Brew House Storage

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JamesLewis
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Brew House Storage

CHAOS,
We as a club are growing quickly and there are more members using the brew house than ever before. As we grow we are trying to figure out how much storage is appropriate for members to have in the brew house.  Our current policy is that Alchemists can store stuff and everyone else cannot. We obviously do not enforce that policy, but we are getting to the point where we might have to. 
That being said, if we do this in an organised way we can accommodate a lot more storage in the brewhouse than we currently utilize. Please respond to the following questions. Current board members, I would ask that you refrain from commenting on this for a few days until some of less outspoken members have a chance to comment.
Please give responses in these measuring units: Pounds(lbs) of grain and number of carboys. And Please say if there should be a difference in storage space for Alchemists and brewers. For example: I think it is appropriate for a brewer to be able to store 50lbs of grain and one carboy, and I think an Alchemist should get 500,000lbs of grain storage and 200 carboys. 
Thanks for your help,
James

Kyle
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I agree that the storage in

I agree that the storage in the loft is getting out of control. I think the idea to enforce "parking spaces" for indivdual members storage should be enforced and will help eliminate clutter. That said I think if we can accommodate some storage for brewer level members that 1 (55lb) sack of grain and 1 or 2 carboys should be allowed. For alchemists I think we should each receive a painted spot in the loft that can hold whatever you can store in that area. I think the area should be able to hold at least 200lb of grain and 3 or 4 carboys.

ConradFuhrman
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Im curious to know how fast

Im curious to know how fast the membership is growing to allow for future members to take benefit of the spaces that exist & when that would potentially cap out. Could there be some designated areas for equipment, bottling, grains, that are constructed to accommodate just those items? I'm thinking that if it's not just a "storage locker" area, but split based on process, that might be a better solution. Fitting grain bags, carboys, and other equipment in a confined area might be messier than organizing a grain palette (guerrilla shelfs) and other holding areas (might be easier for cleanup too). I used to suspend my carboys from a hook on a rafter to save space. Currently I only have a 3 'x 4' x 4' locker to fill all equipment, past brews, and ingredients (already full).  

You could then leverage the storage area based on what people need and are planning. Also, areas that are used more frequently than not could be more efficient. For example I only need bottling storage space right now, but I know in two months I'll have grain that would be awesome to store there vs. haul back and forth. That grain would be used in less than a month, then that space would be free for another member for their grains. Maybe another system of checkin-checkout for various storage areas would work too similar to the brewing schedule? 

If the data is logged, we'll be able to know who is taking up more space than other members, and be able to check on their rotation of materials or if it's stagnant  If we do detailed logs it could even help with bulk purchasing at later times. Might be thinking bigger, but personally I would treat this as an inventoried warehouse.

Just some thoughts.
Conrad



EricFranklin
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How many lbs of grain can we

How many lbs of grain can we store right now?  How many carboys can we feasibly store right now?  I think the answers to these questions should then dictate how much/many of each alchemists/brewers can store at the house as these numbers are somewhat finite.  And, if anything, these numbers tend to dwindle as we bring on more equipment. I love Conrad's idea, but how/who/where/when?  Maybe shifts throughout the month?  Group A takes weeks 1 and 2; Group B takes weeks 3, 4, and 5.  We can inventory and then create checkout systems for all of the items and grain in the space.  I'd volunteer to brainstorm and take care of this. 

JamesLewis
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Thanks for the comments so

Thanks for the comments so far.  The numbers are finite  but they are less finite than one might think. I dont want to tell you what the numbers are just yet so please just assume a reasonable amount of brewing stuff.  Everyone is paying for this space what do you expect to get from your investment?  Everyone uses the space differently so I want to come up metric that everyone can readily understand, ie carboys and grain.  I would like to keep this as simple as possible for now, we can talk about more efficient storage solutions in the future, but for now I think it is best if we think about it as patch of ground in the loft (possibly with shelves) Otherwise I fear it will never happen.  

Jeff W
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I'm more line with Kyle's

I'm more line with Kyle's suggestion: 220-275 lbs of grain and five carboys for Alchemists and 55 lbs of grain and two carboys for brewer level members.  Are we also including mash tuns?  If so, two to three for Alchemists and one for brewer level.

