tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9161294500701698842024-03-05T05:47:18.557-05:00Blank Slate Brewing CompanyStarting (and operating) a brewery is exciting and scary at the same time. I want to share it all along the way......... All affiliated malt beverage products are produced and packaged by Blank Slate Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OhioScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-29479622502363096632017-08-10T15:07:00.000-04:002017-08-10T15:07:48.027-04:00This is the end...beautiful friend...the end.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="371">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As most everyone knows by now I had to make the tough
decision to close Blank Slate Brewing Company earlier this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My intent was to do it with little fuss or
fanfare…just fade off into the sunset as they say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want to leave a sappy farewell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I removed all social media to save myself the
heartache of reading whatever comments would be written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have purposely “gone dark” with respect to
anything in the media, whether social or traditional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am grieving at the loss of the business,
the dream that I have worked tirelessly at creating for the better part of 10
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a lot to process emotionally
and I didn’t want to add the stress of having to deal with it publicly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It has come to my attention that in the absence of an
official explanation there has been much speculation as to the reason for the
brewery’s closure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was never my intention to mislead anyone in that respect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With as many breweries as
there are now I didn’t think anyone would really notice if our little operation
just faded away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason for our
closure is pretty simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ran out of
money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no big conspiracy, no secret
takeover, no legal troubles or personal issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We simply don’t have enough cash to keep going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you know anything of the history of Blank Slate you know
that it was built on a shoestring budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just me, myself, and I in the beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every penny I have or will probably ever be worth went into starting and
growing the business one day, one customer at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It might surprise some people to know that the entire operation ran with
3 or less people for its entire existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It might also surprise some people to know that I have never personally
made a dime from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never even drew a salary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have relied on my
loving wife for personal financial support for almost six years now. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keeping the operation afloat has been a
struggle every single day of its existence but we made it work...until it didn't.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been at least a half dozen times
through the years that I thought we were going to have to go out of business
but I always managed to cobble together enough money to pay the bills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was determined that we would succeed doing
things “the right way” by putting the product above all else and growing
business honestly and organically, on our own, by our rules, and without outside
influences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never had much access to
capital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never ran in the circles that
put me in the same room as a bunch of rich guys who I could get to “fund my
dream”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to build it myself, physically
and figuratively, and truth be told I wouldn’t have wanted to do it any other
way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually as we grew I did ultimately find some people who
believed in our product and philosophy enough to fund a needed expansion beginning in
2015 that would get us “over the hump” towards profitability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, by the time everything was in place
by late 2016 the brewing landscape had seemingly changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A dozen more breweries had opened, all better funded than us with nicer
taprooms and slicker marketing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead
of our volume growing as expected it stagnated and in some areas actually
decreased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We simply did not have the
means to keep up with the ever increasing costs of trying to stand out in a
crowd when compared to the next shiny new thing coming down the pike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put all this together and an already tight
situation becomes untenable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried
raising more money but to no avail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
shoestring finally broke and thus here we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pretty simple in its complexity isn’t it?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am truly appreciative of everyone who supported us through
the years and I am sorry to anyone I have disappointed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am also sorry to the employees that I had
to let go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like breaking up a
family and I have cried many times since Monday about it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although there were many things
left undone, many beers left unmade, I am very proud of every single thing that
we ever did as a company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything we
brewed was for the love of the craft above all else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it wasn’t to the extent that I had
hoped but I’d like to believe that we helped educate and evolve the palate of beer drinkers in this town at least a little bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end there just wasn’t enough people
who liked our beer or agreed with our philosophy to make us a viable company and that’s OK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We gave it our best shot and it just didn’t
work out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be another ten
breweries in this town in the next year to take our place (along with the 30+ that
are already here).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are more craft
beer choices than ever in Cincinnati and in many, many ways that is a good
thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just remember that supporting the
ones you like means more than just saying "I went there once and really
liked their beers.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have heard bits and pieces about the outpouring of support
that we have received in the last few days on social media and I am truly appreciative and humbled
by it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether Blank Slate ever exists
in a physical nature again is pretty hard to say at this point but it appears that it may live on in people's memories for quite some time and that fills me with a sense of satisfaction that at least we accomplished something worthwhile.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for me, I have a lot to do and a lot to think about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started this business by myself and now I have to dismantle it by myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need
time to grieve and time to heal the “wounds” that this experience has left me
with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is still some product working its way
through distribution that I need to deal with so be on the lookout for that in the coming few
weeks. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hopefully we will all cross paths
again at some point down the road.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thanks again for the memories.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scott LaFollette</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Former Proprietor, Janitor and Yeast Farmer</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Blank Slate Brewing Company</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is the end, beautiful friend<br />
This is the end, my only friend, the end<br />
Of our elaborate plans, the end<br />
Of everything that stands, the end<br />
- J. Morrison</span></span> </div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-46933552570983912292017-07-08T13:24:00.001-04:002017-07-08T13:24:28.478-04:00What the heck is an East End IPA?These days it seems like there is a new "style" of beer being created every day and I for one am all for it. Creating new things that defy any current categorization is just the kind of anarchy we need these days. However, it can get pretty confusing to the casual observer or anyone else who isn't as "wired" into the beer world as some of us are.<br />
<br />
Most beer styles have historically originated from very specific regions of the world. Everything from available ingredients to water chemistry to regional taste dialects have gone into shaping the many styles of beer created around the world. Nowadays the world operates in a much more "global" fashion and we have the ability to brew styles of beer that are in no way native to the constraints of our local supply chain. While this is great for product diversity and consumer choice, sometimes it seems as though a little bit of the history and subtlety of why a beer came to be is lost. Beer is meant to be a product of its locality, best drank fresh and from the source. Much in the same way that Champagne can only come from that region (all else is Sparkling Wine) there are also label laws that must be used so that people do not get confused about the origin of a particular beer. For example "Kolsch Style Ale" must be used to represent a beer that is in the style of Kolsch, but not actually from that region.<br />
<br />
What's the point of this and what does it have to do with the topic of this post? Well if you are familiar with the history of IPA (India Pale Ale) you'll know that through the years there have become so many variations of the style that it is nearly impossible to keep them all straight. Why? Marketing gimmick? Sure, somewhat. Isn't everything these days? In this case I believe there is a bit more to it though. IPA originated as a very specific style of beer made for a specific reason. The British needed a beer that would survive the long boat trip to colonial India and found that adding lots of hops to the beer preserved it for the journey. When fresh, this beer was undrinkable and therefore made purely for export. Fast forward a few hundred years to America where we have taken this style and turned it onto its head in such a way that it now must be drank super fresh or else it is "no good". It's been a very interesting evolution of a beer style. More than any other beer I can think of it has evolved into something completely different than what it was originally meant to be and that's OK. Adapt or expire as they say.<br />
<br />
Because IPA has evolved into a product that needs to be drank very fresh to be best enjoyed, it has inherently become a more localized product. In a modern world where seemingly everything you could ever want is at your fingertips, IPA is almost a step into the past in that so many different regional variations have been created through the years in order to satisfy the people in that area. So now we have NorthWest IPA, East Coast IPA, MidWest IPA, New England IPA and probably 10 other variants that aren't large enough to pop up on our radar screens yet. While all of these sub-styles started from the same basic flavor profile a lot of nuance and differences can be found in them. Nowhere else in the world of beer is this true anymore. A Kolsch from California will taste pretty similar to a Kolsch from Georgia or Delaware. Many styles are somewhat "codified" in that there isn't much wiggle room for how to produce it. IPA on the other hand has become a refreshing change from the assimilation of all cultures that seems to be growing as the world becomes more "global". It's fun to see brewers and drinkers from different regions of the country talk about how their IPA's are better than yours and debate about the nuance of appropriate haze and bittering levels. It helps to remind us that we are all different people and we have different tastes and that not everyone across the country (or the world) is the same. It's something that I think we need a little bit more of in the world today.<br />
<br />
So to finally answer the question. What is an East End IPA? It's nothing. We made it up. We aren't in Oregon so it's not a NW IPA. We aren't in Maine so it's not a NE IPA. Our brewery is in the East End of Cincinnati and therefore what we are producing is an East End IPA. Plain and simple. It is an IPA brewed in this locality for this locality. We aren't trying to recreate something that someone has already done somewhere else. Where's the fun in that? We are producing something that is for us and about us, here, in little old Cincinnati, Ohio. <br />
<br />
But if you REALLY need a description, here you go....<br />
<br />
We built this beer using bits and pieces of several other IPA styles that we enjoy and have put them together in our own way...the BLANK SLATE way. Lots of new school fruit juicy hops but with a little bit of old school pine and resin mixed in. The beer has a bit of body to balance the hops, but is brewed to be dry enough that it doesn't have a cloyingly sweet finish. There is some bitterness, but not as aggressive as many others out there. It is unfiltered and unfined but is NOT a yeast milkshake. It is simply an IPA that we like to drink and we hope you will too.<br />
<br />
Until next time...<br />
<br />
-Scott and the BSBC team.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-14935153726013657182016-06-26T23:47:00.002-04:002016-10-24T15:13:43.517-04:00Time to Kick Things Into Gear...With Your Help!<div class="MsoNormal">
