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.

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!

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!

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!

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?

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.

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.

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.

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!