WillMilton
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I feel like we ought to be

I feel like we ought to be able to agree on one manufacturer of a 5-gallon-ish bucket and just let people store n of those where n is a function of their status. Those buckets store grain, and other things, and they stack. Put your name on your bucket(s), keep you stuff in your bucket(s), stack the buckets neatly, with the name facing out. Ideally, your bucket will always be in the same 'column' or stack that you left it in, since there's no reason for anyone to move it to another stack. Also, if it doesn't fit into a bucket or break down into buckets or bags-in-buckets, why do you need to store it in the brew house?

I'm also against anyone 'storing' more than one mash tun. If people want to make more mash tuns available, that's an issue completely separate from storage and has to do with need for mash tuns relative to those available, and the quality of the tuns available. I just don't see anyone needing their own 3 tuns if tun availability and quality is handled properly.

RE: carboy storage -- it may be useful to just have people do something to assert that they taking full advantage of their privilege. So, it's definitely reasonable for us to tally up the spots available on the carboy storage rack and in the ferm room, and divide that by |brewers|+|alchemists| and come up with a ratio, and say "Alchemists may have A carboys, Brewers may have B carboys, role X may have C carboys". However, we should have numbers lower than whatever that boils down to, and if you're above that cut off (i.e., taking full advantage -- which is totally fine) then you just need to let everyone know so that we have a read on whether storage is bursting at the seams or not. This isn't hard either -- it can be google forms + spreadsheet. That would make it easier to schedule brewing events, knowing that we have elbow room for people who need to leave fermenters in anticipation of the event and after the fact, or knowing that we don't and who we can ask, and getting alerts that maybe our strategy isn't working without anyone having to speak up and be 'that guy'.

JamesLewis
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Alright, I am going to revive

Alright, I am going to revive this discussion.

Right now we can accommodate, in the loft alone, 64 spaces each storing 100lbs of grain and 2 carboys (or 150lbs of grain, no carboys). That assumes the grain is stored in standard 5 gallon buckets and carboys sit on top of the buckets. Each spot is essentially 1 foot wide by 2 foot deep. 

I propose that Alchemists get one spot for free. The remaining spots are to be rented for a nominal fee and members can have more than one. Alchemists get first dibs, then brewers. For discussion lets say the fee is $5/month. This way we guarantee enough space for alchemists and give access to brewers with out having to worry about providing guaranteed storage to a growing number of brewer members. It also helps cover our expenses. 

I think this is fair to Alchemists as they are now paying much less than they did in the past.   I think this way only people who really need space are going to use it so that we have less junk that permanently sits around.   And I think it is a good solution as it offers storage potential to brewer level members.

What do other people think?

adman
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James,

James,

Is your calculation simply dividing up the loft square footage into 2 square-foot chunks?  Or have you accounted for there needing to be some sort of space/path for people to be able to walk in order to access their storage spaces?

Assuming that we have accounted for that logistical issue, I think the small montly fee and one-spot-free for Alchemists seems like an ok balance between providing a benefit to Alchemists while allowing for the growth in brewer level members that we will ultimately need.

-Adam

JamesLewis
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I have accounted for aisles

I have accounted for aisles of 2'-8" for access. That is plenty. This is why they pay me the big bucks.

ConradFuhrman
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I wouldn't mind paying as a brewer to store equipment, but I think 1' x =
2' while might be enough, doesn't accommodate for spacing around. I =
wouldn't want to tip over someones bucket or infringe on another misc =
item. If there was a a few inches gap that would be awesome. Also is the =
height then the 4 or 5' in the loft? Could I share my space with another =
Brewer if we both only have a few misc. items? Lastly is there a grid to =
show the layout you're proposing?

Thanks!
Conrad

JimChochola
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I'm all for grain and misc.

I'm all for grain and misc. equipment. But there are more than engouh tuns there.

I personally was hoping that one tun would be associated with one brew bay (so we can start holding people accountable for not cleaning them well: mine and Pete's were used and still had grain in them when we next looked in them); but even if you're doing a brew which requires two tuns, there are extras there (I think we have 7 tuns and 4 brew bays).

JimChochola
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I'm also curious about

I'm also curious about management, James. Who's going to manage the space up there?