A lot has been going on in the brewery lately. We are putting the finishing touches on the expansion that was begun way back in October and are on track to start packaging our beer in cans in August. We are still a small operation in the grand scheme of things but we are constantly growing at a reasonable and sustainable pace. Now that we have a lot more tanks we need help keeping them full so we are looking to hire a full time SECOND SHIFT brewer real soon.<br />
<br />
If you have ever read one of our job postings before you know that I don't mix words when it comes to what we are looking for in a candidate and what the job entails. Working in a brewery is no picnic. It is hot, sweaty, repetitive labor most of the time. Contrary to popular belief we do not just sit around and drink beer all the time.<br />
<br />
This position will entail all aspects of wort production on our (mostly manual) 7 BBL brewhouse including the following:<br />
<br />
- Milling and moving grain.<br />
- Operating several different pumps and valves to facilitate lautering/run-off/whirlpool and knockout.<br />
- Transferring and treating brewing water.<br />
- Cleaning the brewhouse and preparing materials for the next shift.<br />
<br />
Some light cellar work may also be included from time to time.<br />
<br />
<u>Necessary Qualifications</u><br />
<br />
- Must be 21 years of age and legally allowed to work in the United States.<br />
- Ability to work a SECOND SHIFT schedule after an appropriate (30-45 day) training period on first shift.<br />
- MUST have a working knowledge of all-grain brewing from grain to glass. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Commercial brewing experience and/or education is HIGHLY DESIRABLE.</span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">- Good mechanical aptitude and ability to understand simple pump and valve controls as well as a reasonable understanding of fluid and gas flow dynamics.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Must be meticulous in their attention to detail and able to follow procedures and instructions to the letter as well as fill out data logs completely.<br />
- Must be able to multi-task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
- Must have a good mixture of analytical common sense as well as a desire to think outside the lines when needed.<br />
- A simple understanding of basic chemistry is highly desirable as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Must have a basic understanding of beer styles and off-flavors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Should be able to communicate well with others and comfortable speaking to groups.<br />
- Ability to work independently with little supervision.<br />
- Ability to lift and move 55 pound bags of raw materials.<br />
<br />
Compensation will be based on experience. We do not offer any other benefits at this time.<br />
<br />
We need this position to be up and running very soon so I can't stress how important it is that we need someone with a working knowledge of brewing science. If you have no idea how beer is made but are a "fast learner" please do not bother to apply. Also, if you are interested in a position other than what is posted here, please do not bother to apply as we are only hiring for this position at this time. Only the most qualified candidates will be contacted for follow-up so please don't take it personally if you don't receive a reply. I will post back to this blog as well as our other social media outlets once the application window has closed. After that NO RESUMES will be accepted.<br />
<br />
<br />
Please email all resumes to scott@blankslatebeer.com. Do not call or deliver anything personally to the brewery. EMAIL ONLY. Please type "I know how to brew!" in the subject line so I know that you have read this entire post.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading!<br />
<br />
<br />
UPDATE:<br />
<br />
We are no longer accepting applications for this position. Thanks!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-62185849544814117082015-08-04T12:50:00.001-04:002015-08-04T12:50:47.096-04:00Getting "Smaller" To Get BiggerHey everybody! Long time no talk. I wanted to take a minute to make everyone aware and explain some changes we are making to our local distribution footprint. As you may or may not know, we are distributed in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky by Stagnaro Distributing. They are currently our only distribution partner and up until now we have been available to retailers in their entire distribution footprint which extends from Dayton, Ohio down to well past Florence Kentucky. They have been a great partner with us for nearly 3 years now and we are happy to continue working with them for the foreseeable future.<br />
<br />
As we have begun to grow and make a name for ourselves in the local beer world it has become increasingly difficult to support all of the bars and restaurants throughout this fairly large distribution area that are interested in carrying our product. Recently we have had to turn down numerous opportunities to attend events or otherwise be involved in happenings around town simply because we just don't have enough beer to go around. Our goal from day 1 has been to stay as local as possible and to never "bite off more than we can chew" as they say. Over the last few months we have had a lot of difficulty keeping even our closest neighbors supplied with beer so we have decided to reduce our distribution territory for a while. This will allow us to adequately serve SOME people instead of inadequately serving a LOT of people.<br />
<br />
So. Effective this week you will only be able to buy Blank Slate in Hamilton County Ohio. I apologize to those bar and restaurant owners outside of Hamilton County who have been supporters of us in the past. This decision wasn't made lightly and I hope that you will still support us when we are ready to resume selling in your area. Again, thank you for the support.<br />
<br />
The logical question to ask is "why don't you just make more beer". Well, we're working on it. Our business model has always been one of slow, sustainable growth, much slower than many of our peers. For one, we don't have the deep pockets needed to pull it off but more importantly I feel strongly that our ability to maintain the high standards we have for quality and consistency dictate that we do it this way. We are currently preparing to triple our capacity and hope to have that online by early 2016. However, by our best estimates this will only begin to meet the demand that we currently have inside Hamilton County. I'd love to put a time frame as to when we will be ready to add other counties back into distribution but right now I really don't know when that will be. I don't want to make any promises that I don't think we can keep so I'll just say that we'll see you when we see you.<br />
<br />
Thanks for listening!Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-13478456939670999612015-02-09T12:00:00.001-05:002015-02-23T10:48:04.131-05:00Will Someone Please Come And Clean These Kegs?So. It's been an insanely long time since I have posted. I have a million things and tons of stories I'd love to get on "paper" for everybody. However, there's no time for that these days so I'll cut right to the chase...<br />
<br />
We are in need of a part-time assistant to work here in the brewery. Now before everyone goes off half-cocked and starts flooding me with emails, hear me out. We need someone to wash kegs about 12-16 hours a week. The hours are SLIGHTLY flexible in that as long as the work is done between 9:00 and 5:00 between Monday and Friday (thus no nights or weekends) we can make it work. This will be the ONLY task associated with this job, at least for the foreseeable future. It COULD turn into a larger role in the brewery at some point, but there is certainly no guarantee of that right now. The keg washer is one of the last points of quality control for the entire brewing process so it is still a critical step, even if it is mind-numbingly repetitive.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Pay will be $8.50 per hour.<br />
<br />
Necessary Qualifications<br />
<br />
- Must be 21 years of age and legally allowed to work in the United States.<br />
- Flexibility to work anytime between 9:00 and 5:00 Monday-Friday a total of 12-16 hours per week.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Must be meticulous in their attention to detail and able to
follow procedures and instructions to the letter as well as fill out data logs
completely.<br />
- Must be able to multi-task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> <br />
- Must have a good mixture of analytical common sense as well
as a desire to think outside the lines when needed.<br />
- Good mechanical aptitude and ability to understand simple pump and valve controls. <br />
- Must have a working knowledge of all-grain brewing, especially as it relates to sanitation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doesn’t have to be commercial experience
(although that would be nice), but homebrewing experience is a must.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
- A simple understanding of basic chemistry is
highly desirable as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Must have a basic understanding of beer styles and
off-flavors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Should be able to communicate well with others and
comfortable speaking to groups.<br />
- Ability to maneuver full kegs of beer weighing approximately 130 pounds each. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If that seems like some terribly specific requirements for a
grunt job cleaning kegs, it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I have said <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2013/04/you-cant-always-do-it-alone.html" target="_blank">before</a>, I want to bring in folks that have a desire to move beyond just an introductory level position at some point.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With all that in mind, if you are not deterred, please
send an updated resume detailing your specific skills and experience that you
feel makes you right for this position to <a href="mailto:scott@blankslatebeer.com">scott@blankslatebeer.com</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I’m not terribly interested in knowing that
you spent 3 years at Kings Island checking kids’ height for the roller coaster
so you can leave stuff like that out).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please
type “yes I want to be a grunt” in the subject line that way I know you read
this posting completely and fully understand what you are getting yourself into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will only be responding to emails from folks that we want to speak to in further detail. I'm sorry but I simply do not have the time to respond to everyone individually any more. Also, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not send me an email saying that you can only work night/weekends, or that you are looking for a marketing/sales job or something else besides what we are specifically looking for in this posting. Do not call or stop by the brewery as all correspondence needs to be done through email. We are looking to fill this position quickly and will conduct interviews in the next few weeks if possible. I will let everyone know through this blog and/or Facebook when the job has been filled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
Thanks for reading!<br />
<br />
***EDIT 2-23-15*** We are no longer taking applications for this position. Thanks to all those who applied!<br />
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-72490041295096585702013-07-09T16:40:00.000-04:002013-07-09T16:41:27.745-04:00Happy Birthday to Us...So I let it go by without much fanfare but a few weeks ago BSBC turned 1 year old. Yep, it was just over a year ago that we made our first sales and did our first few events at <a href="http://motrpub.com/" target="_blank">MOTR</a> and <a href="http://arthurscincinnati.com/" target="_blank">Arthur's</a>. It seems like it was only yesterday and yet it seems like it was 10 years ago. It's taken me a few weeks to get around to it but I finally got some time today to stop for a minute and reflect on "the year that was" as well as what may or may not be next for us in the coming year.<br />
<br />
First let me say thanks to everyone who has supported us this year (and even before that). The response to this little operation and our not so straight forward brewing philosophy has been great and without you we would not have survived to see this day. Seeing and talking to you at events is what gives me the energy and drive I need to survive the long hot days in the brewhouse.<br />
<br />
So here's a little of the "year in review" both positive and negative....<br />
<br />
Our first year goal was to produce 350 BBL's of finished beer. Well we
finished a little shy of that at 290 BBL's. Still not too bad
considering I made it all by myself (and sold it myself for 4 months). I
am firmly convinced we missed this goal entirely due to the overestimation
of my abilities to produce beer at a rate that would yield 350 BBL's by myself. Turns out that I only have two hands, and that's apparently not enough! The <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2013/04/you-cant-always-do-it-alone.html" target="_blank">recent addition of Colin to the "family"</a> should get us up to that pace (and beyond) pretty quickly though.<br />
<br />
Demand has been steadily growing since my decision to give up self-distribution. I never planned to do it forever, and in retrospect probably should have given it up sooner. <a href="http://stagnarodistributing.com/" target="_blank">Stagnaro</a> has been doing a great job of building up the business without overselling our capacity. Unfortunately because we only made a few hundred barrels last year we couldn't just go out and start selling anywhere and everywhere or else there would be major supply issues and many unhappy wholesale customers. I am trying to be cautious about bringing new accounts on-line if it means potentially running out of beer at other accounts. Other than a few short term instances here and there (which were entirely my fault due to some unexpected time off that I had to take) I hope we have been successful in that effort. Unfortunately it means that sometimes it can be hard to find us around town as we just aren't on tap everywhere.<br />
<br />
The business was breaking even after about 8 months which was right on schedule. Of course breaking even simply means we are covering all of the bills. It doesn't mean there is anything leftover for frivolous things like paying me a salary....yet.<br />
<br />
I <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-to-do-when-your-eyes-get-bigger.html" target="_blank">discussed it in detail</a> previously but the decision to start bottling and then to not start bottling was a big oops on my part. For that I am sorry to anyone who got their hopes up. It's a decision that I am still regretting as it has set us back a little bit in our growth plans and as of now I am not even thinking about when we may take another stab at it.<br />
