Hello,
I am looking for a sanity-check on my proposed start-up brewery equipment needs for a 100-seat brewpub. Our plan is to produce a variety of rotating tap offerings (as opposed to producing large quantities of specific flagships). We are looking at a 10-BBL, 2-vessel brewhouse and anticipate that most of our sales will be across-the-bar in the first year or two with increasing distribution over the first five years (starting with self-distribution until we outgrow that model). We expect to sell 400 to 500 BBL in the first year and grow to upwards of 1000 BBL or more, following the success of in-house, take-away, and distribution sales. My start-up equipment proposal includes only 10-BBL sized cellar vessels instead of double brew-length vessels becuase we want to focus on variety at the tap with many offerings and rotation of the offerings. In fact, early on we may produce 5-BBL runs of the slower selling styles of beer. However, we intend to have room in the brewpub to add one additional 20-BBL FV and one 20-BBL BBT for when distribution sales increase and we introduce proper flagships.
I plan to install 15 taps with the intention of eventually having 12 or 13 taps of house beers plus a couple of taps of guest ciders or guest sours. I would like to serve a variety of American ales (IPA, pale ale, ect), Belgian ales (saisons, triples, wits), and german wheats and lagers. I realize that the extent of the variety will be based on practical brewing constraints, the cost of yeast, and how we intend to propagate and re-use yeast. Ultimately, that will be decided by my headbrewer and myself during the build-out phase of the brewery.
My overarching question is if the following proposed brewhouse and cellar would be satisfactory to produce 500 - 1000 BBL/year with a focus on variety both in terms of style but also in that we will continually rotate the beers with new hops combos, malt combos, local ingredients, ect. Here is what I have proposed right now:
2-vessel 10-BBL brewhouse (brewing 2 - 3 times per week and brewing either 10- or 5-BBL batches depending on how fast we expect to move that particular beer)
One 20-BBL HLT
One 20-BBL CLT (still undecided if I need the CLT or not)
Four 10-BBL FV
One 10-BBL BBT
Ten 10-BBL serving tanks (single-wall, inside cold room)
35 Barrels of keg capacity (both 1/2 and 1/6 barrel kegs) for overflow and distribution
Plate & Frame Filter - to be used for beer that we want filtered but not necessarily used for all beers
If there is a glaring problem with my plan, by all means call me out. I can handle the criticism.
Here are some more specific questions that I have:
1. Will producing 25 to 35% of our beers as lagers cause roadblocks with four FV? I think it will be OK at 500 BBL per year but it will become a problem if I am producing 1000 BBL.
2. Is one BBT sufficient for four FV? I estimated getting away with just one based on 2 brews/week with 2 week fermentation schedules and the transfer from FV--> BBT (carbonate) --> serving tank happening in 1 working day. That would be ~ 1000 BBL/year assuming a 50 week, well-planed brew schedule. I can see how it may be problematic to do 1000 BBL if Lagers are in the mix; but I think it would be sufficient for my start up years where I'm selling 500 - 750 BBL/year. Thoughts?
3. I have considered adding a dedicated 10-BBL unitank or FV just for lagers. Is that necessary or even a good idea?
4. Could I just as easily go with five unitanks instead of four FV and one BBT? In other words, would I be able to produce the same volume of beer (and variety) over a given period of time and will I get similar enough results using a unitank versus using FVs and BBT. I am assuming it will take one working day for transfer to BBT, carbonation, and then transfer to serving tanks or kegs.
5. Would I actually be better off going with a 5- or 7-BBL brewhouse and 10-BBL FV/BBT/Serving Tanks and just double batch the really popular beers?
Thanks for any answers, comments, or suggestions!
Chris
I am looking for a sanity-check on my proposed start-up brewery equipment needs for a 100-seat brewpub. Our plan is to produce a variety of rotating tap offerings (as opposed to producing large quantities of specific flagships). We are looking at a 10-BBL, 2-vessel brewhouse and anticipate that most of our sales will be across-the-bar in the first year or two with increasing distribution over the first five years (starting with self-distribution until we outgrow that model). We expect to sell 400 to 500 BBL in the first year and grow to upwards of 1000 BBL or more, following the success of in-house, take-away, and distribution sales. My start-up equipment proposal includes only 10-BBL sized cellar vessels instead of double brew-length vessels becuase we want to focus on variety at the tap with many offerings and rotation of the offerings. In fact, early on we may produce 5-BBL runs of the slower selling styles of beer. However, we intend to have room in the brewpub to add one additional 20-BBL FV and one 20-BBL BBT for when distribution sales increase and we introduce proper flagships.
I plan to install 15 taps with the intention of eventually having 12 or 13 taps of house beers plus a couple of taps of guest ciders or guest sours. I would like to serve a variety of American ales (IPA, pale ale, ect), Belgian ales (saisons, triples, wits), and german wheats and lagers. I realize that the extent of the variety will be based on practical brewing constraints, the cost of yeast, and how we intend to propagate and re-use yeast. Ultimately, that will be decided by my headbrewer and myself during the build-out phase of the brewery.
My overarching question is if the following proposed brewhouse and cellar would be satisfactory to produce 500 - 1000 BBL/year with a focus on variety both in terms of style but also in that we will continually rotate the beers with new hops combos, malt combos, local ingredients, ect. Here is what I have proposed right now:
2-vessel 10-BBL brewhouse (brewing 2 - 3 times per week and brewing either 10- or 5-BBL batches depending on how fast we expect to move that particular beer)
One 20-BBL HLT
One 20-BBL CLT (still undecided if I need the CLT or not)
Four 10-BBL FV
One 10-BBL BBT
Ten 10-BBL serving tanks (single-wall, inside cold room)
35 Barrels of keg capacity (both 1/2 and 1/6 barrel kegs) for overflow and distribution
Plate & Frame Filter - to be used for beer that we want filtered but not necessarily used for all beers
If there is a glaring problem with my plan, by all means call me out. I can handle the criticism.
Here are some more specific questions that I have:
1. Will producing 25 to 35% of our beers as lagers cause roadblocks with four FV? I think it will be OK at 500 BBL per year but it will become a problem if I am producing 1000 BBL.
2. Is one BBT sufficient for four FV? I estimated getting away with just one based on 2 brews/week with 2 week fermentation schedules and the transfer from FV--> BBT (carbonate) --> serving tank happening in 1 working day. That would be ~ 1000 BBL/year assuming a 50 week, well-planed brew schedule. I can see how it may be problematic to do 1000 BBL if Lagers are in the mix; but I think it would be sufficient for my start up years where I'm selling 500 - 750 BBL/year. Thoughts?
3. I have considered adding a dedicated 10-BBL unitank or FV just for lagers. Is that necessary or even a good idea?
4. Could I just as easily go with five unitanks instead of four FV and one BBT? In other words, would I be able to produce the same volume of beer (and variety) over a given period of time and will I get similar enough results using a unitank versus using FVs and BBT. I am assuming it will take one working day for transfer to BBT, carbonation, and then transfer to serving tanks or kegs.
5. Would I actually be better off going with a 5- or 7-BBL brewhouse and 10-BBL FV/BBT/Serving Tanks and just double batch the really popular beers?
Thanks for any answers, comments, or suggestions!
Chris
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