JamesLewis
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I accommodated 2" between

I accommodated 2" between spaces for a bit of flex. The height to beams at the low point is just over 4', the beams are a bit larger than 1 foot, so there is a little head space. People can share space, that is a great idea.

Here is a layout, the ladder would have to move depending on what row you are in.

JimChochola
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Looks great!

Looks great!

Are the barrels coming down to the ground floor?

JamesLewis
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I dont care what people store

I dont care what people store in their space if they are paying for it. They could put whatever they want as long as it fits. Someone could rent 10 spaces and throw a couch up there if they wanted. But no one is going to do that because it would cost them 25/mo. for those spaces. If someone wants to buy two spaces and keep their own personal mash tun they can do it. When we implement the new storage program, whatever it is, everything up there will have to come down. Barrels can stay until they get emptied and then we will move them to fill up the rest of the barrel rack. 

If people are paying we will have to get someone to check that all the spaces are paid for and and stuff is in the right homes on a monthly basis. The list could be self generation through the new site, payment is an extra box to check. But the actually checking of the spaces should not take that much time.

ConradFuhrman
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I'm sure you have this covered, but thoughts on the existing Barrels and =
equipment up there that shouldn't be moved or needs a new home? One row =
with a shelving system would be great for those that might not want to =
store everything in buckets. Also, are there storage containers that fit =
your spec that might be useable so it doesn't get overrun or =
disorganized? I think a row of Rubbermaid containers is going to be more =
stable than stacked buckets and such. It's just going to take one person =
to accidentally tip something over to cause a commotion.

C
=20

JimChochola
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So, people pay $26/month for

So, people pay $26/month for brewer and an additional $25/month for storage?

Can we even ferment beer up there? (there had been several carboys up there at one point)

adman
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Do we have space downstairs

Do we have space downstairs for any additional barrels?  Or are we going to limit ourselves to 4 house barrels?  I agree that the personal 10 gallon barrels could be in a person's space (although that could create some serious logistical issues with filling/emptying), but as of now I don't think we have the space for the wine barrel and the koval barrel downstairs.

-Adam

JamesLewis
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Conrad, we have a ton of gain

Conrad, we have a ton of gain up there already in standard buckets. It doesn't go anywhere. The weight of the grain makes them really stable. It seems most people use the 5 gallon bucket so that is what I based it on. (Each bucket fits a half sack, so its a great size.)

Jim, the cost has not been decided, I just threw out a number of 5/space because it seemed reasonable. Lucas would have to figure out how to do it but I don't see why one couldn't add any number of spaces to their shopping cart in the payment window. My opinion, and this would have to be hashed out at the board meeting, is that its your space and you can do what you like with it as long as its not contaminating other spaces.

JamesLewis
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I'm not positive on how all

I'm not positive on how all the barrels would fit. I didn't measure that all out. But there is space next to the 4 downstairs barrels that can be utilized for 1 more large or at least 3 small barrels I think. If worse come to worse, we lose some storage space in the loft. But that is another good example of why this system works well. We can eliminate or add storage as needed.

JimChochola
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I see. What happened to the

I see. What happened to the Alchemists getting storage (and potentially 24/7 brewers) all included in the $26/month brewer level membership?

ConradFuhrman
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Awesome on all accounts! I think the $5/Month (I like that price) is =
very reasonable for those that aren't Alchemists. Good call on the =
weight of the buckets. Lucas, let me know if you want some help on the =
PayPal end.

C

JamesLewis
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@Jim. My proposal is to give

@Jim. My proposal is to give Alchemists one free bay of storage. I think this is reasonable, they can buy more if they need it. We don't have the space to guarantee storage for all brewer level members, but they should have access to some amount of space if they want it. This accomplishes both. 

JimChochola
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I don't think it's a bad idea

I don't think it's a bad idea, just tossing some counter points out for clarification.

As of now but we have 22 brewers (some of whom are brewer/alchemist); nowhere close to the 64 total storage spaces.

Lucas can correct me if I'm wrong but it seems easier just to allot spaces up there to alchemists (or to Alchemists as well as 24/7 brewers) which is already a function of the site rather than to code another part of the website to track/manage/pay for storage spaces.