<br />
Yes, we still don't have a taproom. I guess we have the dubious distinction of being the only brewery in town without one. Without rehashing that <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2012/03/so-wheres-taproom-going-to-be.html" target="_blank">story</a> I will simply say that we will have one...someday...<br />
<br />
I am very proud that we did 3 collaboration beers here in our first year. Determination with <a href="http://tripledigitbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Triple Digit Brewing</a>, Savage Blank with <a href="http://quaffbrosbeer.com/" target="_blank">Quaff Bro's</a> and The Awakening with <a href="http://bloatarian.com/" target="_blank">Beer and Sweat</a> winner Brian Jackson. Don't look for that to change this year as collaborations with Triple Digit and Quaff are already in the planning stages as well as possibly a few others including the Beer and Sweat winner again this year.<br />
<br />
We just started barrel aging our first sour. It took some time to get around to doing it, but we now have souring bacteria at work in the brewery.<br />
<br />
So in summary, we are surviving. And growing. Slowly. All of which has been (pretty much) according to plan. It is every bit as hard as I thought it would be and sometimes even more so. It is also just as rewarding as I thought it would be and sometimes even more so.<br />
<br />
But what's next?<br />
<br />
Well if you read between the lines above you may see that the common theme is that we just can't make enough beer. If we could make more beer we could sell more beer. So that's what we are going to do. Within the next few months we will be increasing our fermentation capacity by almost 85%. This will nearly double our output capability for the coming year. Hopefully it will mean the ability to turn on some new accounts and push farther into the outer parts of the city (and Dayton) as well as give us the excess capacity that we will need to support a taproom sometime in the next 12 months. Yes I said it. Unless something goes sideways I plan to have the taproom operational within the next 12 months (actually less than that but I decided to build a lot of fluff into the timeline).<br />
<br />
So you'll have to forgive me for not throwing a big birthday bash. It's been a little busy around here. Maybe we'll do it next year....<br />
<br />
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-33581286790332636502013-04-23T16:22:00.000-04:002013-04-23T16:28:33.263-04:00What to do when your eyes get bigger than your stomach?A couple weeks back I <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2013/03/false-start.html" target="_blank">posted briefly</a> that BSBC was postponing the start of bottling operations indefinitely. I realized a few days ago that I didn't give a whole lot of detail which is not in keeping with what this blog is all about. So with that in mind I wanted to circle back and give everyone a little more info on what happened and what we plan to do next.<br />
<br />
The original plan for the brewery was to be draft only for at least a year, if not longer. Bottling beer is a whole different operation than kegging beer. The demands of shelf-life under less than optimal conditions are an ever present issue with packaged beer, much more than keg beer which lives its whole life cold. The equipment to fill a keg is a couple hundred bucks. The equipment to fill bottles is several thousand. Given everything that was involved in just getting this brewery operational bottling was only a distant glimmer in my eye on day 1. That being said, somewhere along the way I found a "deal" on three used single head counter pressure fillers. It was a deal that (at the time) I felt was too good to pass up. So I didn't. Now these machines were never meant to be a long term solution, just a way to get some bottles out here and there. In fact we used them to bottle the Determination collaboration with <a href="http://tripledigitbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Triple Digit</a>.<br />
<br />
Now fast forward to the end of last year. As I sat looking through all the sales figures vs. capacity and all that fun stuff I started to see that it looked like there was some unused capacity starting in early 2013. That coupled with the constant barrage of "when are you going to start bottling" questions led me to decide that the time to start bottling was coming sooner than expected. A bit of a deviation from plan, but a good one I convinced myself. So the long process of setting up packaging began. Lead times on printed boxes and labels can be pretty long so it took from December through March to get everything in place. Not to mention the capital outlay for the design work, artwork proofs and printing everything. There's labels and six-pack carriers and case boxes to source and purchase, not to mention bottles and caps. All of which must be paid for in advance and bought several thousand at a time. It was a daunting task that took just about every bit of available capital that I had at the time. All the while I was working on the machines to improve their speed and performance. Even though they were used to bottle Determination we had to do a lot of "fiddling" to get them to work well enough to package that small amount of beer. When the time came to start bottling for myself the machines were working better but still not great and at excruciatingly slow speeds. It took 6 people 6 hours to bottle around 30 cases of beer. (An even modestly automated machine will do 60 cases an hour). The process was very labor intensive and at times even dangerous (my brother-in-law cut his thumb pretty bad when a bottle broke in the capper). The implications were that I would need to have 6 people here all day every weekend just to have a chance of making the amount of bottled product that I had committed to. Because the machines were still a little finicky to work with I could not guarantee that every bottle would be consistent using volunteer labor (plus that's just too much work to ask of volunteers). The odds of running out of product in the market on a week to week basis were just too high so I decided to scrap the whole thing. It seems my eyes had definitely gotten bigger than my stomach and I had taken on more than I could handle.<br />
<br />
In the end it has probably been a blessing in disguise. Over these same months that I thought we would be growing some excess capacity in reality it has been the opposite. Draft sales have picked up as we have come out of the slow season (if you can believe there is such a thing, but apparently there is) and now I can't make enough kegs to properly supply demand. I am regretful that I had to back out of several commitments at the last minute as that doesn't generally reflect well on any business. In the end though I think it is better to pull the plug at the start rather than put out an inconsistent supply of product and I hope everyone understands that.<br />
<br />
So now what? <br />
<br />
Well the moral to this convoluted story is STICK TO YOUR PLAN! I spent a lot of time working out the business plan for this venture and so far it hasn't led me astray. So it's back to plan A. We will continue to make only draft beer until such time as our capacity dictates that we must begin bottling. At that time we will source the equipment needed to do it properly and (hopefully) never look back from there. When will that be? Who knows. Maybe six months, maybe a year, maybe never.<br />
<br />
So this premature foray into bottling has been a bit of a learning lesson for me. In the brewing business (as in any business) it is all about managing risks and balancing growth in a way that works for you. For some people the motto is "damn the torpedos, full speed ahead". Not me. When I see a torpedo I take the long way around. In this case I guess I stared at the torpedo a little too long and it stung me a little, but staring at the 20,000 6-pack carriers will stand as a constant reminder to never get too far ahead of myself again.<br />
<br />
At least until the next time....<br />
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-33557488292684527802013-04-16T13:41:00.001-04:002013-05-09T13:59:50.313-04:00You can't always do it alone...As most everyone knows, I am the only employee here. When I tell people that I run a brewery completely by myself, most people say "how in the hell do you pull that off"? Well quite frankly I have no idea. It was never the plan to "go it alone" for very long. Truth be told if I was able to I would have hired someone 3 months ago, but it just wasn't in the cards as they say. Well I think the time has come where it is now unavoidable. There have been many folks who have emailed me in the past regarding job opportunities, but to respond to each of them individually at this point would be an insurmountable task. If you are one of those people, please don't be mad. Just take a look at this and respond again if you want. So without further ado, here is the first ever Blank Slate Brewing Company job posting! It doesn't read like a "normal" help wanted ad, but then I don't usually do things the "normal" way. Regardless, thanks for taking a look....<br />
<br />
<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So you say you want a job in a brewery?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well you’re in luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m looking to hire a part-time assistant
brewer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Awesome you say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Where do I send my resume?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well
hang on a minute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hear me out
first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I am offering is probably
not at all what you are expecting so let me give you the details before you run
and quit your current career for the “glamorous life” of a brewer's assistant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, the basics. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Starting
out 20-24 hours per week, but will most likely lead to full time employment down
the road for the right individual (no promises or guarantees).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2-3 days per week during the day/early evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exact hours and days are somewhat negotiable,
but would need to be weekdays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am looking
to have this person start sometime in May if all goes well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pay, well it’s not much, too low to even
mention at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll discuss
that if you come in for an interview.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So far, so good you say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What does the job entail?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not going to sugar coat it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will be one of the crappiest jobs you’ve
probably ever had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will be assisting
me in all aspects of brewing operations, including cleaning kegs, dumping spent
grain, filtering, cleaning tanks, moving inventory (grain and beer) cleaning
floors, labeling boxes, maybe even cleaning the toilet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I mention cleaning?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s 90% of what you will do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still with me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well
you will be doing this work in extremes of temperature (it’s 110° in here in
the summer and 36° in the walk-in cooler) while working with scalding hot water
and chemicals that could potentially eat a hole through you if you aren’t
careful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must be able to lift 55
pound bags of grain chest high and be able to work off of a ladder as well as
in tight spaces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must be able to
maneuver full kegs on and off of pallets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You will get dirty and you will sweat…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OK you say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds
like any able bodied grunt could handle this job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are there any other qualifications?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aside from the usual stuff such as must be 21 years of age
or older, and legally allowed to work in the United States, there is more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The right person must also have the following
qualifications:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Must have a working knowledge of all-grain brewing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doesn’t have to be commercial experience
(although that would be nice), but homebrewing experience is a must.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A simple understanding of basic chemistry is
highly desirable as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Must have a basic understanding of beer styles and
off-flavors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Must be meticulous in their attention to detail and able to
follow procedures and instructions to the letter as well as fill out data logs
completely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Must be able to multi-task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Should be able to communicate well with others and
comfortable speaking to groups.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Must have a good mixture of analytical common sense as well
as a desire to think outside the lines when needed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If that seems like some terribly specific requirements for a
grunt job that’s 90% cleaning, well it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why you ask?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s the deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
not trying to be flippant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this is
a menial job that doesn’t pay well and is only part time, I am looking for more
than just a grunt to clean my toilet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am looking for someone who can grow into a bigger role at BSBC and help me take
this business to the next level (whatever that may be).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While nothing is guaranteed, I am looking for
someone who can eventually (sooner than later if all goes well) become a full
time employee and maybe even run the day to day operations someday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am trying to be perfectly honest though in
