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Posted: 4/26/2019 10:46:06 PM EDT
Cool to know there are so many gun guys into brewing!
Been in the beer business for nearly 10 years. Been working in breweries for about half that. Sales, homebrew shops, bad breweries, good breweries, you name it! I brew at a larger independent brewery now. Happy to answer any questions! 
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Posted: 4/26/2019 11:50:49 PM EDT
[#1]
Welcome!
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Posted: 4/27/2019 9:16:01 AM EDT
[#2]
I work in the industry, too. Good to meet ya!
I stumbled into the industry in 1998 and stayed. Brewing isn't a passion of mine but I've greatly enjoyed doing it. I started in the days of hand washed Hoff-Stevens kegs, and plastic wrap covered open top fermenters. Now I get fat at a desk and watch the brewers run Siemens, ProLeit, and whatever other control systems they run down there. Different world... |
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Posted: 4/29/2019 8:16:38 AM EDT
[#3]
Thanks guys!
Ex_Sanguine, you’ve been in the biz long enough to see how much has changed. I’ve only been doing this for a decade and I already feel like a dinosaur, ha! I’m young and spry enough that I still enjoy lifting grain bags, graining out, and doing all that heavy lifting, but I’ll have to get that desk brewing job eventually. Pretty much all my family is in the trades and/or military, so I’ve seen the toll that years of physical work take on the body... But it’s fun work! Great, close-knit community in Chicago, and a surprising amount of gun guys as well. |
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Posted: 4/29/2019 11:48:21 AM EDT
[#4]
This might be a stretch, but what's the biggest pitfalls people make when starting up a brewery?
Many of the new ones fail, some very quickly. |
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Posted: 4/29/2019 2:18:10 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
This might be a stretch, but what's the biggest pitfalls people make when starting up a brewery? Many of the new ones fail, some very quickly. 1: Bad tasting product 2: Bad business practices 3: Trying to do too much at once. |
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Posted: 4/29/2019 4:15:49 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I am not in the industry and would like to know this as well. I am guessing here, but I'd bet that the 3 top reasons they fail are: 1: Bad tasting product 2: Bad business practices 3: Trying to do too much at once. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
This might be a stretch, but what's the biggest pitfalls people make when starting up a brewery? Many of the new ones fail, some very quickly. 1: Bad tasting product 2: Bad business practices 3: Trying to do too much at once. The market is absolutely packed and everyone is struggling for a piece of it. People were sucking up everything craft 15 to 20 years ago. Now they've had about everything and then some. Brewers are doing goofier and goofier things to keep the market's attention. There's really only so much you can do before it isn't beer anymore. If you aren't doing anything new, and you probably aren't at this point, then at least analyze your market and location for maximum exploitation. |
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Posted: 4/29/2019 5:35:03 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thanks guys! Ex_Sanguine, you’ve been in the biz long enough to see how much has changed. I’ve only been doing this for a decade and I already feel like a dinosaur, ha! I’m young and spry enough that I still enjoy lifting grain bags, graining out, and doing all that heavy lifting, but I’ll have to get that desk brewing job eventually. Pretty much all my family is in the trades and/or military, so I’ve seen the toll that years of physical work take on the body... But it’s fun work! Great, close-knit community in Chicago, and a surprising amount of gun guys as well. |
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Posted: 4/29/2019 11:18:59 PM EDT
[#8]
One thing I’ve learned is that the market is different everywhere you go. Chicago is super saturated, but other places you may kill it with mediocre beer. Market research is key.
After that, I think hiring the right people is key to success. I’ve seen some solid breweries fail because owners are unable to delegate tasks. Find good people and let them take the reigns. Micromanagement kills breweries. I think that the boom period with beer is over, but we aren’t quite busting yet. People can make a good living in this industry, but the build a brand, open national distro, and become a millionaire on your 30s model is disappearing. Make good beer and aspire to be a great neighborhood brewery and it will usually work out. |
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Posted: 4/30/2019 8:22:54 PM EDT
[#9]
I also work in the industry, only for about 3 years.But I do a lot where I work, brew, clean, keg/bottle ,clean, put orders together, worked the taproom in the beginning and more, even helped out in the building process front and back.
