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Lowness 72 posted:Soooo I've been homebrewing for a year now. Have about a dozen batches under my belt. I really enjoy brewing. I'd like to consider the big leagues. If you feel like the brewing business is for you go get hired at a brewery, or if you have some money go to brew school and then get hired for a slightly better job at a brewery. There is no way you are ready in any way, shape or form to consider opening a brewery on your own.
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Jan 23, 2013 04:43
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Jacobey000 posted:Honestly? Bottle storage. I WISH I was talented enough to make the 12x12oz/6x22oz container I attempted in my wood class. (I'd also buy some off you if are willing - PM Me, srs post)
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Jan 23, 2013 04:56
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Josh Wow posted:Just a tip but you should always try and decant the starter wort from your starter when you make it on a stir plate. It oxidizes the hell out of the starter wort and you don't really want to pitch that into your batch, so give it 24 hours in the fridge and just pitch the fresh awesome yeast. I always pitch the whole enchilada because I'm worried the yeast hasn't settled out and I'm wasting good cells if I decant the wort. I look at the yeast stuck to the bottom of the flask and assume that's not making it out of there unless I shake the poo poo out of it. Guess I should decant when the yeast has settled, then turkey baster some cooled wort into it to free it up that way?
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Jan 23, 2013 05:13
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Lowness 72 posted:Does anyone have any suggestions? Don't open a brewery. Think about it in terms of making food in your kitchen as opposed to owning and operating a restaurant. This thread should provide more insight. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3505927&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=3#post409162655 Just keep brewing on a smallish scale and experiment with something new each time you brew. Scaling up will just give you more stress than pleasure.
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Jan 23, 2013 05:20
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Echoing the sentiments of those before me. I have about 3 years of homebrew experience now, have brewed on a 10 barrel system at a local brewpub, and done an internship fixing up the financials and inventory tracking at said brewpub. The idea of opening my own brewery is still a heavily daunting idea. I didn't get to do any work in the beer cellar, I didn't get to do anything related to kegging, they didn't even have the option to learn about bottling or canning, and our brew day went REALLY smoothly, so I have no experience troubleshooting on a big system. Get a job at a brewery and make sure they know you want to move up, make your way to an actual brewing position, and eventually you'll have enough experience and a large enough network to find financiers to open your own.
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Jan 23, 2013 05:20
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Re: starter slush: I usually just pour in some bottled water and swirl it around, but yeah wort would be even better. Bottled my first homebrew competition beer tonight (Wilmington NC Brewpub putting it on). Blonde with coriander, orange peel, and fresh ginger. Nothing too special, but it finished low and it's nice and dry, which is how I like Blondes. Fingers crossed!
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Jan 23, 2013 05:23
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Lowness 72 posted:Soooo I've been homebrewing for a year now. Have about a dozen batches under my belt. I really enjoy brewing. I'd like to consider the big leagues. Homebrewing for a year and then starting the process of opening a brewery is tantamount to cooking pasta a few times and then opening an italian restaurant, except with a lot more paperwork and legal issues. Breweries and their associated paperwork and costs are absolutely insane, it takes years and many hundreds of thousands of dollars. Take Josh Wow's advice and go work in a brewery for minimum wage, or as a volunteer and see what you think of it. Talk to owners (particularly newer owners) and learn about the basic process for the paperwork and financials, get a basic understanding of process in a big brewery and try and understand that it's still a business, and it's all about money, not the love of making beer.
