Dave Hoops has been brewing for decades. He brought what he learned in California to Minnesota and helped change the brewery laws there. Now his West Coast style beers have been working well for Fitger’s Brewhouse Brewery & Grille, in Duluth Minnesota.
Minnesota does not allow breweries to self-distribute to outside accounts. So Fitger’s has “tied houses,” restaurant/bars that are “tied” to their brewery. That is, their production brewery makes beer for the restaurants that they also own.
If they wanted to package beer for outside distribution, state law would require them to sell the restaurants and just be a package brewery.
To make matters trickier, each brewery under this scenario must have a restaurant (a “production brewpub”), which can make no more than 3,500 BBL per year. So if they were already maxed out at 3,500 BBL per year and they wanted to add another restaurant, the new one would have to be another production brewpub with the limits on annual capacity.
“The only reason that these laws haven’t been challenged,” says Dave, “is because nobody has gotten to this level yet. I’m sure they’ll change it when it happens.”
It’s peculiar because Duluth is right on the border with Wisconsin, which as less stringent laws. So they move their company just 5 miles to the south, they would be allowed to sell their beer to a wider audience.
Still, Dave says the Minnesota brewery market is expanding rapidly. The state recently passed a law that allows productions breweries to have a tap to serve food and their own beer.
Dave was on the board of the state brewers guild and, like Jeff Mease from Bloomington Brewing Co., he helped change laws to make it easier for breweries—like the ability to sell growlers.
“I’m a veteran now, I’m a little more patient,” says Dave. “It’s in [the state’s] best interest to help us sell more beer. So eventually they come around.”
Dave’s advice for reforming brewery laws in your state:
Visit your state capital and find the legislators who are sympathetic to your cause.
Find enough legislators for a caucus.
Be persistent, be positive, and talk to a lot of people.
Research to show the stats and facts of how breweries can help the economy and the community.
Brewery specs:
Kettle size: 10 BBL.
Size and quantity of fermentation tanks: 4, 10-BBL fermenters; 12, 15-BBL fermenters.
Size and quantity of bright tanks: 20 tanks, most 15-BBL bright tanks.
Annual brewing capacity/last year’s production: Annual capacity is 3,200 BBLs. Last year’s production was 3,000 BBL.
Square footage: 3,600 sq. ft. over two floors.
Years in operation: 20 years (opened 1995).
“I feel really lucky to be a part of this artisan trade that’s been around for centuries.” [Tweet This]
Listener question:
From Lisa Boban: Can you make something other than beer?
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https://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/MicroBrewr072.jpg280750Nathan Piercehttps://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Logo3-Copy1.gifNathan Pierce2015-07-07 04:00:232015-11-16 21:56:34MicroBrewr 072: Batch 4,000 and brewery law reform in Minnesota
Ashley Kinart began homebrewing to learn about the brew process so she could better answer customer questions at the craft beer bar where she worked. She eventually realized that it really interested her, so she enrolled in the World Brewing Academy at Siebel Institute of Technology. Four years later she became the brewmaster at Capital Brewery, in Middleton, Wisconsin.
Although Ashley is happy about her “quick rise to the top,” she says she would have liked to get more experience in every part of the brewery operations.
“I definitely would have liked to spend a little more time in cellaring, a little more time in packaging,” says Ashley, “to just have that full-scale overall understanding on every single little level.”
Prior to brewing school, Ashley attained a bachelor’s degree in biology. She says the science helped her better understand the material from brewing school.
“My science background definitely gets me a little excited about the small things like the microscopic happenings that are going on behind every step of the brewing process.”
Other suggestions from Ashley:
Start volunteering to get experience at a commercial brewery.
Do the best you can and work as hard as you can.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions of other people in the industry.
Most of all, actively seek knowledge.
“Being called a brewmaster was something that I not only didn’t see myself as, but also I don’t ever see myself knowing everything there is to know about brewing, which is why it really interests me.”
Brewery specs:
Kettle size: 35 BBL.
Size and quantity of fermentation tanks: 30 tanks ranging from 32-BBL to 161-BBL. Six are dedicated to lagering/aging.
