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Archive for January, 2010

Brew #7: Belgian Rose Witbier

24 Jan

So, I planned a new recipe over the weekend. I hope to brew it in the next week or so.

I got a little inspired over the weekend while thinking about a rose-flavored drink that was very popular when I lived in Singapore. It’s called bandun (bahn-doon) I believe. Evaporated milk, ice, and rose syrup. A lovely pink and sweet drink. Rose flavored drinks/snacks are quite popular in Asia and the Middle-east but don’t seem to be very prevalent here in the U.S.

T. G. Kiat & Co (Pte) Ltd Rose Syrup

So, how about a beer with rose flavor and aroma? Could it work?

I started thinking about this rose syrup, and rosewater, and did some research if anyone has made a rose-flavored beer. Nothing really came up, but I didn’t look that hard.

I think in order for this to really work the beer has to be a bit sweet and light, so I decided to try my hand at a Belgian witbier. While I have finalized the grain bill and hops, I have yet to figure out if I will add rose syrup or rose water, and if I will do it during the boil, during the fermentation or both. I’m leaning towards putting some rose syrup in at the end of the boil. As for fermenting, that depends on how much I want the rose aroma/flavor to come out. I don’t want to it to overpower, but I do want it to be noticeable. So, we’ll see.

Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Please note: I’m listing the amounts of grain by percentage for now.

40% 2-Row

40% White Wheat

10% Flaked Wheat

10% Acid Malt (sour)

Rice Hulls*

*(Adding rice hulls to the mash to prevent stuck mash from the high percentage of wheat)

60 minute mash.

60 minute boil.

1 oz Saaz hops added at 40 mins.

Tentative: 8 oz. T.G. Kiat & Co. Rose Syrup at end of boil.

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Posted in Beer + Life

Brew #6: MLK & Cookie Stout

20 Jan

It was Martin Luther King, Jr. day this past Monday and to celebrate the day I decided to brew the “MLK & Cookie Stout”.

I like oatmeal stouts a lot. I like chocolate stouts, too, but I tend to be very picky about them. I also was eager to experiment by making a milk stout. So what better, than to combine all three to make a milk and cookie stout!

I put the recipe together after having done some research on various homebrew websites, taking notes from various recipes and combining all the best into one.

Grains:

7 lbs Briess Organic 2-Row
1 lb Briess Flaked Oats
1 lb Briess Roasted Barley
1 lb Briess Caramel 80L
½ lb Briess Chocolate Malt

Hops:

1 oz Goldings (UK) @ 60min.
½ oz Goldings (Yakmia) @ 30 min.
½ oz Goldings (Yakima) @ 15 min.

Yeast:

Irish Ale (Wyeast 1084)

Misc:

½ lb Lactose at flame out.*
1 tsp Irish Moss at 15 min.

60 min mash @ 158F, sparge @ 168F, 60 minute boil.

OG: 1.055

*For those who aren’t brewers, lactose (milk sugar) is added to the beer because it is an unfermentable sugar and thus keeps the beer sweet. You can read more about milk stouts here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stout#Milk_stout

Brew notes:

It was my first time using the new Barley Crusher malt mill that I bought and I’m already glad I invested in it. My numbers were SPOT ON. Everything else went well on brew day, and the wort alone smelled great so I’m eager to try it in about 8 weeks!

Barley Crusher Malt Mill

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Posted in Beer + Life

Business Partner Wanted Ad: The Search Begins.

20 Jan

One of the most obvious issues with starting up a brewery is the fact that I cannot do this all by myself. I need to partner with someone whose strengths, skills and experience are complementary to my own. I need someone who is as passionate about my business idea as I am and willing to run this business with me, 50-50.

I’ve taken some time to think about what I’d really like to be doing when it comes to running the business as well as some things that I will definitely need help with in the future. I am perfectly content doing whatever it takes by wearing as many hats as possible, but I do see where having someone else with complementary strengths and weaknesses will be necessary for success.

I AM someone with:

A clear vision for the Robey Street mission and brand.
Strong organizational and multitasking skills.
A serious dedication to making this business come to fruition.
A passion for learning and learning quickly to get things done.
An eye for the big picture as well as all the details within.
Experience working in many different industries, business types, and with people from all over the world.
Growing knowledge about brewing and beer in general.
A preference to be behind the scenes working on the production side.
A realistic and practical approach to getting things done, and doing them right the first time around.
Strong budgeting and money management skills.