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Jan 23, 2013 05:24
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wattershed posted:I always pitch the whole enchilada because I'm worried the yeast hasn't settled out and I'm wasting good cells if I decant the wort. I look at the yeast stuck to the bottom of the flask and assume that's not making it out of there unless I shake the poo poo out of it. Guess I should decant when the yeast has settled, then turkey baster some cooled wort into it to free it up that way? I guess I should backtrack a little. I don't decant all of the starter wort for the same reasons you said: I don't want to accidentally dump a ton of yeast and it's impossible to get the yeast out without some liquid. From a 2L starter I dump all but, say, 1/2 of a cup. Then on brew day I shake the poo poo out of it and pitch. Docjowles fucked around with this message at 06:11 on Jan 23, 2013 |
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Jan 23, 2013 06:07
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Docjowles posted:I guess I should backtrack a little. I don't decant all of the starter wort for the same reasons you said: I don't want to accidentally dump a ton of yeast and it's impossible to get the yeast out without some liquid. From a 2L starter I dump all but, say, 1/2 of a cup. Then on brew day I shake the poo poo out of it and pitch. That makes sense. I owe this thread a review of your secret Santa homebrew (spoiler: it was phenomenal), but next batch I'll be a bit more restrained in what I pitch. Hypnolobster posted:Homebrewing for a year and then starting the process of opening a brewery is tantamount to cooking pasta a few times and then opening an italian restaurant, except with a lot more paperwork and legal issues. Reading https://www.moderntimesbeer.com (KILLER can design announced this morning, by the way) in conjunction with https://www.themadfermentationist.com has cemented the idea in my head that to truly enjoy opening a brewery you need to be either a) independently wealthy or b) retired and wanting to do something as an expensive hobby that might send you bankrupt. It's fascinating to read how every little step pulls him away from the love of beer and he's doing all that he can to hold onto the concept of what got him into the business in the first place.
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Jan 23, 2013 06:54
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Opening your own brewery sounds pretty much awful and like it would take away all the fun of homebrewing and replace it with all the lovely parts of being in the food service industry.
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Jan 23, 2013 09:39
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wattershed posted:I always pitch the whole enchilada because I'm worried the yeast hasn't settled out and I'm wasting good cells if I decant the wort. I look at the yeast stuck to the bottom of the flask and assume that's not making it out of there unless I shake the poo poo out of it. Guess I should decant when the yeast has settled, then turkey baster some cooled wort into it to free it up that way? I'm with docjowles on this one, just leave a tiny amount of wort in there to swirl around. I will also spray some star san in there to get the last bits that are stuck to the bottom.
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Jan 23, 2013 11:37
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nmfree posted:I might try making these crates this summer, since they look pretty easy. Those are pretty much exactly what I attempted to create. Me and table saws don't do well together.
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Jan 23, 2013 12:41
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Angry Grimace posted:Opening your own brewery sounds pretty much awful and like it would take away all the fun of homebrewing and replace it with all the lovely parts of being in the food service industry. With the extra added bonus of being in the arm of food service that is controlled by two giant conglomerates, who constantly work to stack federal, state, and local laws against you. Plus 'think of the children!' hysteria. I mean, it CAN be done, and successful breweries do happen, but it takes way more investment (both financially and personally) than say, opening a clothing boutique. In addition to being a very good brewer (and brewing at even 5BBL scales is a very different thing than brewing at home), you also need to be a very keen businessperson. It sounds to me like if you don't have a million dollars you can live without, you're going to need a lot of investors, and unless you are a truly exceptional homebrewer, people aren't exactly going to be lining up with checks. There was another thread about being a pro brewer, and some of the posts there go into some of the questions you had, Lowness. The work is hard, the pay is low, and competition for jobs is fierce. There's a lot to admire in wanting to brew commercially, but I've been at this about 20 years now and I am keeping my day job.
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Jan 23, 2013 14:56
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fullroundaction posted:Bottled my first homebrew competition beer tonight (Wilmington NC Brewpub putting it on). Blonde with coriander, orange peel, and fresh ginger. Nothing too special, but it finished low and it's nice and dry, which is how I like Blondes. Fingers crossed! Is it at Front Street? I've never done a competition but I see registration is still open. I might enter my Russian Imperial Stout and see what happens.