I think the way to go is a small neighborhood brewery, kinda like the neighborhood bar. Right now there are 52+ breweries and small distilleries in my area all competing for the "Local" shelf space. There's just so many out there it's tough,a new one is opening soon literally across the street form another brewery. |
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Posted: 5/2/2019 12:41:47 AM EDT
[#10]
Reason I asked is I am on the precipice of starting the process of opening a meadery. Feels like an emerging market. I am confident I can make a good product. But I am pretty successful at my current job and I wouldn't be able to leave it for 3-5 years to replace my income.
I have 2 major investors and maybe 5 minor right now. |
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Posted: 5/2/2019 8:03:55 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Reason I asked is I am on the precipice of starting the process of opening a meadery. Feels like an emerging market. I am confident I can make a good product. But I am pretty successful at my current job and I wouldn't be able to leave it for 3-5 years to replace my income. I have 2 major investors and maybe 5 minor right now. If you already homebrew then you know that sanitation and good handling practices are the key to good product. |
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Posted: 5/4/2019 10:08:32 PM EDT
[#12]
Great advice actually. I am planning on making ciders and some wine as well, I believe I can do all 3 with the wine license.
Will be production at first, eventually opening a tasting room on the weekends as the market for my stuff grows. |
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Posted: 5/5/2019 11:39:16 AM EDT
[#13]
Congrats on making the hard leap! Do you already have a distribution plan figured out?
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Posted: 5/7/2019 1:45:45 PM EDT
[#14]
Yeah, congrats! Profit margins on wine and cider are definitely higher than beer. You might be able to make mead too. Maximize your variety!
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Posted: 5/14/2019 10:05:36 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Yeah, congrats! Profit margins on wine and cider are definitely higher than beer. You might be able to make mead too. Maximize your variety! Working on building my website, forming the corporation, and applying for the license. I hope to be fully open in 8-12 months. The most important thing is that I have 2 major investors who have committed and several minor. And we now have some land we can use. |
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Posted: 5/14/2019 9:12:30 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The plan is 50-70% mead, but I do want to make ciders and session meads. And then I do want to also make wines, a couple times a year. I am interested in making bourbon-barrel aged offshoots as well, there are lots of small distilleries that I'd love to get the barrels from. Working on building my website, forming the corporation, and applying for the license. I hope to be fully open in 8-12 months. The most important thing is that I have 2 major investors who have committed and several minor. And we now have some land we can use. I would say hire a consultant, but those can be hit or miss, but a good one will save you so much money and set you up for success. Launching into the professional world of beverage production is like reading webmd and doing brain surgery. Questions to honestly answer: How deep is your level of knowledge on microbial metabolism, survival factors, nutrition, antagonism, production of volatiles and secondary metabolites? What level of comfort do you have deeply discussing turbidity, pH, buffering capacity, sulfur species, disssolved gas chemistry? How are you going to achieve shelf stability and prevent spoilage? Sterile filtration, pasteurization, velcorin, so2/sorbate, or rely on cold chain? Im on the supply side of the industry as a tech sales rep and see all the mistakes people make and also the successes. Incidentally, CO is my territory... hit me up:-) @djkest |
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Posted: 5/14/2019 10:07:16 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Mead is definitely a growth category as well as seltzer. Both are extremely difficult to make well. I would say hire a consultant, but those can be hit or miss, but a good one will save you so much money and set you up for success. Launching into the professional world of beverage production is like reading webmd and doing brain surgery. Questions to honestly answer: How deep is your level of knowledge on microbial metabolism, survival factors, nutrition, antagonism, production of volatiles and secondary metabolites? What level of comfort do you have deeply discussing turbidity, pH, buffering capacity, sulfur species, disssolved gas chemistry? We are initially going to self-distribute 100%. We don't have immediate plans for a tasting room but it will happen after a bit. I will have customers across the US and will be shipping across state lines, for all that it entails. How are you going to achieve shelf stability and prevent spoilage? Sterile filtration, pasteurization, velcorin, so2/sorbate, or rely on cold chain? Im on the supply side of the industry as a tech sales rep and see all the mistakes people make and also the successes. Incidentally, CO is my territory... hit me up:-) @djkest I check all my batches for pH before bottling, and adjust accordingly. I do need a more accurate pH meter though. My dissolved gasses have to be really low since I am bottling still mead. After fermentation the mead is degassed. Funny thing is some other meaderies in CO could probably answer those questions, but still make a sub-par product. There's very little competition right now. We will be self-distributing only for the foreseeable future. No immediate plans for a taproom. I have a full-time job so I'll be quite busy. I will be shipping across state lines, for all that it entails. |
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Posted: 5/14/2019 10:16:37 PM EDT
[#18]
Good questions, there. Those are the tough ones. Keep them in mind and best of luck to you!
