Beer Forum

At the risk of wasting everyone's time with a love letter to Justin, Doc, Jamil, Daniela, and, of course, Peter...

I can't thankyou enough for Sunday's show. Entertaining, inspiring and HIGHLY informative. My thanks to Peter for being so forthright with financial details and while urging caution, made it seem like the dream is attainable!

Also interesting, was his gentle (but firm) correction of Doc's notion of giving beer away. My own industry, photography, is full of stories of newbies undercutting each other (and themselves) and bringing the whole industry down in the process.

I'm left with two questions:
1) What exactly is open fermentation?

2) Did Daniela make it to work on Monday???

I did a tour of Wild Goose Brewery when they were in Cambridge Maryland. (I think they're gone now..) Anyway, they did open fermentation. Basically, they sanitize the room that the fermenters are in, and just don't put any kind of lid on the fermenter while it's doing its thing. I'm sure there's more to it than that, but that was the way it was explained.

It was indeed a fabulous show. The guys just keep getting better and better. Justin's comment about "...the art of business" brought tears to my eyes. Ma' boy's growin' up!

I too found the whole Guild mindset VERY interesting. I am in manufacturing supply and I am CONSTANTLY getting undercut or having to undercut and I HATE it. Hell I get beaten out of deals because I DON'T take people to play golf or give other kickbacks. I manitain that it is this cut-throat lowest price market economy that will be the ruin of us all... but I digress...

Thanks for a great show. The only thing that scraes me now is that in the attempt to attain the dream I might destroy my mind's retreat... My own brewery...

Speyedr wrote:It was indeed a fabulous show. The guys just keep getting better and better. Justin's comment about "...the art of business" brought tears to my eyes. Ma' boy's growin' up!

I too found the whole Guild mindset VERY interesting. I am in manufacturing supply and I am CONSTANTLY getting undercut or having to undercut and I HATE it. Hell I get beaten out of deals because I DON'T take people to play golf or give other kickbacks. I manitain that it is this cut-throat lowest price market economy that will be the ruin of us all... but I digress...

Thanks for a great show. The only thing that scraes me now is that in the attempt to attain the dream I might destroy my mind's retreat... My own brewery...

I agree w/ you on this market undercutting. I don't discount my fees. Even though you can find it cheaper out there. Some people think apples are apples, until they go to the discount place.

My point on the show was that Peter commented that it's hard to get the Bar owners to try your (an unknown) product. My suggestion was to give an intro sample to a would be client. Short keg, etc. Treat it as a loss-leader and let your product make it on it's own merits. Not to discount the product or give kick backs. You should be able to charge what the market will bare. Having the best beer does you no good if you can't get it on tap. There are only so many taps in a bar. The other way is to wine and dine, golf, gifts and all that other BS that I hate so much. Or worse yet, discount the hell out of the product and make up the profits somewhere else, by using cheaper ingredients, labor,etc.

There's three things in business; Great service, superior product, low cost. The trouble is... you can only have two.

Dr Scott wrote:
There's three things in business; Great service, superior product, low cost. The trouble is... you can only have two.

Unless your Wal-mart, then you only need one.

Great show guys!