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Jan 23, 2013 14:59
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CapnBry posted:Cl is ionic chloride (Cl2 is chlorine). CaCO3 is hardness, but reacts thusly CaCO3 + H2O + CO2 = Ca(HCO3)2. The molecular weight of CaCO3 is 100g/mol, and HCO3 is 61g/mol and you get 2x HCO3 for each CaCO3 so that's how you get CaCO3 x 1.22 = HCO3! And that's what I get for guessing at the chemicals when not being in chemistry for 7 years! Lowness 72 posted:Soooo I've been homebrewing for a year now. Have about a dozen batches under my belt. I really enjoy brewing. I'd like to consider the big leagues. I suggest buying Brewing up a Business from Dogfish Head's CEO Sam Calgione. It's a really good business book focused on the brewing world. It's going over a lot of things I've learned in my first few business classes and is well worth the read.
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Jan 23, 2013 15:16
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internet celebrity posted:Is it at Front Street? I've never done a competition but I see registration is still open. I might enter my Russian Imperial Stout and see what happens. Yep. I live in Myrtle Beach so I'm just using it as an excuse to go up and hang out at Cape Fear Wine & Beer (my favorite place on planet Earth). See you there!
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Jan 23, 2013 16:04
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Lowness 72 posted:I've got a few books on homebrewing and just ordered the Brooklyn Brewery's book (might help?). It's an interesting and fun read but I'm not sure how much practical advice is in there. They opened in a totally different time, when the challenge was "how do I sell to people who don't even know what craft beer IS" not "how do I differentiate myself from the 40 other breweries within an hour drive". It's full of good stories, though.
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Jan 23, 2013 17:17
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Tell me how you guys go about straining/filtering your beer as it's headed to the bottling bucket when cold crashing is not an option. I've been struggling with this for a while and have just learned to tolerate a certain level of schmutz in addition/dry hop heavy beers. Also: NB just put out a deal for BOGO 6gal Better Bottles: http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=a9ef49771840ebbeef7dde779&id=0a8a758c6f&e
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Jan 23, 2013 17:32
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fullroundaction posted:Tell me how you guys go about straining/filtering your beer as it's headed to the bottling bucket when cold crashing is not an option. I've been struggling with this for a while and have just learned to tolerate a certain level of schmutz in addition/dry hop heavy beers. I sanitize a couple of paint strainer bags and put one over each end of the siphon hose when I rack to the bottling bucket. Never get any hop pieces in dryhopped beers this way. Also, good luck in the competition! Cape fear is great but if you have some time to kill go check out Wilmington Homebrew Supply, they just got their nitrogen tap set up and they're pouring Old Rasputin right now.
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Jan 23, 2013 17:43
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Lowness 72 posted:Soooo I've been homebrewing for a year now. Have about a dozen batches under my belt. I really enjoy brewing. I'd like to consider the big leagues. A guy I know recently opened a small local brewery (Recently for opening, the process began sometime in 2009). He was a home brewer as well but works with someone who has gone through brewing school around the world. This guy handles the recipes and brewing while my friend pretty much focuses on the business end. From what I've been told it requires A LOT of startup cash and many hours trying to get bars to serve their beer. It's a lot more than walking in with a six pack and asking them to try it.
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Jan 23, 2013 18:06
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internet celebrity posted:I sanitize a couple of paint strainer bags and put one over each end of the siphon hose when I rack to the bottling bucket. Never get any hop pieces in dryhopped beers this way. Thanks! I've tried cheese cloth on one end but I think the stuff I was using was just too porous. Also I was mainly curious to see if there was a more elegant solution that I was missing. I stop at Wilmington HBS sometimes on may way back just to check out what's new or if I need some emergency DME/yeast, etc. Cool staff and it's the only shop near me other than heading all the way to Charleston. fullroundaction fucked around with this message at 20:09 on Jan 23, 2013 |
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Jan 23, 2013 19:56
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Northern Brewer is doing BOGO 6 gallon better bottles for the next 24 hours with promotional code BOGOBB6. I really wish that code would take half off 1 better bottle instead of forcing you to buy 2. I'd like to have an extra one that isn't glass, but I don't know when/if I'd ever have use for 3 carboys at the same time.
