worst blogger ever

So I'm pretty sure I am the worst blogger.  So much has happened since my last blog there is not really any way to fill in the gaps.  So please check out our web page(s):  www.bigelmbeer.com & www.bigelmbrewery.com.  They both go to the same page.  Some PERSON in Stockbridge MA thought it was a good idea to buy the domain bigelmbrewing.com in January 2012 when we first bought the building and I think there was a small article about us.  Thanks JA in Stockbridge!  But no worries, we have beer.com and brewery.com.  We also have facebook and twitter if that is your thing.  Once the canning line is up and running, which is slated for the end of February, I'm hoping we have more time to share our thoughts and adventures via blog. 

Until then, here's a quick synopsis:  Our equipment finally showed up in late August.  After spending too much time cleaning and getting the space ready, we were of course not ready and really had to hustle to get the brewhouse up and ready.  Our 1st brew was mid-September.  Being rushed (we needed beer for Berktoberfest 2012) we skipped the water brew.  Any brewers out there are shaking their heads for sure.  We of course cleaned everything, but just never did a practice brew.  Luckily it all worked out.  A few minor set backs.  The worst of it was the hot water tank had a faulty weld, we lucked out.

Then packaging, sales and deliveries......we realized the two of us alone could not do this.  That is when we talked the Jaehnig's into our world.  Russ is a fantastic chef (actually sought out type of chef, no real need to leave the industry??? except maybe a calling from the brewery world, must be bottling days.   Jen is a middle school teacher and our Saturday tours expert, and will be until the lot of us can pull a salary.  Harper and Duke of course keep the brewery stocked with trucks of all shapes and sizes for ultimate demo/sandbox/races.  Jen and Russ have really taken over the sales and media portion of Big Elm and will eventually be full time at the brewery.

Until that time we are working with what we have.  And welcome volunteers (w/beer compensation of course).  This summer will be an exciting and busy time with the cans and summer fun.

Anyway better than a blog-
www.bigelmbeer.com
www..bigelmbrewery.com
Twitter: @Bigelmbeer
fbhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Elm-Brewing/425644114159890

2/21/12
I got to use a sledge hammer!   As we divy up the time between caring for the kids and working at the brewery, I usually get the kids.  Agnes is still nursing ,so its just easier that way.  But once a week I get to be on the demo/clean up duty.  It’s not all that glorious, but I do like demo.  It is very therapeutic.  

The building was home to a  plastics company so there is a thick layer of fine plastic dust on everything.  As we reinvent the space we are blowing through the shop vac filters.  Despite being dirty, the space is coming to life.  We will continue to post photos to show the progress.  When I have some free time I will do a more complete before and after photo gallery.

3/13/12
All (or most) of the dust is up and now we are on to constructing the space.  We have done so much, so the reality of all that is still left to do is daunting!  But doable.  The goal is still beer on the shelves and at the taps by end of June.  More to come, soon......
 

Bill holding it all together.

Future Tasting room

Breaking ground for the brewpad.

Laying the drain.

Our "new" forklift

framing out the office

future brewpad

1st blog on the road to beer!

Here we go again, but this time on the path we should have originally pursued.  I really believe that, but also strongly believe we would have never made it here via any other path.  For those of you who don’t know us here is a little personal background on who we are and how we got to Big Elm Brewing Company.  My husband Bill and I met at Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown PA in 2003.  He hired me and then swept me off my feet.  I returned the favor by talking him into opening a Brewpub in MA.  Most of my ideas up until this point had been pretty good, so he went along with it.  

We opened Pittsfield Brew Works in Pittsfield MA in May 2005.   We made and sold lots of great beers.   We had a great staff and made lots of great friends.  Everything was fantastic, except the restaurant business really didn’t fit us.  We were not happy.  What we know and love is making beer, which became only a side task of running the brewpub.  So we sold it right after our son Tobi was born.  It was a very hard and scary decision, but the right one.

This was June 2010 and we were all set to start up a production brewery.  We had equipment lined up; financing lined up; everything except a building to brew in.  We were picky at first.  It had to be in Pittsfield and had to be just so.  A couple months later we loosened our standards and started thinking about renting and looking at the rest of Berkshire county.  Still, NOTHING.  Then we got very creative with a few locations, set on making it work.  Several places fell through last minute (zoning issues, scaredy cat developer, etc).   We of course needed more money than we originally predicted and the bank we secured financing with closed/sold.  The summer of 2011 we had no building and no financing and a baby girl.  Yup, Agnes joined us in May.  This was not how we would have planned it all, but I am sticking with my original statement that it’s the only way it could have happened.

So at this point we had all but given up on the idea of a brewery, then we found 65 Silver Street in Sheffield MA.  Perfect building, way bigger than we need and affordable.   Looking into it further, we discover it’s a cool town.  Everyone we meet is nice!  Small town; Big Heart!  Home!  Well at least the brewery’s home and hopefully we can follow.

So that is our story.  

Soon to come: pictures of our progress.  Despite the fact that the building is perfect, it is dirty.  In future blogs we (Bill will most likely be writing some blogs too) will share the fun of Big Elm Brewing’s start!