Size and quantity of bright tanks: Three tanks ranging from 100-BBL to 129-BBL.
Annual brewing capacity/last year’s production: About 30,000.
Square footage:
Years in operation: 29 years.
“How much of your brewing knowledge are you actively seeking?” [Tweet This]
Listener question:
From Harold Giménez: What are your favorite beers? Who are your brewing influences?
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https://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MicroBrewr071.jpg280750Nathan Piercehttps://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Logo3-Copy1.gifNathan Pierce2015-06-30 04:00:022015-11-16 21:29:12MicroBrewr 071: Four years from brewing school to brewmaster
Jeff Mease worked in his parents’ grocery store when he was a kid. “I had grown up in a family business,” he recounts. “By the time I was legal, I didn’t have any fear of business.” Indeed, when Jeff was just 19 years old, he started a pizza business that is still Bloomington’s favorite pizza delivery service.
Twelve years later, Jeff started Bloomington Brewing Co., in Bloomington, Indiana. It was the 4th brewery in Indiana and the laws were not conducive to brewpubs.
If your state has archaic brewery laws, Jeff has some advice for brewery law reform:
Talk to state legislators for your area.
Study brewery legislation from other states.
Recruit the help of the Brewers Association or the brewers’ alliance in your state.
Educate your legislators about how brewery law reform will help the economy and the community.
Ever since they helped change brewery laws in Indiana, Bloomington Brewing Co. has been going strong. Five years ago, they expanded operations beyond the brewpub into a production facility. Last year, they started packaging into 22-ounce bottles.
Jeff spent a lot of time researching and studying the numbers for packaging their beer into bottles. He learned, “If we go into a 12-ounce package, we’re going to have to make 4 times as much beer just to be in the same place [financially] that we are now.”
“Smaller package means high volume, if you’re going to survive,” says Jeff. “Brewers never ever wish they’d had a smaller system.”
“A lot of people get so busy with the work that they don’t bother to really look at the numbers,” says Jeff. “It seems like, ‘How could you not make money putting this beer into a bottle?’ But you know what? You can, I promise,” cautions Jeff.
With 20 years of experience with the brewpub, plus more years with other businesses, Jeff has a lot of wisdom to draw. Luckily, he is generous with his knowledge.
“Nobody should be impatient to jump into this business right now. It’s already late to the party, I’d say. So if you’re going to come into this business now and be successful at it, you sure gotta know what you’re doing,” Jeff advises. “So don’t rush into it.”
“A lot of times people who are considering getting into business are afraid to talk to people who are already in that business. Because there’s all sorts of fears that they’ll steal your idea, or they just won’t tell you anything, or they’ll look at you as competition, but I’ve found… that the people who are successful in an industry are more than happy to help counsel people. Go out and ask the questions.”
“You’re only going to be successful if you don’t make the stupid mistakes. And it’s easy to make the stupid mistakes no matter how smart you are.”
Other tips from Jeff:
Start as large as you can.
Be as state-of-the-art as you can.
Invest in training your brewers.
Choose the right yeast.
Brewery specs:
Kettle size: 15-BBL and 20-BBL.
Size and quantity of fermentation tanks: 2, 15-BBL and 4, 40-BBL fermenters.
Size and quantity of bright tanks: 1, 15-BBL and 2, 40-BBL bright tanks.
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https://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MicroBrewr070.jpg280750Nathan Piercehttps://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Logo3-Copy1.gifNathan Pierce2015-06-23 04:00:592019-01-08 20:44:15MicroBrewr 070: Brewery law reform and scaling up in Indiana
Mark Robertson got bored of his job, so he opened a brewery. Pensacola Bay Brewery, in Pensacola Bay, Florida follows their local heritage with a fun pirate motif. But they’re not all scurvy. After 5 years, Pensacola Bay Brewery is going strong, expanding operations, and willing to share what they’ve learned.
Mark hesitates to disclose how much money they spent to start their brewery. “I will not divulge numbers,” he says, “for the simple reason that you can’t do it for what we did it at, today.”
Nonetheless, he estimates that it would cost $1.5 million to $2 million to start a brewery like theirs. This includes 6 months of working capital. “You can’t get anywhere without [working capital].”
