91
Classifieds / Re: Immersion chillers for sale
« on: March 22, 2012, 06:21:46 PM »
These were sold, sorry.
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92
Going Pro / Re: "The Grand Timeline"
« on: March 09, 2012, 10:39:28 AM »
The order is typically: real estate, architect/construction, local health department, TTB, state licensing, local licensing.
Some parts of the order can vary depending on your state, but TTB requires you to supply either a lease that specifically states you will be placing a brewery on the property or a deed showing that you own the property. The TTB also requires a floor plan. And often times, the local health department will want to check over all of that before you start construction. In many states, state licensing requires you to submit your approved Brewer's notice from the TTB and in many areas, local licensing requires you to submit your state licensing.
Some parts of the order can vary depending on your state, but TTB requires you to supply either a lease that specifically states you will be placing a brewery on the property or a deed showing that you own the property. The TTB also requires a floor plan. And often times, the local health department will want to check over all of that before you start construction. In many states, state licensing requires you to submit your approved Brewer's notice from the TTB and in many areas, local licensing requires you to submit your state licensing.
93
Going Pro / Re: Looking into starting a meadery
« on: March 09, 2012, 10:14:46 AM »
Also, with regards to the tax liability....
When you set up your meadery you will have designations in the production area that will classify the area and consequently the mead in that area as pre-tax or post-tax. Mead is post-tax after it has been measured in a tax determination tank/keg/bottles. So if you have a bunch of mead sitting around in barrels or tanks just maturing, you actually don't have any tax liability on it.
I don't know the exact format of winery logs, but on the brewery side, you keep detail brewer's logs that track a batch from ingredients all the way to keg/bottle. This process accommodates beer you lose to various production processes (dry hopping, sampling, etc.) and also takes into account any product you may end up destroying if it doesn't turn out or doesn't meet your standards for retail.
When you set up your meadery you will have designations in the production area that will classify the area and consequently the mead in that area as pre-tax or post-tax. Mead is post-tax after it has been measured in a tax determination tank/keg/bottles. So if you have a bunch of mead sitting around in barrels or tanks just maturing, you actually don't have any tax liability on it.
I don't know the exact format of winery logs, but on the brewery side, you keep detail brewer's logs that track a batch from ingredients all the way to keg/bottle. This process accommodates beer you lose to various production processes (dry hopping, sampling, etc.) and also takes into account any product you may end up destroying if it doesn't turn out or doesn't meet your standards for retail.
94
Going Pro / Re: Looking into starting a meadery
« on: March 09, 2012, 10:11:10 AM »Something I didn't really think about before looking into this was excise taxes. For small beer producers, the federal excise tax is equivalent to $0.22/gallon ($7/bbl), while the excise tax on low-volume production wine is $0.17/gallon. Missouri state excise taxes are $0.42/gallon for wine, and $0.06/gallon for beer.
So the tax liability can really add up quickly if you're doing any volume at all. I'm still having a hard time figuring out taxes for selling wholesale. Maybe there aren't any? I found retail sales taxes, but no manufacturer or wholesaler taxes, other than the initial excise tax.
If you're selling to another company wholesale, retail tax typically passes through to the last entity that is actually selling the goods to the consumer. Otherwise you would have more instances of goods being double, triple, or even quadruple taxed before consumers got their hands on them.
You usually avoid paying the sales tax by acquiring a state sales tax number. Then when you buy something like honey or bottles, you won't have to pay tax. But if you bought something where you were considered a consumer, like a tank, then most likely you have to pay the tax... unless you were buying the tank for resale (there are certain exemptions in certain states under economic development acts, etc.).
95
Going Pro / Re: How hard is it to be a pro brewer?
« on: March 01, 2012, 11:11:16 PM »
It will depend on your rent, how much utilities are you in your area, what sort of improvements you have to do to the facility, how much your various insurance premiums are, etc. If you pay yourself absolutely nothing, it will be easier to break even as well, at least on paper.
A BBL is definitely not over 250 pints though.
A BBL is definitely not over 250 pints though.
96
Going Pro / Re: Filtering carbonated beer.
« on: March 01, 2012, 10:45:07 PM »
You're using a centrifugal pump with a vfd?
