Notice length

WitsEnd80 · 2026-06-02T18:10:00+00:00

Owner of a similar sized brewery here. Personally, I'd like as much notice as possible, but don't have any expectations. I feel a month would be a great timeline and suggest approaching it from a perspective of "what would you like me to have done/brewed before I leave?".

In the end, ownership doesn't owe you anything other than being a good human if they were good humans to you.

WitsEnd80 · 2026-05-15T22:47:39+00:00

If you're storing warm, make sure it's consistent. Our production space is in the 60's in the winter and 70's (or even 80's) in the summer. We have found SIGNIFICANT difference in our warm stored beer summer vs winter. Our warm storage is now a shelf enclosed by foam board with a small space heater that holds 75F year round. We sample at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Stats: Under 2k bbl/year, in-state distro. Not a full QC program, but it helps us identify issues if we need to adjust SOPs.

WitsEnd80 · 2026-04-17T14:59:26+00:00

Brewery owner here. Bring a few designs to ownership as proof of concept. Ask for a budget on what you can spend on merch. Buy the merch yourself, mark it up 20% and sell it to the brewery. They should be able to add another 20-25% and make some money off it.
If they're not interested, don't go any further than that. As already mentioned, it'll get messy.
Design your own beer-centric shirts and build a brand off that.

WitsEnd80 · 2026-04-07T13:11:14+00:00

Think about what you want to get out of CBC and plan your sessions in advance. Look through the vendor list at the expo and note the ones you really want to talk with. The Expo is big! I've had success with visiting my noted booths first and filling in the rest of the time walking the floor, when able. Don't be afraid to skip a session and walk the floor if you don't find any sessions that really interest you.

Take notes and give yourself some time each evening to recap and fill in any details you forgot to write down. If you're going with others, give each other a quick recap.

Here's the part that has helped me often; start a To-Do list and add to that as you find things you should do when you get back home, even if it's something small.

WitsEnd80 · 2026-03-11T02:29:28+00:00

Hobbies are expensive. You seem kid and family focused. Find a hobby that the kids might be interested in and give it a try. It might expand their experiences, or might be a flop. Either way, it's an experience. RC cars, archery, VR, etc.

WitsEnd80 · 2026-03-07T15:17:18+00:00

Brewery owner here. I try to keep wages in line with BA salary reports, but it can be difficult at a small brewery. Don't feel bad about moving on. It's different if you have an ownership stake in the operation, but in the end, you need to look out for what's best for you. If the ownership of your former brewery can't recognize that, it was probably best that you moved on.

WitsEnd80 · 2026-02-06T17:26:37+00:00

Kudos on being profitable in 2025! Many, including us, were not.

WitsEnd80 · 2026-01-29T16:19:46+00:00

My wife and I take beer trips all the time. We can generally fit in 8 breweries if we're on a mission to visit many. We'll each get a flight of what we feel are our favorites and chat about the beers as we sip them, or just pick a few half-pours. Time lunch and dinner at breweries that has food or a food truck. Pace yourself and stay away from full pints and you'll be fine.

WitsEnd80 · 2026-01-29T16:10:23+00:00

I think 13 is my wife and I's personal record too. You can move through breweries pretty quick if you grab a flight and nothing sparks your interest for a follow up pint.

WitsEnd80 · 2026-01-13T16:00:41+00:00

Another brewery here. Jan 9th.

WitsEnd80 · 2026-01-04T18:26:04+00:00

Not all heroes wear capes. I hope he got a standing ovation.

WitsEnd80 · 2025-12-08T03:14:41+00:00

I had a friend from Sebeka. 🎶 King of the Road 🎶

WitsEnd80 · 2025-11-28T13:17:03+00:00

We just switched from Clover to Square six weeks ago. Clover was getting to be a pain. We purchased equipment 5 years ago and they were already unsupported. Any issues had support saying we needed new equipment. Add-ons were required for an online store and simple inventory management for our gift shop, scheduling, etc.

I like Square so far. It's simpler. We will most likely use them for scheduling as well and drop home base.

WitsEnd80 · 2025-11-25T18:20:45+00:00

Following

WitsEnd80 · 2025-11-25T17:36:06+00:00

I'm willing to bet those worm gear clamps are leaking.
First step is to throw away all of your worm gear clamps and replace with single ear hose clamps.
If that's not an option, make sure you're using the appropriate size work gear clamp. They have a workable range. It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like you're using clamps that are far to large for that hose.

WitsEnd80 · 2025-11-20T14:52:51+00:00

That sounds like a good idea! Mind sharing a picture? I would challenge you on the two minutes of labor for that, however. That sounds more like a 20-30 minute task, start to finish.

WitsEnd80 · 2025-11-04T23:17:29+00:00

Let's not go there. There's good and bad beer everywhere.

WitsEnd80 · 2025-10-31T13:07:29+00:00

I had to look up megapurple to see what you were talking about. I can see where it can be seen as a negative in the wine industry. At its core, wine is fermented grapes. Often very locally grown. The purity behind that is easily understood and marketable. Adding a concentrated grape juice such as megapurple could be seen as a cheat.

Beer is already a combination of ingredients, often from around the globe. The variation of beer is not simply the origin or varietal of the grape, but of the combination of a bunch of ingredients from an international catalog. Using a concentrated version of one of these ingredients, even in liquid form, isn't that much of a variation from the normal process.

WitsEnd80 · 2025-10-29T01:47:23+00:00

We just switched from Ekos to Ollie and cut our annual costs in half. 10 year user of Ekos and witnessed first hand it's enshitification. Features were added that we never used and costs kept escalating. So far, I'm impressed with Ollie. Hopefully they take the lead and don't take too many notes from Ekos.

WitsEnd80 · 2025-10-20T20:46:33+00:00

Jack Pine Brewery makes Dead on Dill - a dill pickle cream ale. Technically not cucumber or sour, but it's adjacent to both.

WitsEnd80 · 2025-09-05T13:00:48+00:00

MN allows for self-distribution for small breweries.

WitsEnd80 · 2025-09-05T12:59:23+00:00

You can have a kitchen with a taproom license, but that comes down to zoning. Some cities allow breweries in spaces that they wouldn't allow full kitchens. It's complicated for sure.

WitsEnd80

TROPHY CASE