He prefers to let another company distribute Pensacola Bay’s product. “They have a sales force, they have a refer warehouse, they’ve got distribution networks. Those things I couldn’t afford.”
“You’d have to add another half million onto the cost of the brewery,” says Mark, “in order to come up with refer trucks and drivers and a sales force.”
To gain visibility for new customers Mark says:
Go to beer festivals
Do tap takeovers
Give out a lot of freebees
Send the brew staff to the events, not sales people
“You gotta go out and work the market,” Mark advises. “You gotta go out and visit.”
Mark homebrewed even before he learned it was illegal in his state. To other homebrewers wanting to follow his path, Mark recommends investing in yourself:
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https://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MicroBrewr069.jpg280750Nathan Piercehttps://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Logo3-Copy1.gifNathan Pierce2015-06-16 04:00:282015-08-07 16:56:59MicroBrewr 069: Arrrgh! What to do when yer job gets boring
Two years ago, Adam Charnack and his partners got a $254,000 SBA-backed loan to start Hi-Wire Brewing in Asheville, North Carolina. Today, they’re expanding to a second brewery with another SBA loan.
“The SBA involvement in craft beer,” says Adam, “has been a part of the success of craft breweries being able to open and grow.”
“The way that banks are willing to look at breweries is totally different under and SBA lens. We’re all just young guys that wanted to start a brewery. So we’re not rolling in [money] or have some big financing. Without SBA involved it definitely would make getting financing a whole lot more difficult.”
Adam advises to focus on your business plan. “If you show up with a notebook paper, or a page-and-a-half typed, with a bunch of typos on it, that’s not going to cut it.”
The financials are the most important things that banks look for when you apply for funding:
Financial projections
How much it’s going to cost to make things
When you’re going to get paid
What the prices are
Sources and uses of funds
Projected and net operating income (12 months, and next few years)
Cash flow
“A lot of that is a shot in that dark,” admits Adam, “but at least you’re making intelligent assumptions.”
With so many breweries in and around Asheville, there is an abundance of qualified workers. Even still, employee retention is important.
“We’ve never had anybody leave our company that started with us in the last 2 years in our brewery operations,” says Adam.
His tips on how to keep quality workers:
Throw parties throughout the year.
Organize fun company outings.
Have a lot of fun.
Respect people.
Provide opportunity.
“If you treat people right and you respect people,” says Adam, “we’ve had no problem retaining talent here.”
Other tips:
Bring on a partner with an understanding of, or background in, finance.
Assets or an alternative means to payback a loan helps to secure funding.
Advice for someone who wants to do what he has done:
Size and quantity of fermentation tanks: 90-BBL and 30-BBL.
Size and quantity of bright tanks: 90-BBL and 30-BBL.
Annual brewing capacity/last year’s production: In September 2015, capacity will be approx.. 17,000 BBL/year. By year’s end, on pace of 10,000 BBL/year.
Square footage: 27,000 sq. ft. and 4,000 sq. ft.
Years in operation: 2 years (opened July 2013).
“I would definitely advise having a business partner.” [Tweet This]
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https://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MicroBrewr068.jpg280750Nathan Piercehttps://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Logo3-Copy1.gifNathan Pierce2015-06-09 04:00:302015-12-13 14:10:35MicroBrewr 068: An SBA loan can help open or grow your brewery
Laura Ulrich is the small batch brewer at Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California. She has worked there for 11 years, after working in the bottling line at Odell Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado.
“Twelve years ago,” says Laura, “There wasn’t a focus on having the degree in brewing.” She says she would have liked to take more science classes to understand the technical sides of brewing.
Laura has worked on the bottling line, in the cellar, and finally in the brewhouse. “Everybody’s gotta work together to make the end product get to the public,” she says.
Brewery specs:
Kettle size: 2, 120-BBL brewing systems.
Size and quantity of fermentation tanks: 68, 400-BBL fermenters; 6, 150-BBL.
Size and quantity of bright tanks: 2, 150-BBL; one, 390-BBL; 5, 650-BBL; 4, 850-BBL.