97
Kegging and Bottling / Re: think about a beer engine build, and have a few questions
« on: February 29, 2012, 08:16:37 PM »
As far as I know, real ale / cask conditioned ale, often has priming sugar added to it...
http://www.camra.org.uk/visageimages/pdfs/how_beer_is_brewed.pdf
http://www.camra.org.uk/visageimages/pdfs/how_beer_is_brewed.pdf
98
General Homebrew Discussion / Re: American Brown Style Guidelines
« on: February 23, 2012, 09:20:28 AM »
There are a number of subcategories like this in the BJCP guidelines where many judges associate the entire subcategory with a specific classic example. Fundamentally, that doesn't mean that an American Brown with Williamette or EKG is any less American Brown than the same one with Cascade/Amarillo.
But the key to winning ribbons in subcategories like these is to make it easier on the judges. You want to make a base beer that is recognizable by every BJCP judge (certified to grand master) as an American Brown versus relying on a more experienced judge in the flight to explain to the other judges, "Actually, American Brown typically/optionally may have those hops but it isn't strictly required."
Once you have that unmistakable base beer developed (and assuming you have sound brewing practices, non-infected, etc.), your beer is going to float into the top 10% of a flight just by that fact alone. Then you work on the subtle details that will push the beer into best of show contention because if by some miracle your Williamette American Brown floats into the best of show otherwise, you may not find an advocate to wax poetically to all the other best of show judges about it, and it will be eliminated fairly early.
These things are just the nature of brewing for competition versus brewing for your own enjoyment or even brewing for the enjoyment of others.
But the key to winning ribbons in subcategories like these is to make it easier on the judges. You want to make a base beer that is recognizable by every BJCP judge (certified to grand master) as an American Brown versus relying on a more experienced judge in the flight to explain to the other judges, "Actually, American Brown typically/optionally may have those hops but it isn't strictly required."
Once you have that unmistakable base beer developed (and assuming you have sound brewing practices, non-infected, etc.), your beer is going to float into the top 10% of a flight just by that fact alone. Then you work on the subtle details that will push the beer into best of show contention because if by some miracle your Williamette American Brown floats into the best of show otherwise, you may not find an advocate to wax poetically to all the other best of show judges about it, and it will be eliminated fairly early.
These things are just the nature of brewing for competition versus brewing for your own enjoyment or even brewing for the enjoyment of others.
99
Kegging and Bottling / Re: HopRocket Randall Foam & Stopped
« on: February 08, 2012, 03:39:20 PM »A long and artfully-arranged serving line between the Randall and the tap would likely serve the same purpose (increased restriction forcing CO2 back into solution).
Perhaps with an ice bath or see-through tank and waterproof rope lights or LED's or those flashing ice cubes and some dry ice to keep the line cold. Just being imaginative--the unwashed masses might think it was really cool although you and I know the real magic is in the hops.
On a more practical note, I have been to a Randall-night at a local pub. The foaming issues (one water filter housing) were so bad that the bartenders resorted to dumping or spooning out the foam to fill the beer glasses with enough liquid beer. Big Sigh...
what's the point, then?!
I have like 8 ft of high restriction before and after the randall, 3/16" hose and it still foams like crazy.
100
General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Opinion about posting Jamil's recipes
« on: February 08, 2012, 03:34:07 PM »would love to see some downloadable brewing books.
Brewers Publications has some books available on Kindle but only a handful. Actually we are working on a new digital initiative beginning this year. We will be investing in both epub format (works on most all readers) and a kindle format for titles. The conversion process is note a quick thing as our books are not text only. Text only books are pretty quick and easy but you start throwing in recipes, sidebars, charts and graphs and it can throw a lot of formatting out of whack.
In any case, I have two of them in production right now. How to Brew by John Palmer is first up on deck and will be followed by Sacred Herbal and Healing Beers. This technology will also allow us to bring back out of print titles that have been requested (think the Lambic book from the Classic Beer Style Series). I'd love to be able to have them all up asap but as mentioned it is more complicated than you may think though I expect it will get easier as time goes on. I'd rather take the time and do them right if we are going to put them out there. In the end with all the variables that come into play with these eReaders, I am doing what we can to ensure a good experience for the reader despite some technological limitations.
Stay posted on new releases and when eBooks are released by following progress on:
Facebook facebook/BrewersPublications, twitter handle @beerbooks and the new BP website is BrewersPublications.com
Cheers~
Kristi
Great
101
Kegging and Bottling / Re: HopRocket Randall Foam & Stopped
« on: February 08, 2012, 11:30:05 AM »
I hadn't seen that but I did go glance at it now that you've mentioned it.
