I originally did not plan my own brewery at all. Not to mention that I will produce breweries for others one day. I just wanted to brew my own beer.
It started with a kettle and curiosity
At camp, a friend brewed beer in a kettle over a fire. I was intrigued and wanted to try it too. No business plan. Just curious what will come of it.
At home I started with a pot and a bucket. Gradually a bigger pot came, then another. Fifteen litres, thirty, eighty... I was hooked on brewing and with each new set I found out what I would like to do more comfortably and better.
Passage 3 × 10 meters. And everything had to fit.
During the reconstruction of the house, I started to prepare my own passage for a small brewery. It was three meters wide and ten meters long. It had to fit not only technology, but also everything related to brewing.
I needed a device that was small, affordable and of good quality. One that I can serve myself and that won't limit me in what beer I want to try. When I started looking for an off-the-shelf solution, I couldn't find one that fit my space, budget and idea of how it would work.
I didn't want to make breweries. But I started.
And so I started my own development. I gradually built six different brewing sets at home. It wasn't one ready-made idea that just had to be manufactured. I have worked my way up to what I have today for years.
I studied energy, processes and ecology, so I also enjoyed the technical side. But it wasn't enough for me to make the device look good on paper. I wanted to cook on it myself and see if it really made my job easier.
Gradually, other people with similar needs began to call. And Pivní dílna started to grow from the solution that was originally created for me. Today, I develop and produce brewing technology for others as well.
From home brewing to own operation
As a janitor, selling beer didn't occur to me at all. Opening my own brewery seemed like something terribly complicated and far away.
The more I looked into it and talked to people in practice, the more concrete the idea became. I was pleased that similar small breweries are already operating across the country. I wasn't the only one who had such an idea.
Today I am gradually opening my own brewery with my own technology. My idea is a weekend brewery: devoting one to two days a week to brewing and having a hobby that can also earn something. Not to take all my time and stop entertaining me.
It's still mostly about the beer
In the beginning, there was a desire to brew your own beer. She stayed. It just added designing, manufacturing and finding ways to make the job easier — for yourself and other home builders.
In this column, I want to gradually show my journey: what moved me, where I stumbled and what I would do differently today. I'm still learning, especially around operations.
And if you are also thinking about your own brewery, I am preparing a series Own brewery at home? No science fiction. There I will focus on the questions you may be asking. Here will remain the story of how I got to them.
What drew you to brewing beer? And if you haven't started yet — what attracts you to your own beer? Write to me.
Vojta
How Chaloupka got into brewing beer