saying that I don’t know when that will be if ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I was able to offer a full time, well paid position with lots of benefits. The company just isn't there yet. This is an entry level position, no doubt
about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will teach you as much as
you are willing to learn and in return I hope that you can give me a hand in
the short term and become a valuable part of what BSBC is all about in the
long term.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With all that in mind, if you are still not deterred, please
send an updated resume detailing your specific skills and experience that you
feel makes you right for this position to <a href="mailto:scott@blankslatebeer.com">scott@blankslatebeer.com</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I’m not terribly interested in knowing that
you spent 3 years at Kings Island checking kids’ height for the roller coaster
so you can leave stuff like that out).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please
type “yes I am still interested” in the subject line that way I know you read
this posting completely and fully understand what you are getting yourself into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depending on
response, I will conduct interviews in the next few weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks for reading!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">ADDENDUM 5-9-13: As of today I have completed all the interviews for the position and am no longer taking applications. Thank you to all those that applied. I can't respond individually to everyone but I just wanted to let everyone know it was tough filtering through so many good applicants. I've never been on "this side of the desk" for the interview process before and I don't know which is tougher, being potential employer or potential employee.....</span></div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-48178333233290966872013-03-28T11:19:00.002-04:002013-03-28T11:21:33.854-04:00False start...This one will be brief...<br />
<br />
I've alluded to it in the <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2013/01/whats-plan-for-2013.html" target="_blank">past</a> and if you've seen me around in the last few months you've probably heard me talking about it. The impending launch of bottled product. When asked the question "when are they coming" I have been answering "April". Well I really hate to go back on a promise but it looks like I am going to have to do it. Due to issues with the bottling equipment I have decided that we must postpone bottling for a while. After rebuilding and refurbishing the used machines that I purchased I still cannot get them to perform in a manner that produces the quality of fill that is needed to meet my standards...and if it doesn't meet my standards, it doesn't go out the door.<br />
<br />
I want to apologize to everyone for the delay. As most everyone knows BSBC is a very small and self-funded operation so setbacks like this tend to hurt a bit but I will do everything I can to get the situation resolved in as timely a manner as possible. I do not have a timeframe right now for when that may be though. Could be a few months, could be never. In the meantime, please continue to enjoy all of BSBC's beers on draft around town!<br />
<br />
Thanks.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-53122423826820603812013-02-01T13:08:00.000-05:002013-02-01T13:11:19.143-05:00Beer Week, Beerfest and the TTBThe second annual <a href="http://cincinnatibeerweek.com/" target="_blank">Cincinnati Beer Week</a> is almost upon us. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, it is a week long celebration of all things beer. Several establishments around town will be hosting special beer events, tappings, dinners and what-not from February 7th through the 14th. The week culminates in the <a href="http://www.cincybeerfest.com/" target="_blank">6th Annual </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=916129450070169884" target="_blank">Cincy Winter Beerfest</a> on the 15th and 16th at the Duke Energy Center. I wanted to take a moment to let everyone know where BSBC will be during the week in case anyone wants to come out and say hello (hopefully you will!). So, here's the list of where I'll be and when:<br />
<br />
Friday Feb 8 - <a href="http://valleyws.com/" target="_blank">Valley Wine and Spirits</a> in Ft. Wright from 4:30-7:30. Several BSBC beers on the growler station.<br />
<br />
Friday Feb 8 - <a href="http://arthurscincinnati.com/" target="_blank">Arthurs</a> in Hyde Park from ~8:30 until ???. Arthur's is donating part of each sale to different local charities of the Breweries' choice. BSBC is donating to the Freestore Foodbank. Whichever brewery sells the most, Arthur's will match the donation.<br />
<br />
Saturday Feb 9 - <a href="http://www.junglejims.com/" target="_blank">Jungle Jim's</a> bottle signing of the collaboration Embree's Baltic Porter. From 12-1 in Fairfield and from 2-3 in Eastgate.<br />
<br />
Sunday Feb 10 - <a href="http://www.moerleinlagerhouse.com/" target="_blank">Lagerhouse</a> downtown meet and greet with other collaboration brewers from 12-3.<br />
<br />
Monday Feb 11 - <a href="http://www.firehousegrillcincinnati.com/" target="_blank">Firehouse Grill</a> in Blue Ash. Sandwich specials and Q and A session with me. Q and A starts at 7:00.<br />
<br />
Tuesday Feb 12 - <a href="http://candbpublichouse.com/" target="_blank">Cock and Bull</a> Mainstrasse. Meet and Greet. I should be there around 7.<br />
Wednesday Feb 13 - <a href="http://www.eatatbuckheads.com/" target="_blank">Buckhead Mountain Grill</a> in Newport. Meet and Greet with other collaboration brewers from 6-8.<br />
<br />
Thursday Feb 14 - <a href="http://www.olivesonludlow.com/" target="_blank">Olive's</a> in Clifton. Pseudo tap takeover with Triple Digit/Listermann. I should be there around 6 or 7.<br />
<br />
Friday and Saturday the 15th and 16th look for us at Beerfest! Also, I will be taking part in a panel discussion on Saturday as part of the <a href="http://www.hoperatives.com/?page_id=9709" target="_blank">5B bloggers conference</a>.<br />
<br />
So you ask, will we be putting out anything new/rare/interesting at any of these events? Well, maybe. I actually have a few different things that I WANTED to debut during beer week, but alas the TTB is being very slow in approving formulas right now. I have the Beer and Sweat winning Saison ready to go. I have our new beer called Shroominous ready to go. The Quaff Brothers Sauvignon BLANK will be ready to go in a few days. Unfortunately due to national budgetary issues the TTB has downsized the formulation review department down to 1 person. Yes. One. For the whole country. Until that gets taken care of the beer must sit here in the brewery. At this point it is pretty much too late to hope that any of this will get approved in time for Beer Week. I am cautiously optimistic that we may get a few of them ready in time for BeerFest. If this sounds familiar, that's because it is. I've complained about it before in another <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2012/03/god-bless-ttb-not.html" target="_blank">post</a>. So who knows. Maybe we'll have some surprises during BeerFest, maybe not...Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-69930704174576803902013-01-03T22:41:00.001-05:002013-01-04T09:20:55.413-05:00What's the plan for 2013?This time of year there are lots of year end wrap-up stories and best/worst lists that come out. Since I generally don't pay much attention to such things the idea of putting one together for BSBC wasn't too appealing. So instead of doing that I thought I would take a few moments to preview our plans for 2013. <br />
<br />
First off let me say that in a lot of ways its been an amazing six months. The sense of accomplishment from actually get this thing off the ground has been very satisfying. Everyone has been very supportive and so far the market response has been great. We've still got a long way to go before we are "in the black" as they say but every day we get a little closer thanks to the great beer drinkers in this town. For that I thank you all.<br />
<br />
So what's "on tap" for 2013 (bad pun's aside)? Well I guess we can start with what's actually on tap. In order to keep everybody up to speed on what's coming and when and in order to keep inventories under control (especially now that we have a distributor) I've put together a release calender for the year. I've needed to do it for a while (even when I was self-distributing) but just finally got it together. The regular rotation of beers and availability is shown below:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO26sZ3SsUoVj0cdWjZVsf6TOu2Lby9MFsBDSKh8H5LeVYoiX0GEsIiPmga_NFXSr2vmodyzxBRnSTd747jhMMEAA1giWRL3masCqak8WW3fNEtZIykP1XahxJkOgk9TN4dVbTmSnkNkQ/s1600/Presentation2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO26sZ3SsUoVj0cdWjZVsf6TOu2Lby9MFsBDSKh8H5LeVYoiX0GEsIiPmga_NFXSr2vmodyzxBRnSTd747jhMMEAA1giWRL3masCqak8WW3fNEtZIykP1XahxJkOgk9TN4dVbTmSnkNkQ/s400/Presentation2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOggVoUdz8gfXLPJX8b7mVl7vh3wR_C_eRmeooD7aHVsfn3h2nXFIRvo9zd0HY4ODdXYwvImUkKuN01tXkq-J-_ia9VISjdTXge-xedAtKT7DXe9uHz9wxlj4suoeaPg87REjvJLP_aA/s1600/Presentation2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
I've settled on having 4 core "series" available at once. Staying true to the idea of rotating availability I have basically created 4 sets of beers that contain two alternating styles. The rotation is set up so that two beers change out every 3 months or so. The Round and Round series is a rotating session beer. Travelling IPA is just what it says, a changing IPA. Gastronome is the series of beers created to incorporate food influences and encourage pairing. Carte Blanche is just the catch-all for everything else. In addition to the 4 "cores" we will also do the occasional draft only special release as well as some big bottle releases of other fun stuff (think barrels and brett) starting late in 2013. Of course I still reserve the right to alter this plan based on ingredient availability, market conditions or pure whim.<br />
<br />
Speaking of bottles. Look for them to start hitting shelves in April. 6 packs and 4 packs. I'm currently working on version 3 or 4 of my bottling plan but that's probably a whole other post in itself. I'll have to expound on that another day. <br />
<br />
That just leaves the tasting room. Well the timeline on that seems to be more in flux every day. I have touched on it before but I really do have a good reason for being the only brewery in town without one. When I was looking for space to house the brewery way back in early 2011 the taproom law hadn't passed yet. Being the pessimistic sort I didn't want to sign a lease on a bigger space since that would have probably ensured that the law wouldn't have passed. Instead I settled on a space that had room to grow when I was ready. The adjacent space in my building that I would need to expand into is not yet available and I'm not exactly sure now when it will be open. Unfortunately that has put the tasting room in a little bit of limbo for the time being. I don't really have the funds to build it right now anyway so we'll just have to leave it at "sometime in the future...maybe by the end of the year...maybe not."<br />
<br />
So I guess that's about it for now. Hopefully all will go according to plan in 2013. If 2012 is any indication though it will probably only go about 60% to plan. The trick will be having fun with the other 40%!<br />
<br />
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-24042707217038788722012-10-22T12:38:00.000-04:002012-10-22T12:38:01.887-04:00The Distribution Dilema...Picking a distributor is probably the hardest decision that a brewery has to make short of actually deciding to start the brewery in the first place. I am fairly certain that I have a growing ulcer that if dissected would bleed the logos of all the local beer distributors. Not an hour of the day goes by that I don't think about it. I have made more than a few lists with pro and con columns listing all the finer points of how each distributor operates. Did I mention it's a big deal?<br />
<br />
But why? As I have discussed <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2012/07/so-now-what.html" target="_blank">before</a> there's a lot of reasons why choosing a distributor is a big deal. In Ohio a brewery can self-distribute but in Kentucky you cannnot. So to sell beer in Kentucky you MUST have a distributor. What most people don't realize is that in Ohio (and most everywhere) distributor agreements operate under franchise law which means that when you sign with a distributor it is essentially a perpetual agreement. That means you don't sign a one year or three year agreement and then "decide" whether or not to continue the relationship. Nope. It means that distributor agreements are in effect until such time as they are "mutually severed". If things aren't going well then the distributor can either let you go or they can tell you "tough shit". At that point you can sue for negligence to try to get out of the agreement, but that generally doesn't turn out well for anyone but the lawyers. This is not to say that a distributor would stoop to that level, and every agreement is generally done in good faith. Still, it's something you have to be aware of when considering the "worst case scenario".<br />
<br />
So if its that big of a deal then why do it? Why not just keep self-distributing? Well, as I mentioned you can't self-distribute in Kentucky so I am missing out on a big hunk of the local market. But, there's more to it than that. Self-distribution was never my long term plan. I wanted to do it starting out so that I could learn that side of the business since it is where I was the least experienced going into this endeavor. Boy have I learned a lot in the past 4 months. Some good stuff, some bad stuff, and some stuff that makes me wonder what the hell kind of business I have gotten myself into. I definitely haven't learned it all in this short amount of time but I have learned enough to know that I don't want to do it much longer.<br />
<br />
As a self-financed "one man army" it is simply not practical to self-distribute long term. I don't have the time to make the beer, sell the beer, deliver the beer and do the myriad of other things that go along with running a business. To do it would require a lot of capital that I simply don't have. To meet the sales targets that I have I would need at least one if not two full time sales reps/delivery drivers. I need to get a bigger delivery truck (the Ranger has really taken a beating the last few months). I have to pay these people (bear in mind I haven't even gotten a paycheck yet), insure the truck, and so on. Essentially I am creating another "business" unto itself. This distribution arm now has to struggle with being new to the local market and try to convince customers that they should write an extra check and schedule an extra delivery every week from a new supplier. Some accounts are fine with that but others don't like the extra hassle (so I have found). In the end you still only have one or two people out "hitting the streets" trying to sell your products through primarily "cold-calls" whereas the other distributors have many more people who already have relationships with accounts. Certainly over time you can build these same relationships but it takes a while to build this kind of business and in the meantime I can't sell as much beer as I need to stay in business. Granted, if we had a big bankroll maybe I could pull it off, but I simply don't have it. In my mind I would rather spend any "extra" capital we may get on additional equipment to grow the business. That in a nutshell is why we are getting a distributor.<br />
