Beer Factory Wollongong

[Carboy]

Hi Everyone,

I've been invited to a Bucks weekend at Wollongong and I've just been told that the Beer Factory has been booked for a beer appreciation session, and for our $65 entry fee you also receive a case of beer. Can anyone provide any feedback on this place?

Thank you in advance for any replies.

Cheers
Carboy :icon_cheers:

 

[Fents]

google is your friend

http://www.thebeerfactory.com.au/

 

[Lachlan]

I wonder who's beer you will be appreciating?

All the beer factory shite i have tried was :icon_vomit:

 

[brettprevans]

i love that they are selling imported premuim beer that brewed in wollongong! and at $165 + bottles. that about $33 a slab.

 

[geoffi]

My neighbour 'brewed' some beer there last year. Wasn't awful. Really like a superior kit beer without the sediment.

 

[Bribie G]

The brew your own facilities around the country are surely good for home brew as a craft. No doubt a lot of brewers eventually twig that they could be doing all this at home for a fraction of the price, then bang - another home brewer and customer for the LHBS, then eventually the sponsors etc.

 

[bear09]

I dont think anyone should be harsh on companies/businesses like this - Jesus I wish Id thought of it.

I love beer and I love brewing - truly a passion of mine that I would LOVE to earn a living from. For me with a young family and all the usual outgoings, the mere idea of trying to profit from beer making it pretty stretched.

How wonderful that someone has come up with an idea to make money from brewing whilst spreading the word on such a wonderful past time? Would we not all love to see every Australian home built standard with a small brewery and brick pizza oven?

You cant expect people to go full on all grain or whatever - people wont spend 6 hours - most people wont care. To get a basic understanding of brewing and the satisfaction of saying to your friends - "I made this!" - its awesome and its also a bankable idea - genius.

I have not had the chance to try their beer and as extract brews I cant imagine they would be too bad.

Good on them I say - they are linving my dream and I hope the business booms for them.

 

[.DJ.]

what i find funny about these places is their pricing..

Light Beer Prices
$20.80 approx. per carton
$130 per brew

Mainstream Beer Prices
$24.00 approx. per carton
$150 per brew

Domestic Premium Style Beer Prices
$24.80 approx. per carton
$155 per brew

Imported Premium Style Beer Prices
$26.40 approx. per carton
$165 per brew

The Beer Shed Reserve Prices
$28.00 approx. per carton
$175 per brew

Super Range Beer Prices
$29.60 approx. per carton
$185 per brew

Source: www.thebeershed.com.au

Now I can understand the "light beer" being cheaper.. Less ingredients. Or a high alcohol beer being more expensive. But many of the "mainsteam", "premium" beers are a similar alcohol % and amount of ingredients.
Why the higher prices? There is no difference....

 

[MarkBastard]

I imagine the price difference is perhaps more / better late hop additions, more / better specialty malts, better yeast etc.

 

[Bribie G]

Oettinger $28 a carton :icon_cheers:

 

[MarkBastard]

I reckon I'm gunna give one of these places a go depending on whether you can adjust recipes and all that.

Can't think of any easier way to fill three kegs.

Worth doing once and then evaluating from there.

 

[geoffi]

I'm pretty sure there's an excise factor in the pricing as well.

And yes, Oettinger at under $30 a carton kind of blows it out of the water.

 

[MarkBastard]

I'm pretty sure there's an excise factor in the pricing as well.

And yes, Oettinger at under $30 a carton kind of blows it out of the water.

Really? I thought this was some kind of loop hole where they don't have to pay excise?

If they're paying excise I don't think I'll bother as the best thing about home brew is not giving the government money.

 

[Bribie G]

I suppose if you are an extract brewer anyway then for a batch (for example going on the one I did the other day)

2 cans of Thomas Coopers liquid malt extract $24
500 dex $2
60g Amarillo whatever $9
Yeast say US-05 $5
Amortize $400 of fermenters hydrometers stockpots thermometer stirrer sanitizer bench capper finings strainer gas/electricity etc over a year with thirty brews $13.

= $53
= $21.20 per carton

Then consider how much your time is worth, then it's in the ballpark.

 

[geoffi]

Really? I thought this was some kind of loop hole where they don't have to pay excise?

If they're paying excise I don't think I'll bother as the best thing about home brew is not giving the government money.

I'm not sure about that. I just thought someone had told me this was the case. But I could be wrong. If they aren't paying excise then the prices are indeed on the high side.

 

[geoffi]

This from the website:

14 August 2009
Please note that Excise has again increased and as such our prices have had to be amended from Monday 10 August to reflect this. Thankfully we have managed to minimise the impact to you ($2 per 50 litres or around 30 cents per carton) and your savings will be even greater at The Beer Factory as the full increase is passed on to commercial beers.


So it appears they do pay excise, but at a low rate.

 

[MarkBastard]

I'm not sure about that. I just thought someone had told me this was the case. But I could be wrong. If they aren't paying excise then the prices are indeed on the high side.

They have to make a profit though and the one I've been in (not this particular franchise) had some pretty good gear.

For example I believe they have beer filters, all their fermenters are 50L, they carbonate your beer using c02 (not priming) and they can keg for you. They also have good bottle / keg cleaning systems. Looked pretty damn good to me. Obviously it's not the same thing as home brewing in your garage but I can see why someone that lives in an apartment in a city would find this very appealing. Better quality than kit beers, cheaper than commercial beers, and a fun hobby with all of the annoying parts taken care of (cleaning etc).

 

[MarkBastard]

This from the website:

14 August 2009
Please note that Excise has again increased and as such our prices have had to be amended from Monday 10 August to reflect this. Thankfully we have managed to minimise the impact to you ($2 per 50 litres or around 30 cents per carton) and your savings will be even greater at The Beer Factory as the full increase is passed on to commercial beers.


So it appears they do pay excise, but at a low rate.

Very interesting information. I guess there must be specific rates for brew on premises companies then?

Begs the question why can't there be specific rates for true brewpubs etc?

I'll stick to home brewing. Screw the Christian politicians and their sin taxes.

 

[bigfridge]

Really? I thought this was some kind of loop hole where they don't have to pay excise?

If they're paying excise I don't think I'll bother as the best thing about home brew is not giving the government money.

Loophole .... Tax Office .... silly boy !


They pay excise at a 'consessional rate' as they 'produce beer for non-commercial purposes using commercial facilities or equipment' - Google is your friend

 

[alowen474]

When you consider breweries pay between $30 and $50 excise per 50L keg depending on beer strength, $2 is sweet FA