Also, part of the idea behind making storage a privilege you earn rather than a space you buy/rent is so that some other niceties in the club get accomplished (e.g., discussion heretofore regarding just Alchemists getting storage involved people brewing for the brewhouse keezer twice per year, leading a workshop/hoppy hour/open house once per year in order to earn their Alchemists - and thus storage - privilege).

Like I said, I don't think it's a bad idea. I think it just warrants board discussion at the next meeting; not a definitive answer right here in the threads.

JamesLewis
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I agree this needs to be

I agree this needs to be voted on at the board meeting, but this is a big change that affects everyone so I think the discussion needs to happen on the forum, otherwise the discussion at the board meeting will not be representative of the whole group.

I think it made sense for Alchemists to get all the storage when they were paying all the rent. This is no longer the case, the cost are split by all brewer and apprentice members and I don't think its reasonable for the Alchemist to get all the storage anymore.  A little bonus, yes, but not everything. In monetary value its similar to the event +1 ($7/mo event bonus and $5/mo storage bonus)

Maybe $5/mo is steep as most people will want more than one, I know I will. 66 spaces doesn't go a long way if everyone wants two for instance.  But we need the ability to expand comfortably in the current space and we cannot guarantee space for all brewer level members. This is a separate discussion, but you just said earlier we need 3 more brewers to cover monthly expenses. To have the finances available to move into a new space I estimate we will need at least 10-15 more brewer level members. This system could accommodate that growth.

And of course its easier to do nothing than to do something. But if you believe that all brewers should be able to store stuff, I don't see a better solution.  If its just Alchemists, than yeah, we can just divide it up among ourselves. But I don't think it should be just Alchemists. 

JimChochola
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Agreed: conversation needs to

Agreed: conversation needs to happen out here since it affects more than just Alchemists.

What I liked about the "privilege" model rather than the "renting" model was the peripheral advantages of having a full keezer, seeing new people stepping up to host workshop/open houses/hoppy hours (instead of the usual bunch). While our membership is growing, it doesn't seem like an appropriate number of people are stepping up. We're still spread thin I feel. I at least like the idea of "Earning" the space by stepping up and contributing to the club in non-monetary ways. This organization stays afloat soley and exclusively on volunteer help. Incentivizing volunteering (rather than simply using the brew house) is what I like about the "earning" model.

Also, under our new structure, all money is going into one big kitty for use where necessary. So, technically, Friend and Trial members are paying rent, too, in addition to Apprentice and Brewer. Should they get some storage as long as they pay the monthly space rental?

JamesLewis
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I understand what you are

I understand what you are saying about stepping up. However, I fundamentally disagree with you that the level of involvement is low. This club has amazing involvement, I dont think you have a realistic idea of how groups like this work. The Barron's in Milwaukee have 120 paying members, they have trouble filling 8 board positions every year. We have 30 brewing members and those thirty put together all sorts of events, educational classes, barrel programs and help when needed.  We have 4 official events a month, you have to be crazy to say that people are not stepping up.

That said, I am still proposing giving a free space to Alchemists  The most we could give is two free spaces anyway, so the difference between my idea and yours is not huge but it is meaningful to brewer level members who no doubt want some access to storage. 

What you don't seem to understand is that people step up because that feel compelled not because of privileges  Privileges are a way of saying thank you. No amount of free carrots are going to get someone to step up if they are not interested.

Canuck
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As someone who does not drive

As someone who does not drive in the city and has a small aprtment I would be more then ready to rent 2 spaces for storage of equipment and grain.  Would save me packing 20+lbs of grain on the CTA on brew day.

The emperor is not as forgiving as i am

JimChochola
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I don't have a realistic idea

I don't have a realistic idea about most things in life. I'm constantly in the realm of the idealistic and constantly flustered (or worse, frustrated) when that doesn't materialize.

You know I think we've done great things with what people we do have. But we can't keep *realistically* pulling from the same 30 people to fill 9 board positions and 2 officers positions (there's already overlap there with the 10 of us) as well as to put on kick ass events and to run workshops (more than just BJCP stuff) and to host open houses and hoppy hours and to teach classes and to handle membership duties and to manage web/website duties. This leads to burn-out. Many hands make light work as they say. If everyone volunteered in some small part, the club would be even better without the risk of some people burning out.