Annual brewing capacity/last year’s production: Brewed 285,075 BBL in 2014.
Square footage: 55,000 sq. ft. brewery, with 65,000 sq. ft. packaging hall.
Years in operation: 18 years (opened August 1996).
“If you really want it, you can have it.” [Tweet This]
Listener question:
From John D.: What’s your least favorite style of beer?
Book recommendation:
“I haven’t been reading books, I’m awful. I need to get back into it.”
Check out the entire list of recommended books, click here.
An upcoming beer style:
Session IPA
Other resources:
We’re No Angels, New York Times Sunday Book Review, Kathryn Harrison, September 30, 2007.
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https://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MicroBrewr058.jpg280750Nathan Piercehttps://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Logo3-Copy1.gifNathan Pierce2015-04-02 04:00:532015-08-07 15:44:48MicroBrewr 058: Be confident to get where you need to go
Nadia Vazirzadeh had only a bachelor’s degree in biology, zero knowledge of beer, when she started working on the quality control team at Golden Road Brewing, Los Angeles, California.
“I knew I wanted to do something the rest of my life that I loved,” she says. “I still had people trying to convince that, ‘Don’t you want to be a doctor? What’s beer really doing for anybody?’ I take pride in what I do in the beer industry. I think it’s really important. I really like what I do and this alone is really fulfilling to me.”
As part of her job to make sure that the brewery brings consistently great beer, her daily duties are:
Check gravities
Get yeast for new batches of beer
Use the alcolyzer
Conduct grist analysis
Check IBUs
Put together sensory tasting for staff
Nadia Vazirzadeh, at Golden Road Brewing, convinced the 7 brewers into dressing up like Snow White’s 7 Dwarves for Halloween. Source: Facebook.
Nadia recommends reading about what you’re working with and reading about other breweries. “Everybody does something different,” she says. “Read. That’s really my main recommendation.”
Brewery specs:
Kettle size: 50 BBL.
Size and quantity of fermentation tanks: 16, 300-BBL fermenters, including some conversion tanks.
Size and quantity of bright tanks: 3, 200-BBL.
Annual brewing capacity/last year’s production: About 30,000 BBL in 2014.
Square footage: 32,000 sq. ft.
Years in operation: 3.5 years (founded 2011).
“I knew I wanted to do something the rest of my life that I loved.” [Tweet This]
Listener question:
From Pour & Beerded: How did you get yourself to make the leap to go all in or nothing? Especially if you quit a decent job…
If you’re like me, you don’t have a million dollars to start the brewery of your dreams. If you have brewing skills and can create recipes, contract brewing could be a way to create a product and establish a customer base with minimal initial investment. That’s how Jayne Lewis and Danielle Allen started Two Birds Brewing in Spotswood, Victoria, Australia.
Jayne and Danielle were longtime friends when they realized they each shared long-term life goals. Danielle had a background in marketing and sales, while Jayne had years of experience as a commercial brewer.
Nine months after they made the decision, they were working for themselves. For about 3 years Jayne brewed on dozens of other systems. Finally, about 9 months ago, they had increased their brand and their market enough to open their own package brewery.
Their whole business has been financed by themselves. So they don’t have outside investors.
Brewery specs:
Kettle size: 18 hL (15-BBL).
Size and quantity of fermentation tanks: 4, 36 hL (4, 30-BBL fermenters). 2, 72 hL (2, 60-BBL) due in June 2015.
Size and quantity of bright tanks: 36 hL (30-BBL). 72 hL (60-BBL) due in June 2015.
Annual brewing capacity/last year’s production:
Square footage: 460 sq. m. (4,951 sq. ft.).
Years in operation: The production brewery has been operating for 9 months (opened June 2014). The brand has been operating for 3 years and 9months (opened June 2011).
“You’ve gotta do what you have to do, in order to do what you want to do.” [Tweet This]
Listener question:
From Chris Tiffany: How do you preserve fresh hop character, especially aroma, when bottles may sit for a while before being enjoyed?
“Compare free quotes from top suppliers within 48 hours.”
