Call me a glutton for punishment but I have accepted the Head Brewer position at Rocket Republic Brewing in Madison, AL. This brewery needs big time help, and not sure I can save it (the dummies weren’t even cleaning the draft lines because no one could figure out whose job it was. Pretty ridiculous.) But I’m going to give it my best shot. Their beers aren’t all bad. But there has been very little QC and a healthy dose of “don’t give a damn” so, as you can imagine, a solid recipe for failure.
This will be my third head brewing position in as many years (the first one being at the brewery I founded but can’t get bought out of, the second died because of Covid). I’m hoping to make this one stick for a few years. Otherwise – I’m out for good.
Good luck! Culture and give-a-crap along with financials and market mean prosperity bs death of a business. Sounds like they need front of house leadership as much as anything! Good luck. I have a business plan for a small chain of across the bar breweries, had my first investor and others joining up when COVID hit and we tabled it… thankfully!
Thanks. Yeah, I have been cleaning the lines so the beers are a lot better! But, they are using old hops (isovaleric cheese bombs). The former brewer is a personal friend of mine so, like, I take this job with the knowledge that he thinks I screwed him over but the owner came to me. It’s unfortunate because I only wanted to work at a brewery to access to cheap grain! But the entire business is on the brink of failure and the owner knows I have done this before … he didn’t beg me. But, ok, he did kinda beg me.
Regardless, I’m excited to have a new project. Love to get some local guys in for a sensory sometime.
The Stratospheric Collision is a really good Hazy IPA. The Six iron Pils is also good. Aside from that, not much else. I’m working on fixing that but its gonna take a minute.
It sounds like you’re getting on the Titanic. You might be able to shovel coal into the boilers faster and better than the previous shoveler, but the captain is the problem. Said another way, a company’s culture filters down from the top. If the owner(s) has that kind attitude, that would be a huge red flag to me not to work there. An owner like that usually doesn’t like other people telling them what they need to do to right the ship.
You aren’t wrong. I know the original founder/head brewer who was forced out similar to me at my brewery (difference is they actually gave him money).
I’m giving it 6 months. I’m in a unique position where I’m “sorta” retired. So while I want to make this succeed it won’t hurt me financially if it doesn’t.
It’s a sweet brewery: 15 bbl Premiere Stainless (capable of 20) and a decent canning line. And I am in control of hiring staff and any other changes I want.Basically full control. Could be a sweet gig if I can pull them out of their current circumstances. But, yeah, ownership is part of the problem. The owner approached me and asked if I wanted to invest. LOL no f’n way dude.
That is mighty brave of you to dive back in! So sad to hear that they had the funds and organization to get started but couldn’t attend to the little things like beer lines. Even it they fail, I’ll bet that you educate some folks that might continue on in the industry and learn to do things right. Good luck!
They’ve been around for a while, actually. Since at least 2014, maybe earlier. It was more of a lackadaisical culture that got them in this mess (coupled with a “not-my-job” mentality). The owner wants to rescue at “all costs” so I think we can pull through. I’m actually pretty excited.
Now if I could just get that grain order to arrive that is days behind delivery. :
I can understand the desire to “come to the rescue” and be the one that turns everything around. Glad to hear that you’re cautiously wading into a scenario like that and not blinded by ego.
Sounds like a bit of a “Roadhouse” situation if you catch my drift. Be nice until it’s time not to be nice…
Nope, it’s a sweet place with two locations. Just a couple of previous brewers who were incompanent. Nice 20bbl Premier Stainless brewhouse and 30 bbl tanks. There is a 3.5 bll pilot brewhouse that has been shelved for reasons I won’t go into.
Right now though, I am having glycol plumbing issues. Which are an utter nightmare. But I’m getting them solved.
I knew someone would call that out. It’s 20 bbl absolute max (with head space for boil still to still spare). I do 17.2 bbl and double, or 15 bbl double if the batch is higher gravity since the MT is a bit undersized. It’s probably sold by Premier as a 15 bbl.
Two 17.2 bbl batches fit neatly in the 30 bbl tanks, but it’s nice to have the option to do a full 20 of a 1.050ish beer.
Also, I didn’t design the brewery! There are certainly things I would have done different but it’s still nicer that a “road house” brewery or something hobbled together. It’s a professional grade brewhouse.
There’s also an MCI canning line that’s not bad, though slower than I’m used to.
It’s very local distribution so the pace isn’t as frantic as the production brewery atmosphere. There’s a cellarman and an assistant brewer, the latter my personal hire and a brewer that has worked for me before.
Right now this thing is touch and go. We are have to catch up from the previous brewer not wanting to produce so it’s stressful, but I dig the atmosphere
Thanks! It actually feels good to be back in the business again. Been chasing down glycol and solenoid issues but the owner has been very understanding.
Feels weird to be a founder and still part owner of one brewery in town and working for a competing brewery but, hey, that’s the way it ended up shaking out.
