Six months ago, three NC State students and recent graduates Brian Clements, Dave Klemp, and Daniel Hines began brewing beer in their shared, rented townhome, which marked the beginning of their start-up brewing company, Townhouse Brewing.
Clements, a senior in engineering, said between the three of them, the group had about five years of brewing experience, so the friends of three years decided to see what it is like to start their own brewing company.
Klemp, a senior in forest management, Hines, a recent graduate with a degree in polymer and color chemistry, and Clements are currently trying to get the beer out to friends and family. The group said it is excited to share its creations.
The Townhouse Brewing creations so far include Crazy Daisy California Pale Ale, Dave’s Triple Chocolate Cake Stout, Pumpkin Blood Irish Red Ale and Great American Apple Wheat Ale.
Clements said the company recently experienced a bit of success with the Pumpkin Blood Irish Red Ale, but the success only lasted about one week.
The sensation created by the seasonal ale caused the group to realize that it needed to begin producing more. The group is currently working to increase production to brew about 20 gallons per day.
Townhouse Brewing production process begins with a mash created out of milled grain and hot water. After the mash rests for an hour, it becomes “wort” and is transferred to a kettle and boiled while essential ingredients are added.
When the wort is cooled to room temperature, the yeast is pitched and put in a bucket to be sealed so the fermentation process can take place. After fermentation, the beer is bottled and priming sugar or CO2 is added to produce the carbonation.
Finding a place other than the crowded townhouse to serve as the home base of the brewing company is on the list of future steps for Townhouse Brewing. The group members said they would like a place that can serve as a taproom.
Clements, Klemp and Hines all expressed interest in creating something that sets them apart from the numerous brewing companies in the Raleigh area.
Creating a business plan for a brewing company can be tricky. Clements said legal ramifications involved in producing alcohol can make the process challenging.
“Logistically, selling a beer is pretty difficult,” Clements said.
Although it is not technically an established company yet, Klemp said he encourages students to reach out to them on the Townhouse Brewing Facebook page. The trio agreed word of mouth is the best way to spark the success of the brewing company.
“Drink our beer,” Klemp said, encouraging students to branch out and try something new and local.
Clements said he could see himself going into brewing.
“Now that I see how fun it is, I’m definitely interested in pursuing [brewing] with these two guys,” Clements said.
For now, the guys behind Townhouse Brewing don’t want to bite off more than they can chew. With Klemp and Clements still in school and Hines working full time, they are focused on gradually building up production and finding potential investors.
The best way to keep up with Townhouse Brewing is through its Facebook page, which shares pictures of the brewing process and keeps followers updates with new brews and experiments.