I NEED someone with:

A passion for craft beer and small business.
Enough time to dedicate themselves fully to this endeavor.
Start-up business experience, especially financing, putting together PPMs, etc.
Craft beer industry experience, whether on the business side of things, on the brewing side of things, or any combination thereof.
Experience managing small business finances.
A desire to promote the product and brand directly with the public. A “people person” who wants to be “face” of Robey Street.
Discipline, focus, and a positive attitude even in rough times.
NO drug, alcohol, or other dependencies. ABSOLUTELY SERIOUS. It’s one thing to love beer, it’s another thing to overdo it.
A clear understanding that we probably won’t be profitable for YEARS, so don’t expect to be making bank anytime soon.
Tons of money! (Just kidding…. kinda.)

Does this describe someone you or someone you know? Remember that I’m not looking to “hire” someone, I’m looking for a business partner. An EQUAL partnership. Serious inquiries only. CONTACT ME.

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Posted in Beer + Business

Just an update . . .

10 Jan

I’m just checking in because it’s been a while. I like to write most of my posts in Word first and make sure they’re complete before publishing them up here. Currently working on a WANTED ad for a business partner. This one has taken a lot of thought. I will post it at the end of the week.

Taking a few days off to celebrate my 30th birthday. I’ll be in SoCal and hope to check out a few breweries while I’m there (Stone is #1 on the list, followed by Lost Abbey and Green Flash). Of course I’ll be posting about that, too. :)

CHEERS!

Check out the birthday card I got from my parents :)

Birthday Card

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Posted in Beer + Life

For-Profit until we make a profit!

07 Jan

So, after doing some research, I have learned a few things about the whole non-profit beer company idea.

Legally, I cannot establish a beer company as a non-profit entity. Basically, I’d have to establish two companies, one for-profit, and a non-profit organization. The profits from the beer company can be then passed on to the non-profit arm.

Since it usually takes most microbreweries a couple years to break even, much less, become profitable, I will just be incorporating the for-profit beer company for now. Once we become profitable, I will do one of two things:

1. Open a non-profit to utilize profits from Robey Street beer sales.

2. Make all profits from specific beers benefit various local charities and organizations.

I’ve been leaning towards the second option.

So, there’s the update. Thanks to everyone for their feedback on the previous post(s)!

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Posted in Beer + Business

All Great Ideas Originate in the Shower

03 Jan

…At least for me, anyway.

Yesterday in the shower, I began to really question WHY I’m trying to open up a brewery and came to a few conclusions.

I’m not doing this to become rich.

I’ve never been motivated by money. Yes, I like money, and I’m not saying I don’t want it. I’m just saying that as long as I can pay my mortgage, my monthly bills, and save a little each month, I’ll be fine. The goal is to be doing what I want to do in life, in a job that I’m constantly learning from and challenged by. I don’t want to have to answer to someone above me, and I don’t want to toil away making money for those who don’t really need any more money in the first place. I want to brew beer that I’m proud of and that I can share with the public.

I want my company to give back to the community.

My beer is all about Chicago and each beer is dedicated to a piece of Chicago’s rich cultural history. When people read the labels of my beer, I want them to learn something about the city that they didn’t previously know. I would also like to donate profits to various Chicago charities and organizations that strive to educate and enlighten people about Chicago’s history as well as help strengthen its future.

The two conclusions above made me ask myself: Would it be possible for me to start a NON-PROFIT beer company?

So, I started to do some preliminary research to see whether or not it was even feasible, and came across a company that is doing just that! Finnegan’s in Minnesota is a non-profit beer company. Needless to say, I’m very excited at the prospect of doing something similar.

This week I’ll contacting the founder of Finnegan’s to ask her some questions as well as doing some more research into the feasibility/legality of this idea.

Question for you:

What do you think about this idea?

[CLARIFICATION: If all else was equal and the beer was tasty and delicious...]

Would you, as a beer drinker, be more/less inclined to purchase a craft beer whose profits went directly back to the community?

11 Comments

Posted in Beer + Business

Happy Brew Year!

01 Jan

Brew Year’s Eve went off without a hitch. I made good time and all my numbers were great. 80% efficiency. :) I ended up doing a second batch of the Burnham Brown Ale, but used a different yeast (London Ale) and hop plugs instead of leaf. We’ll see how much this will change the beer. Hopefully for the better, as I hope to enter it into a Brown Ale competition in February.

So, now it’s 2010 and this year is going to be all about business. There are some major hurdles that I have to get over in order to get this brewery off the ground.

Some of the goals for Robey Street this year include:

Find a Business Partner
Write the Business Plan
Get Funding
Finalize the recipes for the first 4 beers
Finalize the graphic design and branding for Robey Street and the beers

I GREATLY appreciate all the support I’ve received thus far and hope that craft beer fans will continue to support this endeavor. Especially those of you in Chicago. :)

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to go into greater detail about my goals listed above. I have a feeling that none of this can move forward without finding a business partner first. As much as I’d like to do this all myself, it’s just not realistic.

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Posted in Beer + Business