I also have the longevity and stability of the club in mind: our NFP as well as 501c3 applications are based on  "education" (there was no "community" choice although "craft and home brewing community" was an integral part of our mission/application). I feel that if we have more classes/workshops on the calendar, people (i.e., the government when it comes time for a ruling on our 501c3 status; or ILCC when push comes to shove) can't argue with us. If we try to justify "education" as brew days, it's a bit hard to pin down exactly what was taught and exactly what was learned. Classes/workshops, however, are crystal clear. With a bunch of social stuff on the calendar, we're a little light on the bona fide, crystal clear, can't-argue-with-it "education" under which we're incorporated.

How then does one incentivize giving back to the club? Incentives are - in and of themselves - carrots;

But, this is for another thread...to be continue elsewhere...

JimChochola
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Let me also add I'm not

Let me also add I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm not poo-poo'ing the idea, I'm not against paying for storage, I'm not against brewers having storage, I'm not being argumentative, none of this is written in anger. I just toss out ideas as I have them either to (1) thoroughly suss out the topic; or (2) get it straight in my mind....

ConradFuhrman
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I can tell you as a new Brewer just getting situated that my main =
objective is to be on the board at some point and teach classes/help =
where I can. I'm working out my schedule but possibly Late Nov. I was =
going to post a class on Labeling, however, that is around holiday =
season so I'm not sure what the member schedules are like plus I need to =
reorder supplies.

Also, when a new item is posted to the calendar is everyone notified if =
it is a class/event?

Back on topic....

Regarding the brew space, I'd take one spot for basic storage. I love =
that there is an incentive for doing community things. I think that it =
should be a consistently earned privilege, not one, that once gained is =
done. Whether you're on the board, teach, do community brews, host an =
event, drive membership constantly, you should have to do something or =
that privilege is taken away. Things happen, people move on, get bogged =
down, have kids etc... Alchemists should (and I hope they are) the most =
active people in the group and should be rewarded as so for the extra =
benefit.

C

JimChochola
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That's wonderful news, Conrad

That's wonderful news, Conrad! Let me/know how we can help you be more involved.

Yes, indeed, back on topic.

As of now there ar 18 Alchemists who are grandfathered in. The criteria for gaining and maintaining Alchemist status were posted but are probably burried now and didn't get much response even when they were posted. If we're offering storage for rent to anyone, Alchemist status is a moot point and needs to be rethunk.

Sounds like the first thing to really hammer down is this: decide who's getting the storage. Is it 24/7 brewer; any brewer; any brewer and any Apprentice; Brewer, Apprentice, or Friend (since anyone contributing money to the club is essentially "paying the rent."

Second thing to hammer down is tracking/managing. Asking Lucas to code another section of the website to pay for, track, and manage this, however, is probably not practicalat at this very moment (with other bugs/issues he's working on). Maybe a google docs spreadsheet for the time being?

JamesLewis
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Think about this Jim; The

Think about this Jim; The President, Vice President and Secretary were not alchemists or even part of the club a year ago. You need to expect people will show up that you have never met and they will take ownership. 

As far as education we do need to concentrate more heavily on it and develop a program. But this is going to take time, a number of years in fact, this is not going to happen over night. It took the Barron's about 10 years to develop their highly successful BJCP program. We have had a good number of people at the three sessions we have had so far and I have faith that over time these people will feel comfortable putting together programs of their own and take on leadership roles. However the vast majority of our members are not seasoned brewers, they have more questions than answers, and I would guess they don't feel comfortable teaching something they are unsure about. 

My main point is that the people in leadership positions are there because they want to be there not because they feel compelled because of free storage. I think we will get more members overall by giving everyone access to storage (because it make the brew house more useful), and hopefully some of those who come to brew take on a larger role. 

One last note, the primary use of storage is grain and fermentors.  Consider these two scenarios. 

20 alchemists store 300lbs of gran each. It takes them 9 months to go through that grain. We have a group buy every 9 months, a bunch of brewers with stale grain, and a bunch of brewers that have to haul 20lbs of grain an a carboy to the brewhouse every time they brew.