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https://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MicroBrewr055.jpg280750Nathan Piercehttps://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Logo3-Copy1.gifNathan Pierce2015-03-17 04:00:002015-11-16 21:24:30MicroBrewr 055: Use contract brewing to de-risk with minimal cash injection
You’ve decided that your brewery is going to be a cooperative. Now you need to find others who will share the burden and resources. You can work together to start your own brewery. That’s what Christian Borglum and others are doing with San Jose Co-op Brewpub in San Jose, California.
San Jose Co-op Brewpub is still being planned. So it’s not certain what the future establishment will look like. A dedicated group of people are volunteering their time and pooling resources toward their shared dream: to own and operate a brewpub.
Christian is currently on the volunteer board. He gives us insight to the progress.
It will be a democratically run business.
The members will own a part of the company and have voting rights to elect the board of directors.
Membership lasts a lifetime.
San Jose Co-op Brewpub is currently doing a membership drive. They’re trying to double their membership from 300 to 600, by April 2015. Now is your opportunity to own a part of California’s first co-op brewpub.
If you’re thinking of starting a brewpub, the cooperative business model might be the way to go. Chris Hamje has been at Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery, in Austin, Texas, since shortly after they opened. He explains how the cooperative model plays out for their operation.
Jessica Brook Deahl, an accomplished and self-proclaimed “Beer Artist” at her opening show with head brewer Chris Hamje of Black Star Co-op.
“There’s a lot of precedence for a worker-owned factory model,” explains Chris. “When you look at beer, this is a very high-tech fabrication plant. The model works very well, the precedence is there historically, for this exact operational process. When you take the people who are moving parts of this factory, giving the most creative input in what the product is like, you suddenly have something really special. And that works really well in the craft beer movement.”
There are many ways to organize a brewery co-op. Black Star has 2 member bases.
There are about 3,000 “patrons” worldwide, who pay $150 for a lifetime membership, and gain the right to elect a 9-seat board of directors.
The “workers assembly” has great autonomy as they follow the board policies on a day-to-day basis. Employees must work at the co-op for one year before going before an election to gain a place on the workers assembly. The workers assembly has one meeting each month, and votes on day-to-day operations.
Chris is currently preparing to start a production, package brewery, 4th Tap Brewing Co-op, in Austin that will also be a co-op. He has lots of advice, including:
Look at how your state’s laws treat a co-op.
Choose a location with high visibility.
Take a class in organic chemistry.
Hire an extra staff member.
Last week we talked with Sustainable Economies Law Center to get an overview of the cooperative business model and how it might apply to a brewery. Next week we’ll hear from San Jose Co-op Brew Pub about their plans to start California’s first co-op brewery.
Brewery specs:
Kettle size: 10 BBL.
Size and quantity of fermentation tanks: 4, 10-BBL.
Size and quantity of bright tanks: 5, 10-BBL.
Annual brewing capacity/last year’s production: A little over 700 BBL.
Square footage: Around 900 sq. ft., including a mezzanine.
Years in operation: 4 years (opened 2010).
“Always have that little bit of fear that drives you to learn more.” [Tweet This]
Listener question:
From Zack Chance: Where do you recommend buying ingredients on the West Coast? How do estimate the number of customers in a year?
“Be co-owner in California’s first co-op brewpub.”
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You’ve spent months working toward opening your brewery, now you’re finally ready for the public. How do you come out with a bang? Henry Thornhill and friends recently opened West Cork Brewing Company in Baltimore, Ireland. They share how to put on a successful opening night.
West Cork is renowned for its high quality food. Now quality craft beer also comes from West Cork.
West Cork Brewing was started in 2014 by three friends, Henry Thornhill, Dominic Casey, and Kevin Waugh, with just €15,000 (approx. US$12,000).
Although it’s a nanobrewery operating in the basement of Casey’s of Baltimore hotel, they knew they had to come out with a bang.
Here’s what they did for their grand opening:
T-shirts with brewery logo
Promotional photos on the wall
Nonstop tours of their brewery
Live music
Food pairings
Media was also a big part of West Cork’s grand opening. They had coverage in local and national newspapers as well as local radio stations. Here’s how you do it:
Send press releases before the event including lots of photos.
