It’s been quiet, but that will change soon
On the surface it has been pretty quiet the last couple of weeks but lots of groundwork has been laid. Last week we met with Robert’s Construction to finalize the building plans. A few minor changes were made and new plans have been approved. Troy Roberts chalked out the interior walls so we could walk through the layout which was great to get a feel for the space. We had lots of discussions about sewer and water. This infrastructure is very important to a brewery because we will use so much of both. The good thing is we are doing it right from the beginning and we won’t have to worry about it down the road. The bad news is that after another scope of the sewer line, it appears we will need to tear up an entire section of Main Street to connect to the City mains. I have no doubt that Eric Harsin will get this done quickly and efficiently.
The really big news is that Joe Kesteloot, our Brew Master, had his first day with us on Monday. We had a great first day discussing all of the planning we have done thus far and figuring out where we need to go. He has really dug into comparing equipment options and should have some recommendations by the end of the week. I am just happy he showed up the second day and hasn’t yet told us that we are nuts. Once the equipment order is in, he will be focusing on some of the ancillary equipment such as grain silo’s, coolers and of course sourcing malts and hops. Once he gets settled in a bit, he will start posting here as well.
And the brewer is….
After reviewing many applications, interviewing several qualified candidates and on site visits with the top three, we have found a brewer that fits our bill. Joe Kesteloot will be joining White Breast Brewing Company on July 13 as our head brewer. Joe has been the Assistant Brewmaster at Cold Spring Brewery for the past several years and is a graduate of the American Brewer’s Guild. He also brings a great experimental home brewing background and is excited to work up some new beer recipes. At first it will be more like an office job than a brewing job but we hope to make that transition quickly!
Of course the hiring process is always bittersweet because you can only choose one. We wish the other applicants well in there search and, who knows, maybe as we expand we can talk again. (ugh, if only we could hire two at once!)
This week it is a scramble to get some loose ends tied up, like making sure we know how to use Quickbooks effectively, getting loan documents signed (yikes), opened up a checking account, gathering all the employment forms, etc. Not super exciting stuff but its all moving us in the right direction. Building progress is slowed until we get some more decisions made on our brewery set up.
On Tuesday night I have been invited to speak at the Optmists club about the brewery and on July 15, Scott presents to Rotary. We did the same at Kiwanis a couple of weeks ago to an excited group with lots of great questions. Looking forward to Joe getting started with us!
On the Radio
Our local radio station was kind enough to do an interview on the brewery plans. Dr. Bob Leonard does a local program called In Depth. Everyday he has an extended interview with a local person or organization about the goings on of Marion County. You can listen to it through www.kniakrls.com, just click on the Radio Plus link in the upper right hand corner, then scroll down to In Depth for Tuesday, June 16.
We finished the first round of interviews for our head brewer position last week. We had a great pool of applicants and are working through the second round of on site interviews this week. Also, the demo of the building is nearly complete, about half of the tin from the ceiling was salvageable and we look forward to reusing it in a creative way.
More to come next week!
Construction begins
Or should I say deconstruction continues! Last week Rusty and Troy from Roberts Construction called to let us know that since it was raining they were ready to get some work done inside. The Roberts’crew started tearing out the remainng guts of the building: the back wall, the false ceiling over half of the tap room and the tin that covers the entire ceiling of the building. Later in the week Danny Pearson from Dan’s Plumbing and Heating was in to take out the old heating units and disconnect the old water heaters. We are so glad to have great contractors to work with us on this project!
Today the tin is coming off the ceiling. Quite a bit of it is rusted from years of neglect. We are planning to salvage what we can to use as new ceiling covering, wall covering or decor.
Still a bit to do before we can start construction but at least I could walk all of the way to the back of the building without climbing through scary old walls. Scott is busy hatching ideas for the look of the tap room. We are evaluating the brewer applications we received last week and looking forward to getting this important hire completed soon so we can work on equipment purchasing!
Can Vs. Bottles
In a start up brewery, the most economical package to distribute is a keg. Since I don’t know anyone other than my husband who has a keg fridge, we will have to start canning or bottling at some point to reach your fridge. We are hotly debating cans vs. bottles for our small packages. In fact, the craft beer industry as a whole is debating this issue. So here are the pluses and minuses both ways….
Cans: Pros-easier to recycle, less packing space, more portable for recreational activities, better for the beer (no light, less air gets to beer), chills faster Cons-the stigma associated with can beer being cheap beer, you have to buy a lot of cans with the same label, some say there is a metallic taste (cans are coated on the inside with plastic so this shouldn’t be the case)
Bottles: Pros- nice looking, easier to change labels, traditional craft brew packaging Cons- larger package size needs more storage space, light can penetrate the bottles, have to buy bottles and labels separately, separate machines to bottle, then label
Do you have thoughts? Would you buy craft beer in a can?