Scenario two, 60 brewers store 100 lbs of grain each. It takes them three months to go though it so we have a group buy every 3 months. Everyone has fresh grain and no one has to haul grain and carboys back and forth in order to brew. 

The club also make an extra 100-150 bucks a month allowing us to move 4-6 brewer members earlier an we otherwise could.

Seems like a no brainer to me.

ConradFuhrman
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WIll do!

I'm setting up a project management system per Lucas's and I talk over =
the weekend to plan for milestones on website, and growth for plans and =
other items related to tech.=20

When is the next board meeting and are new members allowed to sit in =
similar to a condo meeting? Curious also if there is a hard date for a =
decision on this as it would be nice to get one quickly with winter =
around the corner. Get everyone situated before 2 feet of snow hits.

C

JimChochola
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Next board meeting is 4:30 p

Next board meeting is 4:30 p.m. at the brew house on November 4th (it's always the 90 minutes preceeding the general meeting). All are welcome to sit in (you just can't vote).

As far as decision on this, that was never discussed but I don't see why it couldn't be hammered out and implemented shortly after the next meeting.

lucas
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I actually love the idea of

I actually love the idea of having the loft spaces be a membership add-on.  I think it strikes a nice balance between giving a carrot for top performers (1 space and 1 guest) but also gives everyone the ability to have some additional space.  Plus, it makes it easier to manage what happens if/when we run out of space.

Personally, I'm all for the idea of: you get a space, do with it what you will.  But that in general we should have the equipment (pots, tuns, burners, spoons, etc.) people need and then any consumables (sanitizer, grain, etc.) would be the focus for storage.  This makes it easier to manage on our part, since we don't have to police the grain store, the tun store, and so on.

I think there's some details that need to be figured out, specifically how we handle the barrels and alchemists (getting 1 space seems fair to me, that's a fair amount of grain), and what we're going to do with the fermenter rack on the floor. 

As far as getting this into the website, as Conrad said he's working on getting the dev into a formal project system so we can track stuff better.  From there, we'll just have to layout what our priorities are and work on them as we go. 

Oh... my... god.  Why haven't we done this?    http://thechive.com/2013/09/17/guys-rig-up-buddies-plumbing-with-beer-wh...

JimChochola
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Ah, okay, I think I get it.

Ah, okay, I think I get it. One may either "contribute in kind" to become an Alchemist and get +1 to events as well as a FREE storage spot (and other perks) OR just pay $5/month in addition to the monthly membership for a storage spot.

Will these spots be available to Apprentice (or even Friend?)?

Jeff W
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Last seen: 20 hours 56 min ago
Alchemist, member since
I'd certainly pay an extra $5

I'd certainly pay an extra $5/month for a storage spot.  I'm also more than happy to help out with classes, events, etc.

JimChochola
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Last seen: 2 years 11 months ago
This is really great to hear!

This is really great to hear!

I was telling James this, I guess I just look at our 700+ online members (most of whom don't even log on regularly) and wonder what's going through their heads that they don't want to be more active (at least brewing) in such an awesome club; furthermore, why they don't want to contribute to make it even more awesome.

You guys are proving me wrong! I love it!

WillMilton
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Last seen: 5 months 3 weeks ago
Regarding the participation

Regarding the participation of latent membership, we will likely have to do the same dance npos do with crm-style emails to remind them of the cool shit they have become entitled to, eg since the new floor plan and access changes.

As far as earning vs paying, what's crucial for me is that we don't paint ourselves into a corner. People get busy and it would be a shitty feeling to just 'set out' things that sit too long in an unpaid spot. We can't count on a pay wall to properly discourage people here, because the fact is that none of us are getting paid enough (anything) to ruin someone's day by throwing away their property. To that end, I think it's critical that we guarantee ourselves enough elbow room that anyone who wants to can buy the maximal amount of space they are allotted without incurrring managerial costs for the club. That means keeping the maximum small. The couch joke was funny, but in reality it hurts acquisition (I'm guessing) if we can't actually provide storage space because we cant remove a couch or tub or something. 

MarkWalters
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Last seen: 5 months 1 week ago
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The plan as proposed sounds

The plan as proposed sounds good to me.