How Do You Start a Microbrewery?
Posted By admin on October 6, 2011
Let’s face it. Beer is not rocket science. In spite what the ‘beer snobs’ of the world would have us believe beer (literally) boils down to water, sugar, yeast, and hops. If one wishes to start a microbrewery just make sure that you cover 4 bases mentioned above, and then transform them into your own magic concoction known as beer.
Finding your supplier of grain, hops, and yeast is easy in today’s beer focused world. Similarly simple is finding the necessary equipment, much of which can even be found used in plentiful supply. A grain mill large enough to crush the barley and other grains, a large mash lauter / tun will be needed to extract the sugar from the grain, and a fermentation tank large enough to meet your targeted production are the minimum requirements.
The most challenging part of starting a microbrewery is navigating the red tape of the local governments and insurance agencies. With permits in hand the fun and excitement of brewing for the masses begins! Luckily, because you likely started as a home-brewer, the proper equipment really makes brewing a 500 gallon batch not much more difficult than the 5 gallon batch you are used to.
What to brew? A cold brewed German style pilsner? A robust Scotch ale? A Belgian wheat? A heavily spiced winter white? Why not try them all? After all, you are now the brew-master of your own microbrewery, and you are starting out at a time when the public is very welcoming to the sampling of every style of beer on Earth. Happy brewing!
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