Background
(Actual questions in bold below for those who don’t want to spend too much time reading background info.)
I am looking to open up a 2-barrel nanobrewery within the next few years in a suburb outside of Chicago and, in the interim, am working to perform all the necessary diligence to that I’m ready (or as ready as I can be) when the time comes. I’ve read through all the nano posts that I can find here and elsewhere, and still have some preliminary questions.
First, as background, I’d plan to start out around 2 barrels, likely with Blichmann equipment, and would be focused on saisons, lambic-style beers, and other wild/mixed fermentation beers. Given that, my focus from the start would be solely on retail bottles sales without any distribution. Assume for the sake of this post that there are no questions about quality and I would have plenty of capital from the start and would only be relying on sales to cover monthly expenses after sales began. Aside from the small brewhouse, given the nature of the beers being produced, fermentation would occur exclusively in oak barrels. Eventually, once production picked up a bit, I would begin with weekend hours, serving house beers as well as other commercial saisons, lambics, Flanders Reds/Browns, and the like.
I have no direct experience at the professional level, though will be seeking at least volunteer opportunities prior to when I open up shop. My thought is that, at this stage, that wouldn’t be a hindrance given that I’d essentially be starting out with amped-up homebrew equipment on a very small scale, commercially speaking. Bottling at this volume would be doable with Blichmann Beer Guns, though of course a manual filler would be nice.
I would like to open in a location that will allow for expansion in the future. The initial 2-barrel system would serve a few main functions for me. First, proof of concept and dedication. Before sinking a lot of money into this, I’d like to ensure that it’s something I like doing professionally and can dedicate myself toward. Second, and somewhat-relatedly, time constraints. Before proceeding full speed ahead (at which point I would personally begin to work part time at my current job and potentially hire another brewer), I don’t have time to brew multiple times per week, distribute, etc. However, I would like to be prepared for expansion.
Questions
Space. Since I would like to be able to initially locate a space that would allow for a 7-15 bbl system, I’d be going with a space that would have plenty of square footage for such a system. Based on the information available on Specific Mechanical’s website and other sources, I’d also ensure from the start that the building would have the requisite electric, water, and similar capabilities. While the plan from the start is very basic, I don’t want to put myself in a poor position for future expansion.
For budgeting/planning purposes, are there certain things that would be used in a larger system that would be too difficult to install later and should come in from the start? Floor drains for the entire space, not just the small area that the nano system would take up? Large cold room (initial would be small given focus on bottle sales)? Something else I’m not thinking of? I’ve also thought about starting up further out away from Chicago in a more-rural area and building a space from scratch. Would this be significantly easier than a modifying an existing space in an urban area assuming water and the proper utilities were available?
Outside Help. From the beginning, I of course expect that I would need a real estate agent and an attorney to get things started. Given my lack of professional experience, would an architect and/or brewery consultant be wise to have from the start? Or is that really only an issue when putting in a bigger system? Once the bigger system would be going into place, I would determine whether I’d have the time/ability to continue to brew on my own, or whether I’d need to bring in an experienced brewer with a shared vision.
Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Mike
- Ambrosia Ales
(Actual questions in bold below for those who don’t want to spend too much time reading background info.)
I am looking to open up a 2-barrel nanobrewery within the next few years in a suburb outside of Chicago and, in the interim, am working to perform all the necessary diligence to that I’m ready (or as ready as I can be) when the time comes. I’ve read through all the nano posts that I can find here and elsewhere, and still have some preliminary questions.
First, as background, I’d plan to start out around 2 barrels, likely with Blichmann equipment, and would be focused on saisons, lambic-style beers, and other wild/mixed fermentation beers. Given that, my focus from the start would be solely on retail bottles sales without any distribution. Assume for the sake of this post that there are no questions about quality and I would have plenty of capital from the start and would only be relying on sales to cover monthly expenses after sales began. Aside from the small brewhouse, given the nature of the beers being produced, fermentation would occur exclusively in oak barrels. Eventually, once production picked up a bit, I would begin with weekend hours, serving house beers as well as other commercial saisons, lambics, Flanders Reds/Browns, and the like.
I have no direct experience at the professional level, though will be seeking at least volunteer opportunities prior to when I open up shop. My thought is that, at this stage, that wouldn’t be a hindrance given that I’d essentially be starting out with amped-up homebrew equipment on a very small scale, commercially speaking. Bottling at this volume would be doable with Blichmann Beer Guns, though of course a manual filler would be nice.
I would like to open in a location that will allow for expansion in the future. The initial 2-barrel system would serve a few main functions for me. First, proof of concept and dedication. Before sinking a lot of money into this, I’d like to ensure that it’s something I like doing professionally and can dedicate myself toward. Second, and somewhat-relatedly, time constraints. Before proceeding full speed ahead (at which point I would personally begin to work part time at my current job and potentially hire another brewer), I don’t have time to brew multiple times per week, distribute, etc. However, I would like to be prepared for expansion.
Questions
Space. Since I would like to be able to initially locate a space that would allow for a 7-15 bbl system, I’d be going with a space that would have plenty of square footage for such a system. Based on the information available on Specific Mechanical’s website and other sources, I’d also ensure from the start that the building would have the requisite electric, water, and similar capabilities. While the plan from the start is very basic, I don’t want to put myself in a poor position for future expansion.
For budgeting/planning purposes, are there certain things that would be used in a larger system that would be too difficult to install later and should come in from the start? Floor drains for the entire space, not just the small area that the nano system would take up? Large cold room (initial would be small given focus on bottle sales)? Something else I’m not thinking of? I’ve also thought about starting up further out away from Chicago in a more-rural area and building a space from scratch. Would this be significantly easier than a modifying an existing space in an urban area assuming water and the proper utilities were available?
Outside Help. From the beginning, I of course expect that I would need a real estate agent and an attorney to get things started. Given my lack of professional experience, would an architect and/or brewery consultant be wise to have from the start? Or is that really only an issue when putting in a bigger system? Once the bigger system would be going into place, I would determine whether I’d have the time/ability to continue to brew on my own, or whether I’d need to bring in an experienced brewer with a shared vision.
Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Mike
- Ambrosia Ales
Comment