Judd McGhee was very happy homebrewing in his intimate (read: small) condominium kitchen…until he wanted to brew with friends. The limited space made it impossible, and got he and his wife, Elizabeth Henderson, thinking that there should be some sort of place set up where groups of homebrewers would be able to go to brew on an appointment basis. Fast forward to the present and the couple are a day away from the grand opening of such a facility, Citizen Brewers (5837 Mission Gorge Road, Suite A, Grantville).
Opening at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 23, the 2,000-square-foot do-it-yourself (with a little help) spot will feature all of the equipment and ingredients (grains, extracts, hops, yeast) needed to brew ales and lagers on a scale going beyond homebrewing’s standard five-gallon equation. Though walk-ins will be allowed on a limited basis, most customers will set up appointments preceded by development sessions where patrons consult with McGhee to get their recipes optimized for the facility’s systems, which include eight copper-jacketed steam kettles, a bottle washing system, a temperature-controlled room for fermentation, plus taps for bottling and kegging.
McGhee’s assistance doesn’t end there. While homebrewers will be responsible for preparing their ingredients (including procuring any specialty ingredients beyond what Citizen Brewers can obtain for them) and brewing the beer, McGhee will supervise the entire process, then transfer the unfermented beer (wort) into fermentation vessels and oversee that process. When the time comes for bottling or kegging (each batch produces 72 22-ounce bottles’ or one 50-liter keg’s worth of beer), McGhee will handle packaging after patrons clean and sanitize their receptacles. Clients will also be able to develop their own labels to print and attach to bottled beer.
This is a new concept for the current San Diego County brewing scene, and McGhee’s effort to try and spark more interest in the brewing arts. Groups of up to six people can brew at Citizens Brewers, with the initial process taking roughly two hours. Depending on the beer style selected, fermentation will take two-to-five weeks. The business will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays. During this Saturday’s event, McGhee will be conducting tours of the facility and offering samples of several beers brewed onsite along with finger foods.
Dave Freeman says
Keep it up. We need you!
Dave Freeman says
Keep it up! We need more!
frank says
Thanks guys for putting out a great mag. I would like to bring to your attention of the current let down by Ballast Point Brewing. They have turned their backs on the people who promote and sell their beer. I am a 17yr server at a hotel restaurant in San Diego’s Mission Bay. We as service industry employees have enjoyed a great benefit of 40% off certain beers from Ballast Point which I utilized for the last year. I purchased a case a week and tipped accordingly every time. Now they have taken the 40% away and now offer only 20% which every other brewery already had. Why chince the people who are driving this industry. They make it and we sell it. I would like to see if anyone can do a study if Ballast Point kept records of discounted sales to our industry. To compare to the future because they lost my business and how many more. Selling me a beer at 40% off is still making them more money than now when we won’t buy at all. Doesn’t make sense to turn your back on the people who sell your product. Thanks for the let down Ballast Point. Just wanted to share with our service industry that pushes all breweries how we are thought of by some breweries. All mighty dollar in the end I guess. Thank you for your time.
Dunn says
This is a cool idea, and while it is a new concept for the current market, there was a similar business in San Diego in the mid-90’s. I don’t think it lasted very long, so I was never able to check it out myself. Hopefully Judd & Elizabeth will have more success and maybe I will be able to make a visit this time around.
Jim O'Brien says
Well, maybe not an entirely new concept. Brewer’s Union in Kearny Mesa was the first to try this in the mid 1990’s. Lost a ton of money. Perhaps San Diego is ready for this now.
Dunn says
Ah! Jim you beat me by seconds!! Cheers…
discdude says
Yeah, losing money, that’s an understatement, Brewer’s Union was gigantic. I went there, but never brewed. I did brew at one in Pasadena, another in maybe Long Beach. They all failed, but beer wasn’t as big back then. Even worse, it was ridiculously expensive and I ended up with “eh” beers, I want to say the cost wasn’t much less than just setting up at home. Good luck to these folks, they’ll need it. The more hands-on approach is a good idea, the idea might work now.