Invite media to attend the event.
Blitz social media.
Talk with friends of friends to make connections with media.
Keep up the momentum by leveraging coverage after the event.
Reflecting on the event, Henry has some suggestions for ways they could have improved:
Write a plan for media outreach.
Blitz local radio stations.
Decide on a goal for the evening.
“It’s good to have goals and then to work backwards from goals to see what kind of tactics you need to put in place.”
Brewery specs:
Kettle size: 200 liter (53 gallon)
Size and quantity of fermentation tanks: 1, 200 liter (53 gallon)
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https://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MicroBrewr045.jpg280750Nathan Piercehttps://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Logo3-Copy1.gifNathan Pierce2015-01-13 04:00:522016-06-04 11:07:32MicroBrewr 045: Launch your brewery with a strong opening night
Welcome to MicroBrewr podcast. We talk about everything craft beer related, with a focus for people looking at starting their own microbrewery or wanting to take their existing brewery to the next level.
As usual, I’m Nathan Pierce, the host of MicroBrewr Podcast.
This is going to be just a short review of the past year for MicroBrewr and also an update of my plans to start a brewery, because some people ask about that. Myself wanting to start a brewery, has sort of become the premise of a lot of MicroBrewr, so I’ll talk briefly about that.
MicroBrewr in 2014
Wow, MicroBrewr! What a cool thing. I guess, if you’re listening to this, you agree with me what a cool thing MicroBrewr is, and especially MicroBrewr Podcast.
How often do we get to go behind the scenes in any business? To talk with successful business owners and find out their worst mistakes, their biggest successes, and get advice for doing it better than they did. And we do this every week not just for any business, but for craft breweries!
When I first heard this podcast probably in episode 2 or 3, when Joe Shelerud was doing it, I was neck deep in developing my business plan. The episodes were still just every other week and I couldn’t get enough of them.
Even after Joe interviewed me on episode 5, I was still listening every week, taking notes, getting light-bulb moments, and learning things that I hadn’t thought of, ways to fix my business plan or make it better. It was such a great resource to me at the time.
Then when it was going to end forever, I called up Joe and asked him if I could continue the website and podcast. I just felt that it was a great resource for myself, so I didn’t want it to end.
And I was thinking of others who must be using it too. I’ve heard that more than one brewery per day has opened this year. That’s a lot of people who need this very information.
I happened to be cruising past Medford on a road trip this summer, so I called Opposition, totally last minute, and they let me come in on their day off. They were closed for business but they were there doing other work, and they gave my girlfriend and I tour of their little nanobrewery. They even gave me growler, my very first growler, believe it or not. And it’s pretty cool, too. I like their logo, and the growler is printed with silver, glitter ink. So it’s pretty neat.
MicroBrewr is going to be at it’s best as a resource for you to find information on starting your brewery, or improving your brewery.
I mean there are tons of books about operating a brewery. (Many of them are on the MicroBrewr book list. hehe) You can find this information anywhere, and some of it can be dense.
I’m trying to make this approachable to people just like me. Maybe we don’t know what we’re doing, but we do have a dream.
It’s not unrealistic. I’ve talked to people who didn’t know what they were doing—they didn’t have business experience—but they had a dream. They had passion and desire, and they opened their own brewery. Usually it’s starting small, but they’re doing what they love. They have the reward of working for themselves and doing what they know deep inside that they should be doing. And they’re making profits, they’re paying the bills, they’re still in business.
Planning a brewery in 2014
Maybe I’m crazy, but I’d rather work 60 hours or more at my own brewery, than 40 hours for someone else.
I want to create something new. I want to help other people. I want to inspire others to be great.
And craft beer is so exciting. This is such a neat industry. Who knows how it will be in the future, when there is actually competition and there are so many breweries that everybody, even the little guys, have to compete with each other. But for now, it’s an industry that helps each other. All the breweries are raising each other up. They’re loaning ingredients to their friends across town, or even loaning staff! Or they’re just sharing their knowledge—like on this podcast.
So this is where I want to be.
I’m still learning how to start a brewery, and MicroBrewr has become a huge part of that.