<br />
So before I get into the particulars I want to put out a HUGE disclaimer. All of the local distributors that I have talked to have been extremely nice to me. I have had multiple meetings with several of them and they have been very helpful with information about their company and the distribution world in general. My decision to go with one versus another was purely a business decision and not because of any personal reasons or "issues" with any of them. I consider all of them to be my new friends in the business. Also, my reasons for my choice were what I thought was best for me and my business and do not in any way constitute an "endorsement" of one distributor over another. Everyone's "path" is different and what seems best for me may not be best for someone else.<br />
<br />
Granted every market is different and one of the first things a brewery needs to consider is how it wants to fit into that market. The market here in Cincinnati is fractured between Ohio and Kentucky due to different state laws that don't have much overlap. So whatever you decide to do in Ohio doesn't necessarily translate into anything in Kentucky. Indiana is different yet, but to be honest I haven't even looked into how things work over there. In this area you can break the distributors down into a few "groups". There are distributors that distribute the "big brands" along with some craft and there are others who deal only in craft. Some of these distributors have territories that cover the whole state and others only operate in certain counties. Some are strictly in one state or the other and some have branches on both sides of the river. There are also differences in how sales forces are structured, chain account access (think Kroger's) and things like that.<br />
<br />
So there is no one way to "skin the cat" as you can see. It depends on what you want for your business. Going with one of the "big guys" means being able to tag onto a large logistics network that can make moving product around fairly easy. The smaller craft only distributors are generally less "corporate" than some of the "big boys" which can make them a little more nimble which is nice. Which is better? Well, both and neither, depending on how you want to be positioned in the market.<br />
<br />
Choosing a distributor that covers the full state means that when you're ready to grow all you have to do is "turn on the switch" to expand into other counties without having to sign a new agreement with another distributor. Signing with a more local distributor means you can choose different partners in different markets that may suit your needs better in that particular region.Once again, which is better? It depends.<br />
<br />
This may be a rather simplistic way to look at it and trust me, there are a lot more in's and out's that I won't go into. To me, this pretty well illustrates the primary "paths" that I had to choose from. For me there are advantages and disadvantages to each of these paths which has made this whole process mind-numbingly difficult. You have to consider what is best for you now AND what will be best for you 10 years from now. To be honest I have spent so much time and effort just getting this brewery off the ground that I can barely picture what may or may not be happening in 10 years. This is where the ulcer part comes in.<br />
<br />
So after weighing all the options, wavering back and forth for weeks and pulling out some of the little hair I have left, I have finally made a decision. As of Monday November 5th our products will be distributed in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area by <a href="http://stagnarodistributing.com/asp/index.asp" target="_blank">Stagnaro Distributing</a>. I'm excited to have finally gotten this decision out of the way and hope I have made the right choice. Only time will tell but in the meantime I am looking forward to concentrating more on production. This is not to say that I will never make a sales call again. I still plan to be out in the market visiting customers once a week. I just won't be doing it 3-4 days of the week like I have been!<br />
<br />
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-64839909509836788172012-10-21T21:44:00.001-04:002012-10-21T21:44:22.775-04:00Why the Arthur's tap conversion is a big deal.For those of you who may not be aware, Arthur's Cafe in Hyde Park has been making some<a href="http://www.fox19.com/category/240225/video-landing-page?clipId=7854810&autostart=true" target="_blank"> news</a> lately (I hope the link stays working). They are converting all six of their draft taps to only local beer making them the first establishment in the city to do so. I wanted to take a moment to expound on some of the ways in which I think this is a HUGE deal in this town.<br />
<br />
1. It's not just a marketing ploy.<br />
Well maybe it is a little bit. But its the RIGHT kind of marketing. Arthur's is a local establishment. Arthur's is a small business. As Chris states in the video, a big part of this whole thing is about supporting other local small businesses (aka the breweries). A lot of people like to wave the "support local" flag. Sometimes it's lip service and sometimes (such as this) it's not. Arthur's is really putting their ass on the line here. Some of the old standby beers that they have had on tap for quite some time are going away and they may risk alienating some of their regular customers by this change. Still, they are willing to give this new concept a try and for that I commend them.<br />
<br />
2. This wasn't possible just a few short years ago.<br />
The whole Mark Twain quote about Cincinnati being 20 years behind the rest of the world is sometimes more reality than hyperbole. If you travel to some other states such as Colorado and Michigan you will generally find a larger number of local taps in bars than you will regional and national brands. Here at home that really hasn't been possible until now. There simply weren't enough local options. With the new guys that have opened lately (yours truly included) and a few more that are coming down the pipe, the excuse that there just aren't enough local brands no longer holds water. For all of those folks out there that like to talk about Cincinnati's great brewing tradition, well guess what....we're bringing it back and here is the first big indication of it in my mind.<br />
<br />
3. It will hopefully become a harbinger of things to come.<br />
OK...this one is partly a selfish reason. As I have been out self-distributing my product in the last few months I have noticed a lot of bars with a lot of taps that may only have one local beer at most (and sometimes none). Granted it is certainly their perogative to sell whatever products they wish and I am totally fine with that. Still, I can't help but think that maybe they don't realize that there are more options out there and maybe they are somewhat "afraid" to serve more than one local beer. I hope that if the Arthur's change to all local goes well maybe other establishments will experiment with putting more local beer on tap. Not necessarily all their taps but to get 2-3 out of the sometimes 20+ isn't too much to ask is it? Of course this means I (hopefully) get to sell more beer thus the selfish comment. But more than that it means more local options in more local establishments for more local people.<br />
<br />
So hopefully this doesn't sound too preachy. I'm not trying to insinuate that people should only drink local beer. There's too many other good beers out there for that. I just hope that someday we can have a great beer culture in this town similar to what can be found in places like Portland, Denver, or most everywhere in Michigan. I think we are well on our way but there is still work to be done. To that end I think this commitment by Arthur's is a big step in the right direction. If you do to then get out and support it and your local breweries wherever they may be poured!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-54890618712369118372012-10-15T11:00:00.002-04:002012-10-15T11:07:46.120-04:00You don't have to go to California to get fresh beer in CincinnatiThere's been a lot of talk and fervor in the local beer world the last few weeks about the Stone Brewing Company "Enjoy by" IPA <a href="http://www.stonebrewing.com/enjoyby/" target="_blank">campaign</a>. If you are unfamiliar with this product it is a Double IPA brewed by a very well respected California brewery that is meant to be drank within a month of the time it was produced. A lot of effort (and expense) was put into making this beer, packaging it quickly, and getting it to market at an incredible speed so that it could be drank at the peak of freshness (I was told that it was trucked here by teams of drivers so that the truck itself wouldn't have to stop in order to save time). There was even a Twitter tie-in for people to request who got to tap it first. The result. The beer is all but gone within a week of hitting the market (and well before the "Enjoy by" date). People are still asking for it, but almost everyone is out of stock. As far as beer launches go I think everyone would agree it was a success.<br />
<br />
But the whole thing has got me thinking. While I understand (and totally agree with) what Stone is attempting to do by bringing the subject of freshness to the forefront with this concept I still find myself a little perplexed by the response. People went absolute bat-shit crazy for this beer this past week. You would have thought that the only beer anyone every drank in this town was a year past its date code and stored next to the furnace all the time. Meanwhile, quietly, without any fanfare (and a much smaller marketing budget) I released a new seasonal IPA about a week ago as well. I didn't have to drive it cross-country day and night to insure its freshness. I didn't run a twitter campaign to see who gets the "opportunity" to drink it at it's freshest. I just sold it to a few places and they put it on tap. It's fresh. Why? Because I just made it and it hasn't traveled farther than 5 miles since then. I didn't do anything special to insure that this batch was delivered any fresher than any of my other products because it is a part of my everyday mantra to make sure the beer is as fresh as possible. This is the very definition of what local brewers do. We make fresh local products that don't have to be trucked across the country. I'm guessing that new batches of Mt. Carmel IPA and Rivertown Hop Baron hit the market last week as well. Granted Stone is a brewery with a bigger reputation than any of us local guys, but our beers are every bit as fresh if not fresher in this market and that's what we do EVERY DAY, not just every once in a while as a special marketing campaign.<br />
<br />
Once again, I do not want to belittle what Stone has done. I think it is a great idea, and judging from the response a lot of local consumers did as well. I just want everyone to remember that you don't have to wait around for a special promotion from a California brewery in order to drink fresh beer in this town. That's what your local brewery is here for!<br />
<br />
<Exit Soapbox> <br />
<br />
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-28033351847984314462012-07-29T23:14:00.000-04:002012-07-29T23:19:57.219-04:00So now what???The brewery is finally operational and we are finally making some sales. In fact we just finished up our first month of sales. So now what? Sit back and watch the profits roll in? Get ready for the inevitable calls from bigger breweries wanting to buy me out so I can retire to an island in the Caribbean? Not exactly. Let's just say month #1 was not a profitable one. No worries though, I didn't expect it to be....and here's a spoiler alert: month #2 won't be any better. But that's OK because I have planned for this to be the case for a while. So instead of sitting back with my feet up on the desk do I just sit around and pull out what little hair I have left worrying about how to pay the electric bill? Nope, no time for that either (well maybe a little bit of hair pulling). See getting up and operational and making those first few sales is only "Phase 1" of the plan. <br />
<br />
As much as I would love for the opposite to be true; self-distributing draft only product, in Ohio only, as a one man operation is NOT a viable success strategy long-term (or even short-term for that matter). As much as it sucks to say it, the old adage that the beer business is a "volume game" is pretty much a universal truth. There is a slippery slope that exists between the quest for volume and having the funds to do what's necessary to increase that volume. To sell more beer you need more avenues to market but to do that you need more equipment/personnel/etc. Of course as soon as you have to buy more equipment you now need to make more money to cover those costs thus you need to sell more beer. You can see how "chasing volume" can quickly become an out of control spiral . But let's back up for a second so that I may define the term "success" as I see it in this endeavor. The success of Blank Slate Brewing Company is defined by the following (in no particular order):<br />
<br />
1. Make the best quality beer that we possibly can.<br />
2. Always be approachable to our customers and never forget where we came from. <br />
3. Further the local beer industry as best we can through our words and actions.<br />
4. Make enough money to pay the bills with enough left over to keep a roof over my family's head, food on the table, and take my wife on a vacation somewhere farther than 10 miles away sometime in the next 5 years!<br />
<br />
There's undoubtedly a few others that I have missed but that basically sums it up. I'm not in this industry to get rich. If I wanted to do that I would have stayed in the<a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2012/02/past-point-of-no-return.html" target="_blank"> plastic factory</a>. I'm not looking to become the next Greg Koch or Sam Calagione. My version of "success" is pretty meager by most standards.<br />
<br />
