Mobile Brewery

[I H8 UM]

I figure this is the right category for a question like this.

What are your thoughts on a mobile brewery built in a long bread truck or box truck. How big of a brewery do you think you could cram in there? What problems do you see associated with this? Could you get it licensed for brewing (ohio) or your state?

The idea is to be able to go around the state to festivals and brew beer in front of people. I would want it to be as large as could fit in the 20' truck. Of course you would have to store the beer in a warehouse until ready. After a demonstration you could make a little money by selling beer made from the last festival you were at.

Pretty much just an idea to get people involved in brewing. What do you think? Possible?

Rich

[millerag]

Brewery

This exerpt is from TTB part 25
"Subpart C Location and Use of Brewery
§ 25.21 Restrictions on location.
A brewery may not be established or operated in any dwelling house or on board any vessel or boat, or in any building or
on any premises where the revenue will be jeopardized or the effective administration of this part will be hindered.
(Sec. 201, Pub. L. 85–859, 72 Stat. 1389, as amended (26 U.S.C. 5402))"


I am sure the TTB will not let if fly.

[beerking1]

This exerpt is from TTB part 25
"Subpart C Location and Use of Brewery
§ 25.21 Restrictions on location.
A brewery may not be established or operated in any dwelling house or on board any vessel or boat, or in any building or
on any premises where the revenue will be jeopardized or the effective administration of this part will be hindered.
(Sec. 201, Pub. L. 85–859, 72 Stat. 1389, as amended (26 U.S.C. 5402))"


I am sure the TTB will not let if fly.

Interesting. Aren't there a couple of brewpubs on boats in casino type riverboats somewhere? St Louis?

Of note, the British established floating breweries during WWII which they moved around to where the troops were in the SE Asia and Pacific theaters.

[burcher]

I straight up emailed ttb about this very question; if a brewery could be portable like those bbq trailers you see. They said no. HOWEVER, they say a lot of things that people get special permission (forget the term, a variance, maybe?) e.g. A brewery in an attached garage. If you can convince your local community you never know.

[Jephro]

Interesting. Aren't there a couple of brewpubs on boats in casino type riverboats somewhere? St Louis?

Moved to the NW from St. Louis a few years ago, and as far as i know there are still not any "in" any of the casinos there. Trailhead is about 4 blocks from one in St. Charles, and Morgan Street is about the same from another one downtown on the Landing. It should also be mentioned that two of the casinos are stationary buildings in trenches dug next to the Missouri River and are only technically "floating" in order to skirt the gambling laws. Only one on the Mo side was actually a riverboat tied up off the Landing on the Mississippi River and was about to undergo a huge renovation about the time i moved. It may, or may not still be on the boat but in the name of progress they leveled a giant section of the Historic Landing and tore down Mississippi Nights- one of the coolest little dive concert venues i have ever been to.

[millerag]

I straight up emailed ttb about this very question; if a brewery could be portable like those bbq trailers you see. They said no. HOWEVER, they say a lot of things that people get special permission (forget the term, a variance, maybe?) e.g. A brewery in an attached garage. If you can convince your local community you never know.

The whole attached garage thing is over. I called TTB last week and they specifically said that they no longer under any circumstances will approve an attached garage for a brewery location but will approve detached garages on a case by case basis.

There fn restrictions on location language is so fn vague..... they interpret it how ever they feel like.

[I H8 UM]

This exerpt is from TTB part 25
"Subpart C Location and Use of Brewery
§ 25.21 Restrictions on location.
A brewery may not be established or operated in any dwelling house or on board any vessel or boat, or in any building or
on any premises where the revenue will be jeopardized or the effective administration of this part will be hindered.
(Sec. 201, Pub. L. 85–859, 72 Stat. 1389, as amended (26 U.S.C. 5402))"


I am sure the TTB will not let if fly.

I've read this three times and I don't even know what this says. My brewery won't be in a dwelling house or a vessel or boat (is bread truck a vessel?) and I don't even comprehend the part about revenue being jeopardized or the administration of this part will be hindered. I even went to college.

[troybinso]

I think the main idea behind revenue being jeopardized, etc. is that it has to have a separate lockable entrance from your house, that way if beer goes missing from the taxable tank, then it must have been some sort of crime that you would report to the police, and on your excise tax form.

[Gordie]

Yeah, TTB won't give you a notice for it because they don't feel they can reliably audit your production and tax exposure, nevermind have any confidence in the boundaries of your bond. In addition, to my recollection every state issues liquor licenses as attached to a structure or defined, fixed location. The one exception I know about is a brew pub aboard a cruise ship, but my understanding is that they either brew in international waters only or have a license granted by the nation of maritime registration.

The short version is that the TTB and the ABCs of the word like fixed, designated locations with limited access by folks that aren't involved with the brewery.

Kevin

[Moonlight]

That is not to say that you couldn't make wort on said truck, just not add yeast (read "produce taxable alcohol") in this portable non-licensed premises.

[drewseslu]

Remember that episode of Monster Garage when they built a brewery on the back of an old fire truck? You might want to try and contact Lee Chase, as he worked on that build.

[beerking1]

Remember that episode of Monster Garage when they built a brewery on the back of an old fire truck? You might want to try and contact Lee Chase, as he worked on that build.

I bet you will find there is a BIG difference between building it and licensing it.

[drewseslu]

True, but they did brew beer on it, and serve it...

[theweeb]

The monster garage fire truck brewery rocked! Many states have separation requirements from schools, churches, and military bases (New Mex is 300 feet) which would be impossible to control. There are one-time permits that could be a great work-around for public events, however, much like is done for beer tents at county fairs and so on. I think the key would be to locate it in the permanent place of business and work exception permits on an event by event basis. Of course, I am probably on a completely wrong "dispensing" track here vs. "production." Maybe I should delete this post. ...

[Jephro]

On the TTB application line Address:____________________ I don't think "Bread Truck", a VIN, or P.O. Box will fly.

In the case of the Fire Truck Brewery, did they sell the beer? My guess would be it was probably legal only as a "Homebrew" setup, and legal only to give away beer. Allthough I'd be interested if anybody has any proof that it was a legal commercial brewery/brewpub- I think the BA would have to come up with a new definition for that one.