Let us know the name once you're open. I'll let you send me a 'yeast sample' 
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Posted: 5/14/2019 11:34:42 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I already use Sorbate/Sulfite and I plan on filtering to 5 microns as well. I just drank a mead I made 2 years ago and it was great. I check all my batches for pH before bottling, and adjust accordingly. I do need a more accurate pH meter though. My dissolved gasses have to be really low since I am bottling still mead. After fermentation the mead is degassed. Funny thing is some other meaderies in CO could probably answer those questions, but still make a sub-par product. There's very little competition right now. We will be self-distributing only for the foreseeable future. No immediate plans for a taproom. I have a full-time job so I'll be quite busy. I will be shipping across state lines, for all that it entails. Sorry, I nerd out on this stuff. 
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Posted: 5/15/2019 1:33:02 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Good questions, there. Those are the tough ones. Keep them in mind and best of luck to you! Let us know the name once you're open. I'll let you send me a 'yeast sample' |
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Posted: 5/15/2019 3:10:00 PM EDT
[#21]
I have a really really good idea for a session hydromel. I haven't made it in this form yet, but I checked and the trademark is available. It's a little labor intensive to make but not terribly expensive.
I was studying federal regulations, looks like a sparkling mead will need to be under 7% alcohol or else you'll be taxed at the high sparkling wine tax rates, over $3/gallon. |
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Posted: 5/17/2019 12:08:27 PM EDT
[#22]
Thinking about going to a meadmaking course for professional development.
The speakers are all known as experts in their field. It's kind of expensive, but I think it'll be worth it. Sorry to hijack this thread. |
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Posted: 5/17/2019 5:08:56 PM EDT
[#23]
I don't see how that could at all be less than beneficial toward your endeavors.
You'll hemorrhage money before you make any, you may as well get used to the feeling now! |
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Posted: 5/17/2019 5:30:21 PM EDT
[#24]
What sort of markup exists on a craft beer 6 pack. I realize that's highly dependent on a lot of things I'm sure, but talk about it
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Posted: 5/18/2019 12:39:23 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
What sort of markup exists on a craft beer 6 pack. I realize that's highly dependent on a lot of things I'm sure, but talk about it Commercially brewing beer on a large scale, the liquid inside the cans probably costs them about $2, not including manufacturing overhead like rent, labor, equipment costs, etc. A lot of smaller craft beer places use a mobile canning service, so they don't need to buy their own canning line right away. It must be expensive, because every brewery strives to get their own canning line eventually. |
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Posted: 5/24/2019 9:45:30 AM EDT
[#26]
Yeah, true liquid cost is all over the place. At a larger brewery, like where I work, the range can be massive. We have beers that are under 50¢ liquid value/12oz can with sizable profit and beers that we straight up lose money on. So many factors...
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Posted: 6/15/2019 4:08:17 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
4. Bad location/timing The market is absolutely packed and everyone is struggling for a piece of it. People were sucking up everything craft 15 to 20 years ago. Now they've had about everything and then some. Brewers are doing goofier and goofier things to keep the market's attention. There's really only so much you can do before it isn't beer anymore. If you aren't doing anything new, and you probably aren't at this point, then at least analyze your market and location for maximum exploitation. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
This might be a stretch, but what's the biggest pitfalls people make when starting up a brewery? Many of the new ones fail, some very quickly. 1: Bad tasting product 2: Bad business practices 3: Trying to do too much at once. The market is absolutely packed and everyone is struggling for a piece of it. People were sucking up everything craft 15 to 20 years ago. Now they've had about everything and then some. Brewers are doing goofier and goofier things to keep the market's attention. There's really only so much you can do before it isn't beer anymore. If you aren't doing anything new, and you probably aren't at this point, then at least analyze your market and location for maximum exploitation. I told the waitress they were trying too hard. The next trip was better, but the beer is unremarkable compared to others here. That, a menu that consists of cheese pizza (albeit good), and seating designed for warm weather in an inadequately heated patio with picnic tables will drive them out. There is much better beer available without going far. |
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Posted: 7/28/2019 10:04:07 PM EDT
[#28]
All of the breweries here seem to be pretty well supported. I was listening to people gush about how fantastic these local places are, and all I could do is shake my head. Objectively, the beer is nothing special. In some cases below average. And they still get praises heaped on them.
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