So if selling kegs of beer out of the back of my Ford Ranger isn't going to get us the volume we need to be even marginally profitable then what's the plan? Well as I said so far Phase 1 is complete. Now it's on to Phase 2. Unfortunately Phase 2 is where things start to get a little hairy. We need to increase our avenues to market and that means bottling. And before you ask, I will be bottling, not canning. For a number of reasons canning doesn't fit into my business model and I am currently ruminating on a whole post dedicated to that discussion so I will leave it alone for now. The fun thing about bottling is that it nearly doubles the complexity of the entire brewing process. First you have all the wonderful branding and packaging design that has to be done. Different designs for bottle labels and six-pack carriers for every brand gets complicated quickly. Then you have to find someone to do the printing of all of these items and usually it's not the same company doing all the printing on the different medias. Then you have to get case boxes made...and don't forget the bottles themselves. All told I will be juggling more vendors for the bottling process than for every other part of the brewery combined. This of course doesn't take into account the bottling process itself which adds a lot more labor than coupling a keg to the tank and letting it fill. Plus it's a lot easier to just stencil a keg with the brewery name and get some tap handle stickers printed and be done with it!<br />
<br />
But that's not even the "hairy" part. Now that we can sell beer in more places with bottles we are forced with the biggest decision of all. Can we sell and distribute all this ourselves (and still have time to make it and bottle it) or do we need to get a distributor? Distributors take a cut of the sales which means you now need to sell more beer to make up the difference. However to distribute to more places on your own you need more employees and more delivery trucks (that aren't a Ford Ranger) which means you also need to make more beer to recover those costs. To top it all off you can't self-distribute in Kentucky so you MUST have a distributor to sell beer there even though the brewery is less than one mile away from the state line. Remember that slippery slope I mentioned before? Why do I feel like the floor is suddenly covered in banana peels?<br />
<br />
The distribution question is an even bigger decision when you factor in franchise law which means that when you sign with a distributor you don't just do it for a 2 or 3 year contract. It's forever. The distribution dilemma is a whole issue in and of itself which I will take on in a later post down the road so stay tuned for that.<br />
<br />
Once we get Phase 2 worked out, it'll be on to Phase 3 - TAPROOM! That's yet another discussion for another day....<br />
<br />
So for now me and my ever receding hair line will keep working out the details to get bottled product out to the market in the next few months while still brewing, kegging and cleaning out the couch cushions to pay the water bill...<br />
<br />
Later.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-51860241068621872432012-06-24T23:42:00.000-04:002012-06-25T09:47:50.849-04:00Time to SELL SELL SELL!Now comes the part I hate. Sales. In a lot of ways I've been dreading this day. It's the part of this whole operation for which I am the least experienced and have the least tolerance. In my former career I had to deal with salesmen making cold calls all the time. I used to hate it and now I have to do the exact same thing. I'm sure most bar owners hate it too. They have a lot more important things to do than deal with some goofy looking guy trying to sell them something. But hey, at least I'm selling beer and not cleaning supplies. No worries though. I'll get to meet lots of new people and hopefully make some new friends along the way. I am starting with a "soft launch" and have already hit a few local establishments. <br />
<br />
I don't really want to do a big "launch party" until all three beers are ready. After having to<a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2012/06/i-will-sell-no-beer-before-its-time.html" target="_blank"> dump a batch</a>, I want to make sure everything is just right before planning any events. I'm still working out the kinks in the process (I'll spare you the technical details) which is making the batches take a little longer to get finished than I would like. It is an iterative process and with every batch things are getting a little better (and easier). I have a batch of Movin' On ready to go, and another in process. The first batch of Pour...Wait...Repeat will be ready in a few days. Ryesing Up is taking a while as the Saison yeast is very finicky. That beer probably won't be ready until around the middle of July.<br />
<br />
So here's where I need your help. As I mentioned earlier, I have already hit a few places in the area around the brewery to make some sales. So far its been tough sledding. When you are cold calling there's about a 20% chance that the person you need to talk to will be there when you show up. Sometimes they don't have room for you on tap right now, and sometimes they "only buy from XYZ distributor because they give the owner Reds and Bengals tickets". That last one is a true statement told to me at one restaurant (the distributor name has been withheld to protect the guilty). Anyways, as I roll out around town to "peddle my wares" it would be great if everybody could start putting the word out around your favorite watering hole that there's a new brewery in town. When I go into a place to make a cold call my chances are better if the owner already has heard of me and has had people asking about Blank Slate. Also, if anybody has any suggestions for places I should make a sales call, let me know. I'll add them to my list if they aren't already on there...<br />
<br />
Thanks for your support and maybe I'll see you out there "on the road"...Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-74819341252333887472012-06-07T19:14:00.001-04:002012-06-07T19:24:44.649-04:00I will sell no beer before its time.As mentioned previously, we are finally brewing! Four batches have been made so far. But, two of them may be headed for the drain...<br />
<br />
Due to a combination of yeast and pH adjustment issues the first batch of Pour...Wait...Repeat didn't ferment fully and nothing seems to be able to get it restarted. It will be dumped as soon as I muster up the courage to do it (or need the tank space). The first batch of Movin' On fermented OK but I am having a lot of trouble getting it to clarify. I originally wanted to stay away from filtering my beer and just use finings to get the final beer clarity that I wanted. For several technical reasons (that I won't go into here) this no longer appears to be possible. So, the filter arrived yesterday. If I can get the beer clear without messing it up, we just might have something sellable. The first batch of the Saison is still fermenting (it takes a while). The second batch of Pour...Wait...Repeat is going in the fermenter today so we'll see how it goes.<br />
<br />
This wasn't completely unexpected. When you are scaling up batches,
learning new equipment, and basically just trying to figure out how to
make it all work there's bound to be some issues. You can only test so much by running water through the tanks. Since the first brew day I have modified the mash tun screens, adjusted the kettle burner, modified my grain bins, and as I mentioned, determined that we will have to filter. In the next week I will be having my heat exchanger modified to increase its capacity and be installing an additional glycol unit to help with some cooling issues that I am having. All of this was unanticipated, but as I said, not unexpected. I knew there would be some things come up in the brewing process that would need to be modified, I just didn't know what they were...until now.<br />
<br />
So what impact does this have on the "official launch". Well its going to be at least a few more weeks. As the title says, I will sell no beer before its time. You only get one chance to make a first impression so I want to make sure everything is right before we hit the market. The learning curve in this process is steep, but I'm getting exponentially "smarter" every day...<br />
<br />
Stay tuned...Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-85619961735225617832012-05-29T22:45:00.002-04:002012-05-29T22:45:41.184-04:00Now we're cooking...It's been a while since I posted and for that I apologize, but I've been busy. Busy in a good way. See, we're finally brewing! I went through about seven different welders before I finally found a company that could do the job and do it right. I find it amazing how hard it was to get someone to come out and look at the tank, be able to fit inside it, and not be "too busy with other jobs" to fix my leak. (If you were too busy why did you come out in the first place?)<br />
<br />
But no matter. It's fixed and all is well. I've brewed two batches so far and after tomorrow all the fermenters will be full! In about a week or so the first batch should be done and ready to sell. The first brew day went reasonably well even though it took 16 hours to get done. We hit the gravity pretty close, although an issue with the wort chiller made that part of the process take quite a bit longer than expected. <br />
<br />
That's all for now, but I'll keep everybody informed of where and when the first kegs will be sold!Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-42515627014490952722012-05-13T10:02:00.001-04:002012-05-13T10:07:00.879-04:00If It Weren't For Bad Luck......I'd have no luck at all. I know that's a cliche, but for the last few weeks it has been my fate. Things were finally coming together. Back on the <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2012/04/now-hard-part-begins.html" target="_blank">22nd</a> I was pretty stoked to get started. I was tentatively targeting to launch during American Craft Beer Week (which starts tomorrow). It took a few days to get a few last minute things squared away and get ingredients ordered, but by the end of April, I was ready to brew. Key word in that statement is "was ready". I was conducting the final tests through the brewery and filling the boil kettle for the first time (with water) and found out that it leaks! Of all the used equipment in this place, the only tank that's <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2011/12/construction-and-equipment-update-12-23.html" target="_blank">new</a> leaks! Go figure.<br />
<br />
So after a few calls to the tank manufacturer and a few welders, I found somebody to fix it and the manufacturer is going to pick up the bill. No big deal, but it will cost us a few days (which I really can't afford)...<br />
<br />
Until I go to fill it again. Apparently it leaks in TWO places. So we have it fixed again. Then we fill it again. Apparently it leaks in THREE places. So the welder is coming back today (yes, on Mother's Day Sunday) to weld it again. Hopefully this will be it because I don't know if I can handle much more of this...<br />
<br />
As I have said before, there will be setbacks and unforeseen problems that arise in this process. I understand and accept them. But is it too much to ask that a brand new tank be able to hold water without leaking? Well I guess so. It speaks to the sad state of affairs that the manufacturing world is in. First, I had to have the tank made in China because all the American manufacturers I spoke to were "too busy" to even give me a quote in most cases. Couple that with the fact that most of the American manufacturers are having most (if not all) of the fabrication done in China anyway. I did a lot of research into these tanks before I made this purchase and there were a lot of mixed feelings out there in the brewing world about their quality but most agreed it was "worth the risk". I guess somebody has to get stuck with the lemon and apparently it was my turn. If you're in the planning phases of starting a brewery and you are looking into Chinese equipment, all I can say is you better build a contingency into your financials "just in case" there are issues with the equipment when you get it...<br />
<br />
In the end it will get fixed. We <u>WILL</u> brew <u>SOON</u>. Still, it kinda sucks when you're building up to the precipice and everything you've worked for is about to come to fruition and then SPLAT. I've already had to turn down some potential sales because I can't tell anyone for sure when I will have product. I'm loosing the well timed momentum that I was getting from some of the local press. I have yeast sitting here losing viability by the day...<br />
<br />
On the bright side, the extra time has allowed me to get all the <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2012/03/god-bless-ttb-not.html" target="_blank">needed approvals for the Peppercorn Saison</a> so we will be launching that beer after all. The taphandles are all done and ready to go so I'll leave you with this pic of the initial line-up. Hopefully you'll see these in your local drinking establishments sooner than later...<br />
<br />
I'll let you know when just as soon as I know myself... <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85hIUFDhWFx5OLben-yYcrZfnbNNY0QeNGsmvXpP4JH7tWH0RoP3Z_D7AwSuAn37EA2rqn_8zbh2Aq-Ney4UCajZ6loi65lCwJ2p8XcfNNxyeMG5dEky3Mb_f3EHjcJudEt8lapu1d98/s1600/IMG_0705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85hIUFDhWFx5OLben-yYcrZfnbNNY0QeNGsmvXpP4JH7tWH0RoP3Z_D7AwSuAn37EA2rqn_8zbh2Aq-Ney4UCajZ6loi65lCwJ2p8XcfNNxyeMG5dEky3Mb_f3EHjcJudEt8lapu1d98/s320/IMG_0705.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What do you think? I wanted to keep them simple but still distinctive. And yes, those are QR codes at the bottom.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-79786738140116917052012-04-28T23:49:00.002-04:002012-04-29T00:00:19.107-04:00The Beer Name GameAs a homebrewer I never was much for naming my beers. I don't know why but it just wasn't my thing. Maybe it was the impermanence of a 5 or 10 gallon batch of beer that wouldn't be around for more than a few months that made it not worth bothering with a name. Or maybe since I usually tweaked recipes from one brew session to the next it wasn't worth it to name an "unfinished product". Not that I have a problem with people giving their homebrews names, it just wasn't for me. For competitions I would just enter my beers by their style name such as "Robust Porter" or "Northern English Brown Ale". <br />
<br />
Well that doesn't really work in the world of professional brewing. For legal and marketing reasons you gotta call it something. Naming my beers after their style seems a bit boring and since a lot of what I brew doesn't fit into exact style guidelines it wouldn't be real feasible anyway. Lucky for me I've been compiling a list of possible beer names for a few years now. Some are specific names that fit a certain style or flavor characteristic, some are interesting plays on words, and some are just words or phrases that "sounded like they would make a good beer name". I have compiled a pretty big list and keep adding to it regularly.<br />
<br />