An opportunity to make your mark!
We are posting the following brewer want ad. If you know anyone who you think would be a great fit, have them get a hold of us!!
White Breast Brewing Company is looking for a brewer to join us as we start up a packaging brewery and small tap room in Knoxville, Iowa. Building is being remodeled now and we would like a brewer to join us soon to help with equipment choices, recipe generation and distribution networking. Plans are to have the tap room and small production by fall, with full production by March 2010. You will be responsible for all facets of brewery operation from ordering supplies, brewing, packaging and getting beer to market during start up phase.
We want to give our brewer room to work and show his or her creative talents, while maintaining a strong focus on quality products. We prefer someone with a brewing degree or diploma and 3 or more years experience in a packaging brewery. Ownership opportunity is available upon successful job performance for 3 years.
Position is open immediately. Salary commensurate with experience. Benefits and performance bonuses will be available.
If you are willing to relocate to Knoxville, Iowa, please forward resume and cover letter to megan@whitebreastbrewing.com by June 5, 2009.
Brewery Visits
Scott and I were travelling last week on insurance business but decided to add some brewery business as well. We had the opportunity to tour Capital Brewery as well as New Glarus Brewing both in Wisconsin. Capital is in Middleton, just outside of Madison. They have a good size operation and a wonderful outdoor beer garden where they host live music weekly in the summer. It was a very lively place and the beer was good too. My favorite was the Munich Dark. I also liked the fact that it was very family friendly, they supported their local restaurants by allowing you to order in and all the staff were very accommodating. Now, if only we had a space for an outdoor beer garden….
New Glarus was great for different reasons. Larger than Capital, it has a self guided audio tour like you see at some museums. This was a great way to get a lot of information about their history and processes. I enjoyed learning about all the different types of yeast they use in their beers. Of course we did a little tasting after the tour and stocked up since they don’t sell outside of Wisconsin. I had a nice preview of their Spotted Cow at our hotel.
Speaking of hotels, nice to see two different craft breweries represented at a Marriott chain hotel. Scott was especially fond of the Hopalicious from Ale Asylum. We unfortunately didn’t have time to visit this brewery but hope to be back to Madison soon.
As for our progress at the brewery, we have started the brewer search! It feels a little like trying to find a spouse since whoever we choose will be very intimately involved in our little venture…this could be the most important decision we make. Also should have construction estimates back this week so we can finish up business plan financial documents.
Local Brews. Crafty!
So what exactly is a craft brewery? It is a small brewery that is independently owned and produces all malt beers without the use of flavor enhancers. Some of the larger, more well known craft breweries include Boston Brewing Company, maker of Sam Adams, and New Belgium Brewing, maker of Fat Tire. White Breast Brewing will obviously be much smaller than these but it gives an idea for styles of beer. Iowa has a small number of craft breweries, including Olde Main in Ames, Worth Brewing in Northwood and Hub City in Stanley. Of course there are also the more well known brew pubs such as Raccoon River, Court Avenue and Rock Bottom in Des Moines.
The I Am A Craft Brewer video created by Greg Koch of Stone Brewing and shown at the 2009 Craft Beer Conference really lets you feel what the industry is all about.
The Brewers Association also has a great history of craft brewing on their website.
Something’s brewing
Two years ago we bought the old Eagles building on Main Street in Knoxville. It had become somewhat of an eyesore and was packed with old restaurant equipment and random artifacts. We cleaned it out, upgraded the roof and restored the front windows in hopes of attracting a renter. Well, as with many buildings in our downtown, finding a renter has been difficult. At the same time we were searching for a renter, we were also considering businesses we could create to fill the space, create a few jobs and in general help out our town. Laundromat? Not much sizzle. Indoor storage? Kind of a waste of a nice downtown store front. And then Dan says to Scott one day, hey, let’s start a brewery! And now, a short while later here we are…. at the beginning of White Breast Brewing Company!
Scott and I have just returned from the Craft Brewer’s Conference in Boston and met many wonderful craft brewers and industry suppliers. All told us that it will be hard work and there are many regulatory issues but encouraged us wholeheartedly nonetheless. I am excited to join an industry full of such warm, enthusiastic, collaborative and fun people.
Now is the time to dig in and get going. We have plans sketched out for the building and are meeting with contractors tomorrow to finalize the layout of the taproom, bathrooms and kitchen. We are comparing brewery equipment, working on a job description and requirements for the brewer and completing the brewer’s notice application. Stay tuned, it will be a wild time!
