Lewes Forum thread

Go on, tell 'em what you think

Lewes Forum New message

Micro brewing

On 13 May 2012 at 5:52pm jade wrote:

Is there anyone or anywhere in Lewes I could learn about brewing. Genuine question from someone interested in starting a micro brewery.
Many thanks

On 13 May 2012 at 7:33pm gareth wrote:

Hi.have you done any brewing before?i make all my own beer,cider and occasionally stupidly alcoholic alcopops on a small scale.more than willing to give advice if I can.

On 13 May 2012 at 8:59pm jade wrote:

Hi
Thats very kind of you. This is my email address jingtianjin@hotmail.com
Look forward to hearing from you!

On 14 May 2012 at 12:22pm Mike wrote:

I don't want to put a damper on your ideas but if you are thinking about a commercial micro brewery I would make sure you do a lot of homework first. The microbrewery ,market is now very competetive with so many new ones opening up over the last few years and I know of four micros that have recently or are about to open in this area. I suspect that they will not all survive.

On 14 May 2012 at 12:51pm Frak wrote:

Not sure what level you are at, but this is quite useful.

Check it out here »

On 14 May 2012 at 5:34pm Tony@thesnowdrop wrote:

I'd have to second Mike's note of caution. A boom in brewing is in danger of turning into a bubble. There are only three freehouses in Lewes who will be able to buy directly from you and we are contacted daily by new brewers wanting us to stock them. We aim to provide a great variety of ales through the year, so don't expect a permanent place on the bar to come easily.
The other advice I would give is to do something different. If you intend to do a Sussex Bitter at 4% and a hoppy blonde at 3.8%, forget it. I'm very happy with Harveys Best and Dark Star Hophead already. Compete on quality, not price, I'd rather pay a few quid more for a tub that I know will be gone in a day than have something cheaper blocking a line and turning to vinegar in the cellar.
For more information about brewing I think you'd struggle to find a profession more generous with their knowledge and advice than brewers so you might want to approach them yourself.
If after looking into all the options you decide to keep it as a hobby, that doesn't mean you can't excell. I predict a huge increase in home brewers creating really cutting-edge beers over the next few years. We are hoping to include an event to showcase home brewing as part of our OctoberFeast beer festival this year, but more on that soon.
Best wishes, Tony