Honestly, Microbrewr has come to take a lot of time. I’ve been investing a ton of time into this. It’s not just recording an interview. It’s many tasks that, collectively, take a lot of time:
Learning how to use WordPress
Learning how to use Garage Band
Getting better at Photoshop
Editing sound
Typing show notes
Scheduling interviews and social media
And more!
So I’ve been neglecting the actual grunt-work of really trying to start an actual, brick-and-mortar business—a brewery. Yet this is, in fact, moving forward on my plans to start a brewery.
I’m updating my resume with the skills and knowledge that I’m picking up through this. When I go get money from the bank or investors, they’ll want to see that I’m knowledgeable, that I’m competent and qualified to make it work and to pay them back.
I’m making connections. I now know 50 or so people who are inside the industry, already doing what I want to do. When it comes time to find mentors, I have a big pool of people to draw from.
Even one person reached out to me about partnering on an actual brewery. We met in person, we talked a couple hours, hopefully we’ll meet again. Who knows where it’s going to go, but it gave me hope that this is still possible. If nothing comes from that, maybe somebody else will find me from MicroBrewr.
People can have a conversation with me every week—myself and the guests of the podcast. So they’ll have a pretty good idea what I’m all about, and they can check my blog nathanpierce.me and learn more about my vision of the brewery that I want to start. Who knows what can happen.
But not enough is happening.
I know the MicroBrewr audience, the “MicroBrewrs,” feel a connection with me. I know how it is, I listen to podcasts, too. I mean, I feel like Pat Flynn is my best friend because I listen to his podcast every week and he helps me so much, but I’ve never met him.
So I’m going to be honest. If you listening to this show, you probably know I go deep. So here’s the deal. You all know I quit my job last year. My savings is running low and my part-time job isn’t cutting it anymore.
I gotta find a real job.
I really want to get a job at a craft brewery. It’s getting kid of dire, so I’m applying everywhere—and there have been some jobs outside the craft beer industry that looked like they could really resonate with me—but I’m really hoping for a job at a craft brewery.
Hopefully in the San Francisco Bay Area because it’s not too far from where I’m living now and it’s not too far from my family. My girlfriend lives in the East Bay and I other friends in the Bay Area.
Then I’ll have some actual, real-world experience under my belt. I can learn what it really takes, day-to-day, to operate a brewery. Experience is crucial.
Man, in a dream world, the brewery who hires me would recognize the intrinsic marketing value that comes with hiring a guy who produces a weekly podcast about craft breweries. They’ll give me time to continue MicroBrewr and I’ll be able to talk about things that happen at the brewery for all of us to learn from.
That would be amazing!
Maybe I’m just dreaming. I don’t know. If you own a brewery in the Bay Area, give me a call, let’s see what we can do.
But realistically, I already have several episodes of MicroBrewr Podcast recorded.
I was thinking ahead to the coming year and I kinda got zealous about the podcast schedule. It’s going to be a little bit different moving forward. There will be sort of themes. There will be series of episodes, a few episodes in a row, all on the same topic.
We’ll see how it goes. Send me message and let me know how that works for you.
Anyway, I’ve recorded several so far. So if I get a job right away and it ends up being just too much to keep this going, at least I have several episodes already recorded. That takes a lot of the work and time off my hands for at least the next few months.
And I think the next few months of MicroBrewr Podcast are going to be pretty cool. I’m excited about the next few months of episodes.
Here’s to 2015
Anyway, I just wanted to give you that recap, and that update. It’s a year-end bonus episode of MicroBrewr Podcast.
This is scheduled to publish on New Year’s Eve, but you might not even be listening to this until 2015. But if you listen to this in time…
I wish you a happy and safe time celebrating in the New Year. Here’s to 2015 and here’s to us, our plans, our dreams, our aspirations.
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https://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MicroBrewr043.jpg280750Nathan Piercehttps://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Logo3-Copy1.gifNathan Pierce2014-12-31 04:00:242015-08-05 23:46:59MicroBrewr 043: BONUS Happy New Year
Kyle Roth is just about to finish the brewing apprenticeship through Platform Beer Co.’s incubator program. Soon he, his brother and cousins, partners in Ferndock Brewing Company in Sandusky, Ohio, will venture out on their own.
