Yankee Brew News Archive

Brew-On-Premise Trend Takes Off in Boston

Originally Published: 07/95

By: Kerry J. Byrne

Brew-On-Premise Trend Takes Off in Boston

By Kerry J. Byrne

Yankee Brew News Staff

Depending on what you read, there are anywhere from 6-10 brew-on-premise shops in the United States. With Boston's place at the forefront of the craft-brew movement firmly established, it should come as no surprise that two of those 'BOPs' are located in the metropolitan area.

The first, Modern Brewer, opened March 10 in Somerville's Davis Square. Just two weeks later, Barleymalt & Vine, long a destination for many homebrewers, opened its brew-on-premise facilities within its Newton store.

"This is an open-minded and well-educated region and people are willing to try new things," said Modern Brewer owner Jeff Pzena, when asked why Boston should suddenly find itself with two establishments pushing a concept that is virtually non-existent in the rest of the country. "People are already exposed to a variety of beer styles because it's a region that is attracting lot of brewpubs."

What, exactly, is a brew-on-premise shop? Basically it's a place where you can rent time on equipment to brew your own beer. You can buy your ingredients right from the shop (both double as homebrew stores), drop them in the mash tun or kettle, and you're off and running.

While it takes some time for a person to master the art of homebrewing, the beauty of the BOPs is that you can literally walk in off the street having never brewed before and end up with an outstanding beer to take home. "Most of our customers are homebrewers, but that's starting to change," said Barleymalt & Vine owner Dave Ruggiero. "Say about five percent of people in this area are homebrewers. We're trying to get to the 95 percent of people who don't yet homebrew."

For the beginner, extremely knowledgeable staffers, such as Pzena and Ruggiero, guide you as you boil, add hops and other necessary agents (Irish moss, etc.), put the wort in the fermenter, and pitch your yeast. Come back a few weeks later to bottle and you have 10-15 gallons of beer to take home and share with friends. That's about all there is to it. Things that make homebrewing a pain, such as cleaning, are left to the people who work there. Also, with a standard homebrew batch yielding only five gallons, you can quickly double and triple the amount of beer you brew at one time by using the equipment at a BOP.

Although beginners are warmly welcomed at both shops, experienced homebrewers will also find the facilities to their liking. Both have a wide selection of grains (over 25 each) to choose from, although Barleymalt & Vine as of yet does not have the capacity to do all-grain brews. Malted barley can be used for color and flavor, but the bulk of the brew comes from extracts. Both have a wide selection of hops.

Experienced brewers may find Modern Brewer more to their liking, as it is the more expansive of the two facilities. It has eight working kettles, as opposed to four at Barleymalt & Vine. Also, two of those double as mash tuns, allowing for all-grain brews. When brewing a kolsch at Modern Brewer, I was able to do a multi-step infusion mash with starch conversion and protein rest. They also have the capacity to do decoction mashes.

Modern Brewer has an additional cold room which makes lager brewing possible. Pzena is more liberal than Ruggiero in allowing for experimentation and he boasts a wider selection of yeasts for brew-on-premise purposes. For example, at Modern Brewer I was able to use a German alt yeast in order to most closely approximate what I might find in a German kolsch. I had to use an American ale yeast for the alt I made at Barleymalt & Vine. Ruggiero is hoping to keep things a bit more standardized, at least until the BOP movement becomes larger. In doing so, he is more particular about following pre-set recipes.

In each case the quality of the end product was extremely high. The beers I made were clean and possessed the characteristics I had hoped they would. Pzena and Ruggiero, and all their employees, are extremely helpful and knowledgeable.

As to the equipment, Barleymalt & Vine uses standard food industry kettles custom designed for its purposes. Modern Brewer uses equipment from Cask Brewing in Calgary. Both use basic plastic fermenters. Bottling at each is equally efficient. Both rent or sell bottles and/or Cornelius kegs, but feel free to bring your own.

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So How Much Does It Cost?

Prices vary, depending on batch size and whether or not you buy bottles. At Modern Brewer, my ingredients for a 12 1/2-gallon batch - meaning 25 pounds of grain and nine ounces of various German hops - cost $45. The liquid yeast I used was an additional $9. Dry yeasts are free. The equipment rental was $50. I also had to buy six cases of 22-ounce bottles at $8 per case. Also, if you're doing an all-grain at Modern Brewer, it will cost $10 for each hour you're on the mash tun.

The average 12 1/2-gallon batch at Modern Brewer will cost about $100. My batch, if you add in the $77 it cost for liquid yeast, bottles and time on the mash tun, came to $172.95. I suggest using your own bottles or kegs. I could have made basically the same beer and put it in my own bottles for $95, though for that price I wouldn't have been able to mix and match my own grains.

Prices at Barleymalt & Vine are bit more affordable . They have several different packaged kits for 10-gallon batches that begin at $70 for ingredients and equipment rental. The starting cost for a 15-gallon batch is $95. The cost of liquid yeasts is included in the base price. For custom recipes, prices increase with the gravity of the beer. The 22-ounce bottles I used are priced at $9.95 per case. I also used a Cornelius keg which can be rented for $20 for two weeks. When I added in the Cornelius keg rental and the price of two cases of 22-ounce bottles, my total came to $109.90.

If you're coming from outside of Boston, Barleymalt & Vine is perhaps easier to get to. Take Route 128 to Route 9 East. When you're on Route 9, keep an eye out on your right and you'll soon see Elliot Street. Take the right and on your left is the store. The phone number is (617) 630-1015.

Modern Brewer is on Dover Street in the hubbub of Somerville's Davis Square. If you're coming from outside Boston, call them at (800) SEND ALE for directions. A map to Modern Brewer can be seen with their ad elsewhere in this issue.

- Kerry J. Byrne