Frequently Asked Questions
(Also, check out our Store Rules and Guidlines for more information)
How much does it cost to make beer or wine?
First, there's an annual license fee for the state, which costs $20, and is good for one calendar year. Our beers range from $155-$205 per batch (depending on the recipe chosen), plus $5 per case of bottles ($30 per batch, but save money by re-using your bottles!!) Each batch yields 72-22oz bottles. Compared to commercial beers, this means it would cost you from $7.04 to $9.32 per 6-pack of 12oz. bottles of your own custom-crafted beer, assuming you re-use your own bottles. And, you get labels! For the wine, each batch will yield 26-750ml bottles, at a cost of $155 or $180, which figures out to between $5.96 and $6.93 per bottle, an excellent value! And don't forget the labels, too.
What do I do with my used bottles between brewing sessions?
As soon as you empty a bottle, thoroughly rinse the bottle with water until the rinse runs completely clear. Remove the dividing insert in the box, line the bottom of the box with dry paper towels and replace the insert. Store the rinsed bottle upside down in the box to insure the bottles will be dry and protected from airborn contaminants. When you brew the next time, you will be asked how many cases of bottles you wish to purchase. If you've saved all six cases from the previous batch, you will not need any. Bring your clean bottles with you on your bottling day.
Do you have any discounts or specials?
We have group discounts for groups that do 4 or more batches of beer at once, and a Frequent Brewer program that rewards our best customers every time they purchase their 6th brew. All in all, we've got lots of incentives above and beyond the fact that it's really just a lot of fun. Homebrewers can also enjoy a discount on their 6th recipe, after buying 5 at our regular prices.
What about group discounts for wines?
Our discounts for multiple brews for beer are based on our savings in utility and equipment costs. For a single batch of beer, we need to fire up the boiler and the glycol chiller, a significant cost in the operating expense of brewing. Therefore, it costs literally pennies more to do two batches of beer than for one. With wine, each batch is done one at a time, so we're not able to realize any savings to our utility or staffing costs.
Can I add my own fruit or spices to my brew?
Of course! We have lots of customers who add peach, apricot, blackberry, allspice, spruce, and a variety of other flavors not normally associated with a beer. Just give us a call before you schedule your brew and let us know what you're thinking of doing. Chances are, someone else has already tried the same recipe, so we'll know just how much ingredients to use, and what type (dried, fresh, crushed, etc.). The price will be adjusted accordingly on the day of your brew.
How long does the wine take to make and age properly?
Making the wine is rather easy. We use wine kits that include the sterile fruit juice, and all the additives required. It takes about 20 minutes to mix the ingredients and add the yeast. The fermentation process takes 7 weeks. Then the wine is ready to be bottled. Once bottled, the wine should age before being enjoyed. The lighter wines are quite good the day they are bottled, while the reds should age 6-9 months or longer to achieve their best flavor. That being said, most wines will benefit from aging. Most customers will put a month and year on their labels, especially if they've been here several times, and have several batches in "the cellar". This way, they can sample the wines from time to time to find their optimum aging based on their own taste.
I've been a homebrewer for 8 years. What are the advantages of using a BOP?
There are several advantages to brewing with us, on-premise. First, we dechlorinate our water, and the filtration process removes other unwanted traces, as well. Next, our batches are roughly 3 times the size of what the average home brewer can do. We also have a fairly quick turnover on our stock, so our grains, malts, hops, and yeast are always fresh. And lastly, we pay great attention to cleanliness along every step of the brewing and fermentation process. Infection by air or other particles in the kettles, fermenters, bottles, or any of the equipment can ruin a beer. Our kettles and kegs are acid washed regularly, bottling equipment and bottles are washed with caustic and rinsed thoroughly. We also urge our return brewers to clean their bottles well, right after they use them, and store them in a dry place. Our staff also keeps a close eye on the fermentation and carbonation process to insure a quality product. And one last thing...we do all the cleanup! You simply come in, brew, go home for 2 weeks, and come back and bottle. No mess to worry about.
I've heard a lot about Mead, but can't find it anywhere. What's all the talk about?
Mead is a superb drink, the traditional drink of love. It has it's roots in ancient Egypt, where the father of a bride to be would present a fermented honey brew to the groom to drink for the first month after the wedding. It was presumed to promote fertility. The term "honeymoon" was derived from this practice. For our Mead, we use 60 lbs of local honey, and we can make it flavored or original, sparkling or still. And it is delicious! We haven't seen it available in stores, though it is gaining in popularity, and we may see it in the future. Various types of honey also lend their own flavor. Typically, fermentation time for Mead is 8-12 weeks from brew date. Mead also requires some aging, usually 6 months or more.
This is such a great idea! How did you ever get started?
Around 1994, we took a trip to Canada, where the concept originated, and looked around one of their stores. We discovered there were several in the States, and one right in Philadelphia, so we brewed a batch for ourselves. We had a lot of fun doing it, and the beer was great. After a little investigation, we found that the idea was catching on in the States. After some further inquiries, we discovered the state's liquor laws didn't even have a license available for such an establishment, though the amendment was "on the books". We went ahead with our plans, hoping the amendment would be passed soon. We found suppliers for the equipment, as specified by a Canadian firm, and used local contractors to install and set everything up. The state took a little longer than expected to pass the law, but it was finally enacted. We were able to open the doors in December of 1996. So we're already into our 10th year! Currently, we are one of only 8 BOP's from North Carolina to Maine.
You say you can customize labels. What can you do?
Normally, our custom labels are done for weddings and other special occasions where the customer wants to express a theme or special celebration. We can custom design a label for you, or take your artwork or photos, and add the text of your choice. For weddings, a popular choice is to scan the invitation, and alter it to include the beer or wine style. For anniversaries, you might want to scan an original wedding picture and add a special note or poem with the date. Some customers like to create their own artwork, and then let us put high quality fonts on for the text. There's lots of options, limited only by your imagination. Talk with Barbara or Jo-Ellen when you are selecting labels and they'll help you decide what might work the best for you. Since we use CorelDraw, there are also literally millions of possibilities using the standard clipart that comes with the software.
There are lots of questions we've heard over the years. These are just a few we hear most often. If you have any others, stop in, give us a call, or drop us an email. We'll be happy to answer any questions. We are in a business for profit, but one thing we always offer for free is conversation and advice. Hope to see you soon!