We heard from Paul Benner, who told us about Platform Beer Co.’s incubator program, in MicroBrewr Podcast episode 026. Kyle is the first person to go through the brewing apprenticeship program and he’s so glad that he did.
The apprenticeship gave Kyle a jumpstart in everything he needs to know to open a brewery.
His advice to a homebrewer who wants to start a commercial brewery:
Start earlier
Make connections
Find a mentor
Talk to brewers
“Best idea so far has been joining Platform Beer Co. and taking this opportunity to go pro.” [Tweet This]
Listener question:
From Jimmy Batte: How do you get your percent cost mark up? Is there a typical 30% you apply to everything? What is the general guideline?
Help keep MicroBrewr on the air. CLICK HERE for ways you can help.
https://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MicroBrewr039.jpg280750Nathan Piercehttps://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Logo3-Copy1.gifNathan Pierce2014-12-09 04:00:082015-08-04 23:21:33MicroBrewr 039: Apprenticing in a brewery incubator program
Dan Gordon enjoyed beer from the young age of 15 years. In high school, he lived next door to 2 brewers when he studied in Austria. Then in post-grad, he studied Brewing Engineering and Beverage Technology in Germany. Back home in Palo Alto, he partnered with restaurateur, Dean Biersch, to open a brewpub in Palo Alto, California, which later became Gordon Biersch Brewing Company in San Jose, California.
Gordon Biersch went on to open brewpubs throughout the U.S. and abroad. They had to divest, but remain connected. Meanwhile Gordon Biersch Brewing Company was the 49th largest craft brewery in the nation based on 2013 numbers. Their beers won 4 medals in the 2014 Great American Beer Festival.
Dan and Gordon Biersch were part of the famed craft beer class of 1988. He has a wealth of insight. Here are some of his suggestions:
Get industrial experience from a legitimate brewer
Invest in quality equipment
Stay true to your genre
Start bottling sooner rather than later
Hold your breath and wait a little bit
“[Homebrewing] is a foundation and building block for making beer popular these days.” [Tweet This]
Listener question:
From Trina Christensen: What is the most rewarding thing about brewing? Are you tired of cleaning yet?
Help keep MicroBrewr on the air. CLICK HERE for ways you can help.
https://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MicroBrewr038.jpg280750Nathan Piercehttps://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Logo3-Copy1.gifNathan Pierce2014-12-02 04:00:382015-08-04 23:21:09MicroBrewr 038: Learn the classics and stay true to your genre
Mark Carpenter wasn’t happy with his job. One day, he took a tour of Anchor Brewing, San Francisco, California, and thought it would be a fun place to work. Over 40 years later, he’s still the brewer.
Shaun O’Sullivan, Founder and Brewer of 21st Amendment Brewery says Anchor Brewing is “the epicenter of craft beer for all of us in this industry.”
Anchor Brewing has been operating in San Francisco under the same name since 1896. The company struggled severely in the mid-1900s. Fritz Maytag loved to drink Anchor Steam Beer on tap, and he bought the company in 1965.
Fritz had to learn to brew, and he invested heavily in brewing equipment and modernizing the processes. It is no wonder he is often called “the father of modern microbreweries.”
And Mark Carpenter, has been there almost the whole time. It was an honor to be able to speak with Mark on-site at the same brewery location where he’s been making beer since 1979.
When Mark started working at Anchor in 1971, they were producing “the only beer in America that really wasn’t just a yellow beer.”
When Anchor Porter was released in 1973, not one porter was being made in England. Most dark beers, were simply the light beer with coloring added.
Liberty Ale, with its Cascade hops, came out in 1975, a time when not many—if any—other breweries were using the Cascade hops as an aroma hop.
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https://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MicroBrewr037.jpg280750Nathan Piercehttps://microbrewr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Logo3-Copy1.gifNathan Pierce2014-11-25 04:00:272016-12-29 16:59:20MicroBrewr 037: A forty-year career at the epicenter of craft beer
It doesn’t seem to be hindering her. She created the widely popular 
