]

95% of people you give free beer to will respond the same way.

+1 on that one.

Tell them that for a nice tip you'll brew something for them.

I brew for parties and have people give tips for more ingredients - works to about $35 a case. Which is more then enough for 5 gallons.

 

[Homercidal]

Well I made 3 fairly large mistakes that I think contributed to it tasting different.

You mean you modified the brewing process to accentuate certain flavor aspects. Many time-honored methods first came from accidents. I hope you took notes?

I'd def take samples to anyone nearby and ask them for an honest evaluation. I think the more and better the feedback the better off you are. I wish I had a beer ready for the beer tasting tonight. I'd give some to the guys from Bells who are supposed to be coming, and see if they will email me their opinions when they try it. Unfortunately I'm still a few weeks from drinking the IPA and the Centennial Blonde is still in the primary.

 

[K-Bizzle]

You mean you modified the brewing process to accentuate certain flavor aspects. Many time-honored methods first came from accidents. I hope you took notes?

I'd def take samples to anyone nearby and ask them for an honest evaluation. I think the more and better the feedback the better off you are. I wish I had a beer ready for the beer tasting tonight. I'd give some to the guys from Bells who are supposed to be coming, and see if they will email me their opinions when they try it. Unfortunately I'm still a few weeks from drinking the IPA and the Centennial Blonde is still in the primary.

Yes I know what the 3 mistakes were, and I intend to next time make a very similar recipe to make two, one the standard way, another with those "mistakes" and those mistakes might just turn out to be my style for a pale ale.

 

[Homercidal]

My mistakes so far have not made an improvement, but making them helped me to not make them again. Right now I'm striving for ZERO mistakes.

 

[jacksonbrown]

Whenever that comes up I say, "great idea! As soon as you give me a check for the capital investment, I'm all over it."

 

[K-Bizzle]

Whenever that comes up I say, "great idea! As soon as you give me a check for the capital investment, I'm all over it."

I've got a friend who is ready to do such a thing.
People crack me up.
Just cuz I can cook a steak dinner, doesn't mean I wanna open a restaurant ya know?














At least not yet.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I love brewing too much to make it my profession (not that I could anyway).

 

[Bobby_M]

It's the same friend who, if you actually DID become a supplier to a local bar, would never buy a single pint. The attraction is that it's homebrew and free, not because of its inherent great quality (which it may or may not be).

 

[K-Bizzle]

It's the same friend who, if you actually DID become a supplier to a local bar, would never buy a single pint. The attraction is that it's homebrew and free, not because of its inherent great quality (which it may or may not be).

I have friends definitely who this is true for.
However the friend who keeps pushing it, would buy it a lot.
We're in a band together, and every single practice we drink nothing but awesome/expensive craft brews that he and I both buy.
We also drink homebrew now.

I'm moving in a couple weeks, and I've got a GREAT large space for brewing, and even more space for drinking.
So homebrew on tap is coming to the Bizzle Brewing Co. within a month or two.

 

[The Pol]

If I were going to invest in someone brewing commercially, Id want to see them create recipes and brew all grain. I dont know of many commercial brewers that brew extract??

The leap from extract to AG is easy enough, but there are great differences in mastering them both.

 

[K-Bizzle]

If I were going to invest in someone brewing commercially, Id want to see them create recipes and brew all grain. I dont know of many commercial brewers that brew extract??

The leap from extract to AG is easy enough, but there are great differences in mastering them both.

Ha.
Exactly.
I've got a few of my own recipes going right now.

Gonna wait a few more batches before giving AG a try though, I figure another few months of extract and I'll be ready for the jump.

 

[carnevoodoo]

Don't be scared of AG. It isn't any more difficult, really. You just need to get your process down. You're ready for it the second you decide to be. DO IT. NOW. I have spoken.

 

[ChickenSoop]

And don't forget about quality control expenses. Make one batch that is a bit different in taste, and the customers will probably start complaining once their favorite starts changing.

 

[K-Bizzle]

I'm not gonna actually try selling it guys, just looking to see how common it is to have friends ranting about your brews in such a way.

 

[The Pol]

Very common

 

[mklawz]

K-Bizzle, its me, Cubfan from the other forum.

Not trying to burst your bubble at all here, but there is sooooo much to learn from where you are at brewing extract batches. But it does sound like you are off to a good start, and I know you have the passion or you wouldnt be here. You just gotta keep brewing and take notes on everything. You are on your way.

Let me try some of those beers and Ill let you know what I think. You could bring them into the shop in St. Charles, Ill be there Saturday. You could also swing by my place in Aurora next weekend, Ill probably knock out an all grain batch.

Have you brewed my C&E clone yet???

 

[carnevoodoo]

Very common

+1. Very common.

 

[K-Bizzle]

K-Bizzle, its me, Cubfan from the other forum.

Not trying to burst your bubble at all here, but there is sooooo much to learn from where you are at brewing extract batches. But it does sound like you are off to a good start, and I know you have the passion or you wouldnt be here. You just gotta keep brewing and take notes on everything. You are on your way.

Let me try some of those beers and Ill let you know what I think. You could bring them into the shop in St. Charles, Ill be there Saturday. You could also swing by my place in Aurora next weekend, Ill probably knock out an all grain batch.

Have you brewed my C&E clone yet???

No bubble to be burst here my friend, I know my place haha.
I'm currently using beersmith and I'm using it to its fullest, so I've got the notes down, both in method, and tasting notes when its done.

I definitely may swing by next weekend as long as I'm not busy, I'd love to see someone else do AG before I go at it myself and invest in the equipment.
I haven't done the C&E clone yet, main reason being its an expensive beer haha.

BTW my GF and her friend took the Wine class last night at your store. I went in there a couple weeks, nice store BTW. I don't recall who was working, but I couldn't remember your first name for the life of me so I didn't ask haha.

 

[mklawz]

Oh man you were there last night? Must have just missed you, I left at about 715pm.

Good call on the Beersmith, I wish I bought it earlier. It will really come in handy when you go all-grain. And yeah, the C&E is a big and pricey beer, especially via extract.

Let me know next time you plan on going into the shop and Ill identify myself

 

[K-Bizzle]

Oh man you were there last night? Must have just missed you, I left at about 715pm.

Good call on the Beersmith, I wish I bought it earlier. It will really come in handy when you go all-grain. And yeah, the C&E is a big and pricey beer, especially via extract.

Let me know next time you plan on going into the shop and Ill identify myself

I wasn't there, my girlfriend was, very tall blonde with lots of tattoos. Her and her friend did it. You think the beer class would be beneficial to me at this point?