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Author Topic: Going going gone . . .  (Read 8858 times)

Offline majorvices

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Going going gone . . .
« Reply #15 on: November 12, 2012, 09:34:35 am »
Pics or it never happened.

Offline bluesman

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #16 on: November 12, 2012, 10:26:24 am »
Sounds like this could be more than a part-time thing if you're brewing up some quality product...which I know you are. Although you'd probably want to utilize a bigger system to become profitable and grow the business.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2012, 10:40:05 am by bluesman »
Ron Price

Offline bluesman

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #17 on: November 12, 2012, 10:27:11 am »
Pics or it never happened.

+1...love to see some pics.
Ron Price

Offline denny

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #18 on: November 12, 2012, 10:31:04 am »
Sounds like this could be more than a part-time thing if you're brewing up some quality product...which I know you are. Although you'de probably want to utilize a bigger system to become profitable and grow the business.

Screw the beer...what's the ice cream like?  ;)
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline bluesman

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #19 on: November 12, 2012, 10:40:35 am »
Sounds like this could be more than a part-time thing if you're brewing up some quality product...which I know you are. Although you'de probably want to utilize a bigger system to become profitable and grow the business.

Screw the beer...what's the ice cream like?  ;)

Hey now!  8)
Ron Price

Offline mors

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #20 on: November 12, 2012, 11:05:11 am »
I really like IPA paired with ice cream

Offline denny

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #21 on: November 12, 2012, 11:28:34 am »
Sounds like this could be more than a part-time thing if you're brewing up some quality product...which I know you are. Although you'de probably want to utilize a bigger system to become profitable and grow the business.

Screw the beer...what's the ice cream like?  ;)

Hey now!  8)

Priorities, Ron, priorities!  ;)
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline euge

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #22 on: November 12, 2012, 12:29:45 pm »
Sounds like this could be more than a part-time thing if you're brewing up some quality product...which I know you are. Although you'de probably want to utilize a bigger system to become profitable and grow the business.

Screw the beer...what's the ice cream like?  ;)

Hey now!  8)

Priorities, Ron, priorities!  ;)

Usually one doesn't get their phd and then just not use it. Tom was awarded his this past year (forgive me if I'm off a bit time-wise) and assuredly his research takes priority. This part time gig may be his way of achieving balance though...

Just guessing. :)
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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #23 on: November 12, 2012, 03:26:58 pm »
Funny enough, there is a plan to do growler deliveries in the local neighborhood.  Not my job though :)

The ice cream is awesome, super premium stuff with some vegan ice creams as well (the coconut mint chip is excellent).

It could turn into a full time thing, but not right away.  2 bbls at a time is obviously much too small, but I know some guys who are opening a 15 bbl brewery who expect to have spare capacity for the first 12-18 months.  They should be up and running by May/June, so figure September :)  But they might want for us to contract brew for them so they have something to put on tap right away, and then we can contract through them for our best sellers.

Here are some pics I took on the day I took over - it looks different now and is much less cramped, but it is just a small space, and I have to share it with ice cream stuff.  I haven't taken new pics, but I'll grab some this week.

Along the left wall from the front are one of the 3 bbls conicals, a carbonation tank, a scale on a glycol unit, a wine fermenter that was the only primary and doesn't hold pressure, then the other 3 bbl conical.  Next to that is the mash tun.


Here is the reverse angle shot - the kettle is in the front, storage in the back.  That furnace has since been removed.


This is the walk in - the ceiling is too low, it had no lights, nothing was connected except for one CO2 line, and it runs off an air conditioner.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline majorvices

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Going going gone . . .
« Reply #24 on: November 12, 2012, 04:06:47 pm »
Looks fun man! I'm sure the beer is as good as the ice cream.

Offline Poobah58

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #25 on: November 12, 2012, 05:13:15 pm »
Awesome!  Good luck...
You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning!

Offline boulderbrewer

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #26 on: November 13, 2012, 09:29:44 pm »
Nice photos! I know your beer is the bomb. Great luck in your endevor.

+1 for working 10 hours for some one else and enjoying it!

Offline Pawtucket Patriot

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #27 on: November 14, 2012, 09:21:34 am »
I'm late to this party, but congrats, Tom!  Sounds like a very "cool" gig! ;D
Matt Schwandt | Minneapolis, MN
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Offline Rhoobarb

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #28 on: November 14, 2012, 03:25:19 pm »
Holy cannoli, that looks like it WOULD be fun!
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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Going going gone . . .
« Reply #29 on: November 15, 2012, 03:05:28 am »
Ok, as promised, new pics.  I got out of the house for a couple of hours today (I've been sick) and went to paint a new blackboard on the wall - it needs to be dry by tomorrow.  The store is tiny by the way, I think 15 people would fill the retail space :)

This is the view from the front - the faucets I installed are on the left, the brewery is through the window blocked by the banner.


A close up of the faucets - yes, I had to stain and finish that board they are coming through too ;D


Here is the back side of the shanks, some cabinets had to be removed and there was some wall demo involved.


With the door closed, you can see the box I built to enclose everything.  Yes, it is in the bathroom.


Lighting is still poor in the walk in, and it's a lot more crowded now.  I'll finish straightening it before we launch.


Beer lines on the left, soda lines on the right - the one that goes out of the picture to the right goes to a bank of 5 corny fitting for carbing the soda.  The lines in the center are the glycol lines, the glycol is under that big coil of gas line in the back corner.


Rearranged upstairs, the two conicals in the back.


Kettle on the left, mash tun center front.  I'm still not using that big tank in the back for anything, but I might use it as an extra HLT to speed up my brew day by heating some water in the kettle.


Ingredient storage :)  The freezer on the right is full of ice cream, the machine on the left is for making ice cream.  There is a little space in the freezer for hops.


That's it - we start officially pouring  in about 15 hours.  All that's left is to frame the blackboard I painted on the wall, install the drop tray, mop the floors, and make sure the beer/soda are pouring all right.  We're having a short happy hour from 5-7 to launch, it can't be a huge event due to the size of the space.

Cheers all!
Tom Schmidlin