Whodat Smith-Jones fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Jan 23, 2013 |
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Jan 23, 2013 21:04
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Whodat Smith-Jones posted:Northern Brewer is doing BOGO 6 gallon better bottles for the next 24 hours with promotional code BOGOBB6. I really wish that code would take half off 1 better bottle instead of forcing you to buy 2. I'd like to have an extra one that isn't glass, but I don't know when/if I'd ever have use for 3 carboys at the same time. A barley wine, an imperial stout, and a sour.
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Jan 23, 2013 21:47
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Whodat Smith-Jones posted:...but I don't know when/if I'd ever have use for 3 carboys at the same time. Ha, look at this bold-faced liar over here.
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Jan 23, 2013 21:58
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Cointelprofessional posted:A barley wine, an imperial stout, and a sour. Doesn't a tripel usually have to sit around for a while too? Now that I think about it, I've been wanting to make one of those...
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Jan 23, 2013 22:00
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Cointelprofessional posted:A barley wine, an imperial stout, and a sour. mead, baltic porter
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Jan 23, 2013 22:02
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Whodat Smith-Jones posted:Doesn't a tripel usually have to sit around for a while too? Now that I think about it, I've been wanting to make one of those... I tend to give mine 6 months before touching it. Do it, tasty stuff.
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Jan 23, 2013 22:08
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zerox147o posted:I tend to give mine 6 months before touching it. Jacobey000 posted:Ha, look at this bold-faced liar over here. These two quotes go together nicely. Last tripel I brewed just hit about 6 months in the bottle and it sure is noticeably better each time I try it (every other week or so).
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Jan 23, 2013 22:22
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So, I made this last night and although I screwed up a bit, it was pretty easy. Anyone holding off on getting the STC-1000 should just jump in because if I can somehow make this thing, anyone can. I'll take this opportunity to also show off my $400 (retail) stirplate that I was able to get for free a week after I crafted my lovely homemade one. This thing is awesome 
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Jan 23, 2013 23:05
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Does the stirrer get hot enough to boil? Stirring hotplates are completely awesome for making starters. Never have to move the flask off it. Use it to heat the water and stir in the DME, boil the stuff and then let it cool while stirring (surprisingly quick, just not as fast as icewater). I used one that I got on ebay for $40, but it eventually died.
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Jan 23, 2013 23:21
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Hypnolobster posted:Does the stirrer get hot enough to boil? It seems like a bit of a waste, but I've never actually used the boilerplate on it because i'm concerned my cheap flask would break even though it claims to be able to take it. I'm sure it has the ability to boil, though, it was used in a professional lab for at least 5-10 years.
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Jan 24, 2013 00:00
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Seems like maybe that Better Bottle deal already sold out or something? It's giving me an error when I try to add more than 1 to my cart.
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Jan 24, 2013 00:23
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The misogynistic hilarity of HBT continues with another winner of a thread. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/i-cant-believe-there-isnt-domestic-tranquility-swmbo-sticky-thread-383911/index4.html Dear fellow middle aged men, how does your SWMBO feel about the cost of brewing and the smell and mess and that bitch spends way more on shoes than I do on hops and!
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Jan 24, 2013 00:52
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Haha, great thread. Encapsulates (what I see as) the strange gender dynamics of homebrewing. Or maybe it's just hobbies in general.
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Jan 24, 2013 01:04
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Docjowles posted:Seems like maybe that Better Bottle deal already sold out or something? It's giving me an error when I try to add more than 1 to my cart. Yep. Says out of stock now. Guess next time I'll have to remember not to wait til I get home from work. I was kind of excited too. I suppose you could always just buy two fermenting buckets for a little more than one Better Bottle though.