It is definitely an interesting idea but doesn't have that same "wow" factor that a randall has. But that thread did point out another good idea, I use a french press to introduce coffee to my beers by filling the french press with beer, adding the coffee, and steeping cold for a few days, then I push the handle down and dose the keg with the appropriate amount of coffee beer to get the flavor I am looking for. It seems like you could do the same thing with hops instead of beer and have an added amount of control over the final beer.
It is definitely an interesting idea but doesn't have that same "wow" factor that a randall has. But that thread did point out another good idea, I use a french press to introduce coffee to my beers by filling the french press with beer, adding the coffee, and steeping cold for a few days, then I push the handle down and dose the keg with the appropriate amount of coffee beer to get the flavor I am looking for. It seems like you could do the same thing with hops instead of beer and have an added amount of control over the final beer.
102
Kegging and Bottling / Re: HopRocket Randall Foam & Stopped
« on: February 08, 2012, 11:19:35 AM »Our randall is not a hop rocket, so I can not elaborate on that product, but we use the "traditional" water filter housing technique but with a second chamber after the hop infuser. This cuts down on foaming significantly. OTOH if you are only pouring a couple pints at a time it may waste a lot of beer.
Also if it is clogging you might have it packed too full. Don't pack them in there. Just fill it and leave them slightly loose. The beer will cause the hops to swell significantly. Also be sure you didn't get any hops "dust" on any seals or inside the "filter" housing.
Any pictures? The second chamber doesn't have anything in it? I like some of the presentation aspects of Randalls but hate the waste introduced by the insane amount of foaming that seems inevitable with this setup since you're filtering carbonated beer through a billion tiny nucleation sites.
103
All Grain Brewing / Re: how to darken up my Bohemian Pils
« on: February 08, 2012, 11:16:41 AM »Granted I do not do decoctions or brew pilsners, but in my Kölsches, I use a small amount of Melanoidin or Aromatic malt to push it into the 3-4 SRM range and very subtly increase the malt character. I suspect the same could be done with a BoPils.
I would be very leery of combining significant amounts of any character/crystal malt and still doing the decoction. Melanoidin, in particular, can be easy to over-do and when combined with a double decoction can lead to more of a beefy flavor than a beery flavor
104
General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Opinion about posting Jamil's recipes
« on: February 08, 2012, 11:13:31 AM »As JZ's publisher I have an opinion to share.
As there is a collection of recipes from Brewing Classic Styles and also considering that the recipes are the substantial portion of the book, I believe this would be infringing on the copyright. See below from the copyright office.
"Copyright protection may, however, extend to substantial literary expression—a description, explanation, or illustration, for example—that accompanies a recipe or formula or to a collection of recipes, as in a cookbook. " Emphasis mine.
That said, as publisher, I have been generous with offering permission to those who have asked to post a recipe or two offering proper attribution. I prefer to work things out and have a great appreciation and understanding for the passionate sharing of information about brewing. However, in the end it is my job to protect my authors and their work. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
As always if you have any ideas for books you'd like to see or an author to suggest, I'm always open to your thoughts.
Cheers~
Kristi Switzer
Publisher, Brewers Publications
kristi@brewersassociation.org
www.BrewersPublications.com
Well said!
One thing that would be nice is Kindle editions of the Brewers Publications books.
105
All Grain Brewing / Re: help interpreting BJCP scoresheet
« on: February 08, 2012, 11:12:02 AM »
I was also going to add that you should definitely expect something a little more verbose from a Nationally ranked BJCP judge.
I am kind of on the fence with regards to comments that this should have been entered as a specialty beer. It seems to be around 12% rye. In my mind a rye IPA is more in the 15-20% (like Denny's Rye IPA recipe) range. Ultimately it really only depends on one thing though: "Versions with a noticeable Rye character (“RyePA”) should be entered in the Specialty category."
If you haven't already gotten it, I strongly recommend Gordon Strong's book about brewing because it really covers aspects of competition brewing that no other book really does.
I am kind of on the fence with regards to comments that this should have been entered as a specialty beer. It seems to be around 12% rye. In my mind a rye IPA is more in the 15-20% (like Denny's Rye IPA recipe) range. Ultimately it really only depends on one thing though: "Versions with a noticeable Rye character (“RyePA”) should be entered in the Specialty category."
If you haven't already gotten it, I strongly recommend Gordon Strong's book about brewing because it really covers aspects of competition brewing that no other book really does.