The trick is out of all those names probably about half of them will be unusable. Not necessarily because they are vulgar, violate TTB rules or just don't make sense (although there are some on the list that qualify in this regard), but because they are already in use. See there are a little over 1900 craft breweries operating in the U.S. right now. If you assume (conservatively) that each brewery has 5 standard beers and 5 seasonal beers that's nearly 20,000 beer names that are in use. Well that generally means all the "easy" names have already been taken. But how do you know? Well as luck would have it the TTB has a name search <a href="https://www.ttbonline.gov/colasonline/publicSearchColasBasic.do" target="_blank">directory</a> that can help you check for already registered labels. However, as with many things in the TTB, it isn't exactly the most useful tool. It is an exact name search which means you have to search for the exact name to see if anyone is using it. That means you have to try all the different variations and spellings you can think of to make sure you aren't naming a beer RYESING SUN when there is already a beer named RYSING SUN (hypothetical example).<br />
<br />
But who cares you say? So what if there's a beer in Ohio named Hoppin' Wheat and a beer in California named Hopp'n Wheat (hypothetical example)? Breweries and their trademark lawyers that's who. Trademark law can be a real "sticky wicket" as they say. There's a lot of in's and out's but the gist of it is if someone else was using it first and they think your name is too close to theirs (which is very open to interpretation) they can sue you for infringement, even if you had no idea they existed or have no plans to ever sell beer in a market that they service. Ignorance is no excuse for the law as they say. So, when naming a beer you have to not only check every derivation of it you can think of in the TTB directory but it's also a good idea to search Google/Yahoo etc. just to be sure. While you're at it a search of the US Patent and Trade <a href="http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=searchss&state=4006:67c86a.1.1" target="_blank">database</a> probably isn't a bad idea either. Even then you have to hope you did a good enough job researching so you don't get into trouble later.<br />
<br />
This scenario works for brewery names as well. Blank Slate was actually the third name I came up with for the brewery (actually my friend Chad came up with it). Several years back I was looking to use the name "NO LABEL BREWING COMPANY" so I did a bunch of searching and found it wasn't in use. Fast forward a few years and when I was getting ready to incorporate I decided to double check. Sure enough, somebody had started using it. You snooze you lose I guess. There are a lot of examples out there of others who had to change their names after they were already doing business. There was recently a brewery in Louisiana that changed its name from "PELICAN BREWERY" because there is apparently a brewpub in Washington called the "PELICAN BREWPUB". Even though the chances of either brewery selling beer very far outside of their own state is slim, in this "globalized world" in which we now live I guess this is just how it goes. In our litigious society sometimes even very loose relationships between names can cause someone to change theirs. I just<a href="http://www.ohio.com/blogs/the-beer-blog/the-beer-blog-1.273124/born-brewing-changes-name-1.302743" target="_blank"> read this past week</a> about a new brewery in Columbus that was changing their name from "BORN BREWING" because Rolling Rock has a trademark on the slogan "BORN SMALL TOWN". Seems like pretty shaky grounds to claim infringement but just to be on the safe side (since Rolling Rock is owned by Budweiser who has LOTS of lawyers) they changed their name to "SEVENTH SON". Of course a quick search of that name yields a brewery in Florida named "SEVENTH SUN" so we'll see how that works out. <br />
<br />
So the next time you pick up a beer and think "what's in a name", the answer is generally "a lot of research and lawyers"....<br />
<br />
As for me, maybe I should use a random word generator for all my beer names to avoid any legal entanglements. Anyone up for drinking a "BATHROBE AGGRANDIZING METRONOME"?<br />
<br />
OK, maybe not....Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-39355949940593807332012-04-22T23:49:00.000-04:002012-04-22T23:49:02.540-04:00Now the hard part begins...If you haven't been following me through other social media outlets <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/blankslatebeer" target="_blank">(twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">facebook</a>) I'm sorry for filling you in on this so late but it turned out to be a big week this past week. We got the<a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2012/04/dead-in-water.html" target="_blank"> burner situation</a> straightened out sooner than originally expected (thanks to the good folks at <a href="http://stoermer-anderson.com/" target="_blank">Stoermer-Anderson</a>). The electrical inspector was pleased so I was able to get my final building inspection last Wednesday and low and behold <b>IT PASSED!</b> So what's next? What other regulatory hurdles are left before we can get this thing off the ground? The answer - <b>NOTHING!</b> That's it, we're done. City building occupancy was the last regulatory step and now, its complete!<br />
<br />
Part of me feels a little weird. For the last year I have been so focused on construction and permits and licenses that now that it's all done, I feel like part of me doesn't know what to do. Sure there's still a few "projects" to put together but for the most part my focus must now shift to the truly hard part of opening a brewery - actually operating it....<br />
<br />
Once the final inspector left, everything suddenly became very "REAL". See, for me, the nuts and bolts of putting the brewery together were the "easy" (relatively speaking) part. Now I have to deal with marketing and sales and invoices and inventory control and on and on and on. These are the areas of running a business that are a little less in my "wheelhouse" so to speak. It's not that I don't know how they work, it's just that I don't have a lot of experience doing them. Let's just say that researching the finer points of credit card merchant accounts isn't my strongest suit, nor do I find it very fun. But hey, if I only did the fun stuff I would have run out of things to do a long time ago.<br />
<br />
Of course the operations side has always been in my mind and things have been in motion for months to get everything set up. Now that the permit process is over though it really has to kick into high gear. It wasn't an hour after the building inspector left that I was on the phone ordering 5,000 pounds of grain and 250 pounds of hops. Even though the taphandles were ordered weeks ago (and still haven't arrived) I'm still working out the final details on the labels for them. I've been brewing a few pilot batches so that I can have samples to take to potential customers. I even have the first of what will be a few meetings with distributors next week (more on that another day). The tanks need their final cleaning and we need to run a few water tests through the whole system to make sure everything goes where it's supposed to. So even though we've moved into the next "phase" of start-up there's still lots to do. If all goes well we should be brewing a batch by the end of this next week. As far as an official launch, that still isn't fully decided but should be in time for American Craft Beer Week which is May 14-20.<br />
<br />
I modified the tagline of the blog today to say "<span>starting <u><b>(and operating)</b></u> a brewery is exciting and scary at the same time". For as scary as getting this thing started has been, operating it is even scarier...</span>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-19559528383071146912012-04-03T10:56:00.005-04:002012-04-03T11:08:01.887-04:00Dead in the Water.....I have been purposely vague when the question of "when will you be open" gets asked. Since you can't ever say for sure until all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed I have been cautious not to commit to a specific launch date. Sure I've had a timeline in my head ever since last March when I first registered the business. At that time the best I would say to anyone was "probably winter 2011/2012". As things began to progress with construction I began to narrow it down to "late first quarter 2012". Even as recently as the beginning of March I was optimistic that there would be beer in the fermenter by March 31st, just in time for an early April launch. That would put me pretty close to what I was thinking over a year ago. Not a bad guesstimate if you ask me.<br />
<br />
Being ever the pessimist I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Something to come along to screw everything up. I previously mentioned the <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2012/03/progress-update-i-hate-refrigeration.html" target="_blank">issues I had with the walk-in refrigeration</a> back at the beginning of March. Well after much consternation and many a phone call, we now have the "right" refrigeration system. Unfortunately that turned out to be a three week mistake by the original supplier.<br />
<br />
So the "new" target brew date became the first half of April. Disheartening, but still not too far off the original estimate...until I had my electrical inspection last Friday.<br />
<br />
Let me back up for a minute. In order to conduct business in my place I must have a city building occupancy permit. This is essentially the final culmination of the building permit process that "blesses" your building for use. It started way back in August with the overall building permit application. It was promptly denied due to a few minor things that were missing on the drawings. After an architect revision and a few other hoops we had permission to start work in early October. The plumbers and electricians then procured their permits and we were off and running. An inspection of the bathroom framing, plumbing and electrical was needed before we could drywall. That was done in December. Once all the fixtures are installed you must get a final plumbing and electrical inspection and then finally, a final building inspection. The final plumbing was done in February - no sweat. The building and plumbing inspections are done by the city and believe it or not they have been great to work with (so far). The electrical inspection is done by an outside company called IBI (Inspection Bureau Inc.) and from what I can tell Cincinnati is the only municipality in the US that "outsources" their electrical inspections. Instead of the inspections being done by a city inspector who gets paid by the hour they are done by a for profit company that gets paid PER VISIT. That means if they have to inspect you more than once, they get paid more than once. This incentivizes the inspector to find at least one thing wrong so that they get to come back. Ahh, the "free enterprise" system at work.<br />
<br />
Due to the snafu with the walk-in, I couldn't get the final bits of wiring done until late last week. When the electrical inspector came he had an issue with the gas burner on my kettle. Apparently it is not UL (<a href="http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/" target="_blank">Underwriters Labs</a>) listed. UL is the little insignia that you see on extension cords and other electrical devices that lets you know it is approved for use in the US by an independent third party. The inspector will not sign off without seeing a UL listing for the burner. The problem is the burner was made in China (with German components) and does not have a UL listing. It has a <a href="http://ce-mark-us.com/" target="_blank">CE listing</a> which is the European Union equivalent (and is actually more stringent than UL from what I can tell), but that apparently doesn't fly here in the good old U.S. of A.<br />
<br />
Bullshit.....<br />
<br />
I have worked as an engineer in a few factories in my day. I was involved with UL a little bit in my last job as we had to maintain a UL listing for the products we made so I am somewhat familiar with the process. In an industrial environment very little equipment is UL listed. A factory contains a lot of custom built equipment, often from foreign manufacturers, for which you will find no UL listing. It is specialized equipment and would be prohibitively expensive and time consuming to have every individual piece of equipment certified by UL (certification costs start at $4,500 per item and go up from there). But what can you do? You can't argue with an inspector or they will make your life a lot worse. <br />
<br />
So what DO I do? Well it looks like the path of least resistance is to buy a new burner that is UL listed. After a few frantic calls the folks at <a href="http://stoermer-anderson.com/" target="_blank">Stoermer-Anderson</a> (shameless plug) are setting me up with what I need. Unfortunately it is going to take a few weeks to get here.....<br />
<br />
Ugghh. So the "new new" brew date is probably more like the end of April. That's assuming the electrical inspector signs off on it and we don't have any issues with the final building inspection (which is a big assumption).<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, I knew crap like this would come up, but it still sucks when it does. I'm so close I can almost taste it and I'm at the point where time costs more than money. So in the meantime I'll keep working on little projects, and continuing to try and find the hops that I need (a story for another day).<br />
<br />
As far as the original question of "when will you be open".....let's just leave it at...soon....<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaF9yrzz4rh2mYlyKGzWvYZFjdTLa1O98rDPsXVezPn37irv0kvuJNOQObrPuLGt5PQRiPuTSRndk1x-Hq63-WfwzXnNIjZUTTlD5i4OdzEPhzQFerXhuzvQBE0MLrhrmdQO3amvS5mQ/s1600/IMG_0652%5B1%5D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaF9yrzz4rh2mYlyKGzWvYZFjdTLa1O98rDPsXVezPn37irv0kvuJNOQObrPuLGt5PQRiPuTSRndk1x-Hq63-WfwzXnNIjZUTTlD5i4OdzEPhzQFerXhuzvQBE0MLrhrmdQO3amvS5mQ/s320/IMG_0652%5B1%5D" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caution: "Dangerous Equipment"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-818238194933675812012-03-20T19:39:00.004-04:002012-03-20T19:43:32.846-04:00So where's the taproom going to be?As many of you may or may not be aware the State of Ohio recently changed the law so that a brewery can have a tasting room without having to get an additional license. Previously the state A-1 license allowed you to manufacture but not sell on premise. To sell on premise required the addition of an A-1-A license which cost an additional $3,906 annually. Along with that came several requirements which essentially made your business a brewpub (must serve hot food, etc.). This puts you in the restaurant business which is something most breweries don't want to deal with (board of health, etc.). The change in the law now allows breweries to serve their own beer on premise without having to pay the additional license fee or serve food. This is a great step forward for Ohio and puts us on par with many other states that "appreciate" craft beer. The breweries and micro-distilleries that lobbied for this change should be applauded because (as with anything in government) it wasn't easy to get this passed.<br />