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Jan 24, 2013 01:21
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global tetrahedron posted:Haha, great thread. Encapsulates (what I see as) the strange gender dynamics of homebrewing. Or maybe it's just hobbies in general. I had to yet again google SWMBO because gently caress HomeBrewTalk and their stupid acronyms. And I think the gender dynamics of homebrewing fall pretty much in line with craft beer hobbyists, or whatever you want to call them/us. Very much male dominated 21-35+ year olds. (With beards.) I'm trying my best to convert the other half into the fold. A college friend recently brewed her first batch after I sent her a bunch of homebrew and she was hooked. 
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Jan 24, 2013 01:24
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Hey everyone - thanks for all the responses. I think I may have been a bit unclear originally with my post so I edited it to include: "Sorry for the confusion. I'm not looking to open a brewery right this minute/this year. I'm talking more 5-7 years down the line. I want to start educating myself, gathering resources, figure out how to gain more experience than I can by brewing in my barely 600 sq. ft. apartment etc." I have a desk job and it really isn't what I want to do long term. I thought I'd start looking into what it would really take to go pro. Based on that - I could see: 1. Could I actually do this? 2. By when? Maybe the answer is no - but I sure as hell hope not. Jo3sh posted:With the extra added bonus of being in the arm of food service that is controlled by two giant conglomerates, who constantly work to stack federal, state, and local laws against you. Plus 'think of the children!' hysteria. This is really helpful. On top of the regular concerns for a startup business, there are unique licensing and tax concerns. Plus there's a pretty high initial capital outlay to get started with the equipment (e.g., I can't just rent a place and buy some inventory). Plus InBev and MillerCoors want you dead, while the distributors could care less. Sounds pretty tough. I'm hoping to learn more about both the business and brewing sides. Talk to brewers and other people in the industry. Going to also see if I can volunteer weekends at a brewery (if that's a possibility...) even if it's just cleaning kegs. lifts cats over head posted:A guy I know recently opened a small local brewery (Recently for opening, the process began sometime in 2009). He was a home brewer as well but works with someone who has gone through brewing school around the world. This guy handles the recipes and brewing while my friend pretty much focuses on the business end. From what I've been told it requires A LOT of startup cash and many hours trying to get bars to serve their beer. It's a lot more than walking in with a six pack and asking them to try it. I imagine this would probably be more up my alley. I can't expand my brewing much right now - I just don't have the space living in a small apartment in a city (Unless of course I can get some experience with the big boys - we'll see I guess). But I can bring my business experience and knowledge. Appreciate the links and the A/T thread. I'll keep up the research. Thanks.
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Jan 24, 2013 02:07
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Hypnolobster posted:The misogynistic hilarity of HBT continues with another winner of a thread. The thing that sucks about HBT is mostly Fake Advice Guy pretending to ask for your advice on something when he actually just wants to show off. "Hi im new here and I need help figuring out how to open the valve on my $10,000 automated RIMS brew station" or "please critique my hopping schedule that has 10 pounds of Simcoe, Citra and Amarillo."
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Jan 24, 2013 02:07
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Lowness 72 posted:stuff One other thing I forgot to mention, the Brew Strong podcast juuuust finished up like a 10 episode series on opening your own brewery. The content is based on host Jamil's experience going from homebrewer to pro (he owns Heretic Brewing which opened a year or two ago). It's pretty meandering but they cover all sorts of stuff from the types of breweries that you can do (packaging only, brewpub, contract brewing, nano brewing, packaging with tap room...) to marketing to licensing to what kind of gear and building you'll want. Definitely give it a listen. Fair warning: it's the Brewing Network so there are about 100 dick/buttsex jokes per episode. The series kicks off around here and then as you go from there towards the most recent episode the content becomes more and more focused on pro brewing and less on homebrew. Most of the relevant episodes have something like "Going Pro" in the title. Docjowles fucked around with this message at 02:46 on Jan 24, 2013 |
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Jan 24, 2013 02:43
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For all their focus on beer brewing, I've learned a lot from the Brew Strong show that's been really helpful to my mead and cider batches. There's some really useful episodes in there if you're just starting out and don't know what the hell.
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Jan 24, 2013 03:25
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