<br />
So now I often get asked "will you have a tasting room?" If people stop by to visit they ask "where will the tasting room be?" It's a legitimate question but the fact of the matter is I can't afford to do one right out of the gate. When I secured the lease on my space last year the law had not yet passed so it was not paramount on my list of "must haves" when I was looking at spaces. I wanted to be sure to get the basics that I needed to build a functioning brewery together before worrying about things that (at the time) may or may not happen. My brewery is one big open room and I will be using every square foot of it for production space. Plus there are a few new requirements that come with adding a taproom to a brewery in Ohio that make it not as easy as some may think.<br />
<br />
The new law requires that you must have separate bathrooms for Men and Women and they must be ADA compliant (<a href="http://www.ada.gov/" target="_blank">Americans with Disabilities Act</a>) which is pretty <a href="http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm" target="_blank">complicated</a>. You must also have a 3-vessel sink to wash glassware (or use disposable cups) or a commercial dishwasher. While these seem like simple and legitimate requests the fact is I only have 1 bathroom and no 3-vessel sink. So while the law removes the need to pay an additional $3,906 license to serve on premise it DOESN'T come with a $10,000 check so that I can become compliant with the requirements set forth in the law.<br />
<br />
Again, I am not complaining that these requirements are out of line just that I am not in a position to meet them right now. I'm self-financed and since everything is coming down to the wire financially as I approach opening (all I ate today was a Snickers Bar to save money) the fact is that these are not expenses that I could incur even if the law was already in effect years ago.<br />
<br />
There is also another "hidden" aspect of this. Depending on the zoning and occupancy permit of your brewery you may not be able to open a taproom without significant building expenses besides the bathrooms and sinks. If your brewery (like mine) is zoned and permitted for manufacturing use then the allowable occupancy is usually pretty low. Once finally approved (that's a story for another day) I think the allowable occupancy of my 2,000 square foot brewery will be 8 or 10. That wouldn't make for much of a taproom. To increase the occupancy would require additional emergency exits, additional parking, upgrades to the heating system and probably the addition of air conditioning (I'm already sweating my ass off in here). Again, things I don't have the cash flow to support at this time.<br />
<br />
But fear not! All this doesn't mean that I will never have a taproom. One of the key features of my brewing space is that there is room to expand on either side. Once we get up and running and get some money coming in it's definitely in the expansion plans. If all goes well I may start putting those plans into motion in early 2013. But for now I can't look much past the next few weeks of final installation, inspection and just getting a batch of beer made....<br />
<br />
Until then please enjoy the taprooms being setup at <a href="http://mtcarmelbrewingcompany.com/" target="_blank">Mt. Carmel</a>, <a href="http://rivertownbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Rivertown</a>, <a href="http://www.listermann.com/" target="_blank">Listermann</a>, <a href="http://www.redearbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Red Ear</a> and eventually at <a href="http://www.thedoublebarrelbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Double Barrel</a>.<br />
<br />
As for me, its baby steps.....Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-25478349457564337192012-03-08T17:48:00.001-05:002012-03-08T17:59:05.430-05:00God Bless the TTB (not)As I have mentioned <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2011/09/bureaucracy-is-four-letter-word.html">before</a> there is a lot of bureaucracy involved in starting a brewery. You need a Federal Brewer's Permit (<a href="http://ttb.gov/">Tax and Trade Bureau aka TTB</a>) as well as a <a href="http://www.com.ohio.gov/liqr/">State Liquor Permit</a> (Ohio in my case). There's a lot involved in getting these things done and it takes a good deal of research to figure out how to do them properly. I started the process way back in September and am happy to report that as of last week I have obtained both of the licenses needed to manufacture alcohol in the state of Ohio!<br />
<br />
While successfully navigating this bureaucratic process is definitely a big relief, unfortunately my main reward for all of this is.....more bureaucracy. See once you have all the applicable licenses you are really only half done. Once you get your Federal license you immediately have to begin filling out monthly excise tax returns even if you are not yet producing beer. Once you do the first one though you can elect to file quarterly if your volume is small enough (luckily mine is). Along with this you must also submit a very complicated form detailing all of your production and inventory (even if its 0). As if I don't have enough to do right?<br />
<br />
Next up you have to get your product name/label approved by a different subsection of the <a href="http://ttb.gov/labeling/index.shtml">TTB</a>. This applies even if the product will only be sold in kegs. The labeling group is concerned with making sure you have the proper government warnings in the proper font size with the proper contrast and other mundane things like that. If your beer recipe contains anything other than malt/hops/yeast/water (and a few other pre-approved adjuncts), chances are you will also have to file for a formula approval BEFORE you can apply for label approval (this includes spice additions such as in a Witbier). You also have to register your products with the state and pay them a $50 fee FOR EACH LABEL.<br />
<br />
Fear not though because the TTB has an <a href="https://www.ttbonline.gov/formulasonline/TTBOnlinePortal.jsp">online system</a> to make all of this "easy" for you. Of course I use this term VERY loosely. In order to get access to this system you must submit an application (about 2 pages) and wait approximately 20 days for a response. At that point you get a login and password for the label approval system (known as COLA - Certificate of Label Approval). You must then use this login to register for access to the formula approval system which then takes another 20 days or so to get approved. ONLY at this point can you submit your formula which can then take (you guessed it) 20 days to approve. THEN you can submit your label which is supposed to take about a week to get approved (but is more like...20 days). <br />
<br />
Sound confusing and daunting? It is. ESPECIALLY when it doesn't work properly. If you aren't using Internet Explorer 7 the whole system most likely won't work at all. Knowing all this I started the registration process right after I got my Federal permit (back in early January). My first COLA login didn't work and it took a week to get ahold of someone at the TTB to fix it. Unfortunately I didn't think to check if my formulas account would work since it is supposed to be the same login. I just figured out last week that it doesn't. Apparently there was an error in the account set-up (on their end) that requires me to submit a change of registration request which takes up to 30 days to process. Only then can I properly apply for the formulas system access which puts me right back in the line I referenced earlier. AARGH!<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, when you do track down someone at the TTB they are extremely helpful. They are an overworked and understaffed section of the government and I don't envy them. But this also means that for me to get a beer label registered for something that contains spices it looks like it's going to take about two months. So it looks like I will be switching around the beer launch schedule a bit. One of the first beers I was planning to launch was a Rye Saison with peppercorns. Looks like that will have to be postponed until the summer since I won't be able to get formula/label approval in time. So for now it looks like the first two beers will be:<br />
<br />
Movin' On - American Session Ale. A variant of the "English Best Bitter" style with some American malt and hops thrown in for good measure. Bringing back the flavorful session ale is what this beer is all about. ~4% ABV<br />
<br />
Pour...Wait...Repeat - Spring Wheat Ale. It takes winter wheat to make spring wheat ale. Crisp and clean with enough hops to not be confused with any of those "big box" American wheat beers out there. ~6.5% ABV<br />
<br />
Unless something ELSE unforeseen happens.....<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDSnudQt_wdTvoQDAgGaVwAy6VIoI8CSBH8plu1zaI6JtkxXh4JecOFmGQiLLPkghv8MGwHU4XQM6SyYcMWjGhsFSj9HYJBGbmrX81elv4h3DsW6BoGiowvVKUSfTJaUfu1RKEA6b7WY/s1600/IMG_0616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDSnudQt_wdTvoQDAgGaVwAy6VIoI8CSBH8plu1zaI6JtkxXh4JecOFmGQiLLPkghv8MGwHU4XQM6SyYcMWjGhsFSj9HYJBGbmrX81elv4h3DsW6BoGiowvVKUSfTJaUfu1RKEA6b7WY/s320/IMG_0616.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first two beer "labels"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916129450070169884.post-64523789974359337362012-03-08T13:07:00.000-05:002012-03-08T13:07:44.770-05:00Progress Update - I hate refrigeration salesmen!I've been silent for a while now. Things have been a bit busy. It's been "balls to the wall" since <a href="http://blankslatebeer.blogspot.com/2012/02/beerfest-wrap-up.html">Beerfest</a> (except for a brief visit to Bockfest last week). I figure I owe everyone a progress update so here's what's been happening....<br />
<br />
Everything for the most part is in place. There is still some final electrical hook-ups to be done but the plumbing is all inspected and ready to go. My mill is back from getting the legs extended and just needs a switch installed. The fermenters have all been re-insulated and the gaskets replaced. The glycol system will be plumbed in the next day or so and that end of the operation will be all wrapped up.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio21NB7rePhlFgb2pWhYre5R-VhIEnHjjgxNqqm1OFGaYqeI1aIv3Uld6J5D9odWuAXRN8B43JfCwwb4nEiQ91xaWkDWHrYmeO8Aek6Or31tlnnInwaQrsvgMix-EmF-kj1UadxbL6gms/s1600/IMG_0601%5B1%5D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio21NB7rePhlFgb2pWhYre5R-VhIEnHjjgxNqqm1OFGaYqeI1aIv3Uld6J5D9odWuAXRN8B43JfCwwb4nEiQ91xaWkDWHrYmeO8Aek6Or31tlnnInwaQrsvgMix-EmF-kj1UadxbL6gms/s320/IMG_0601%5B1%5D" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newly modified mill. All the black frame is new. It used to only be about a foot and a half off the ground.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHewxtIkwFZ9nV6sG7oyHcdSnTMLn4cRDGkS6CaVkPkquBq6NuZvOD-MqQ2zy_0ku54RPyGd3JnR1DpNprtwBmFB2aUNDzET8phaQ3ARjlIeKoTUZ7Wtsn_ageVb9lPbXJerqnOuNHI4E/s1600/IMG_0606%5B1%5D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHewxtIkwFZ9nV6sG7oyHcdSnTMLn4cRDGkS6CaVkPkquBq6NuZvOD-MqQ2zy_0ku54RPyGd3JnR1DpNprtwBmFB2aUNDzET8phaQ3ARjlIeKoTUZ7Wtsn_ageVb9lPbXJerqnOuNHI4E/s320/IMG_0606%5B1%5D" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fermenter Insulation - Before and After</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The kettle venting is almost done. It just needs the condensate stack (the material is backordered for a few more days). It's starting to look like an octopus since the building department made me put in a "make up air" duct. This is a fancy way of saying that I have to have a 6"x6" hole in the wall with no damper or cover that allows cold outside air to dump into my building and make my heating system run overtime all in the hopes that I won't somehow asphyxiate myself when the kettle burner is turned on (can you tell I'm not thrilled about this idea?). That's OK because they made me put another one on the furnace. I may as well just leave the door open all winter....Gotta love city building codes.....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyLfLzipDO0ei0ZRNhFTU7KKsPcJ9Et-TZe0WseMDaKgfyMQKL75gRcGnfadI14tj6AkQB2SOOrzA9eE4Ougbv0TfRSA_WxfjkbBwMOnN8fPdDH87wFqUKMNlVqi8kyclq7tidzKeaIU/s1600/IMG_0614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyLfLzipDO0ei0ZRNhFTU7KKsPcJ9Et-TZe0WseMDaKgfyMQKL75gRcGnfadI14tj6AkQB2SOOrzA9eE4Ougbv0TfRSA_WxfjkbBwMOnN8fPdDH87wFqUKMNlVqi8kyclq7tidzKeaIU/s320/IMG_0614.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
You may have seen the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlyEt5X2NO0">Benny Hill-esque movie</a> my brother did for the walk-in assembly. Well the part you didn't see was all of the caulking that had to be done on the seams. I think it was about ten tubes worth. Since there's no "windows" in there the fumes were pretty fun! But the real fun part has been the refrigeration system. When I bought the used walk-in I had a pretty good idea that the refrigeration system was junk. No big deal, it was still worth it. I know about a lot of things, but refrigeration is not one of them. Since I had previously worked with a company that sells new and refurbished refrigeration systems I figured I'd leave this to the experts so I had them run the load calculations and spec out a new system. A few days later it was here. My installer took one look at it and said there's no way it is big enough to cool my unit properly. A few phone calls later and I had 4 independent companies all telling me that the system needs to be bigger. So now we're stuck because the company that sold it to me still maintains it will work. The moral to this story, always ask more than one "expert" or learn how to do it yourself....<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6tCuZOYsbed0jCbyr0n2USlfDbbTzManQiNVT4FWqCIPj0iKDxK-V8ZH47KAA08yBkDReb2wN5DhkT2KVoM3RGmTwbwgZpm1T52SIR441vPsVs9MdaMMyBSx4V41EVfCNzjAwoKAhOc/s1600/IMG_0599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6tCuZOYsbed0jCbyr0n2USlfDbbTzManQiNVT4FWqCIPj0iKDxK-V8ZH47KAA08yBkDReb2wN5DhkT2KVoM3RGmTwbwgZpm1T52SIR441vPsVs9MdaMMyBSx4V41EVfCNzjAwoKAhOc/s320/IMG_0599.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks nice, too bad it's too small...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Fear not, I won't let this keep me down (although it's kinda making my ass hurt). We will get it squared away and get the right system hooked up. After that we are a few small wiring jobs away from final building inspections and then we can brew!Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755087688888832060noreply@blogger.com