My friend who co-owns a recently opened nano-brewery here in NC would certainly concur that it is very hard to turn a profit! That said, it seems to me that those breweries big enough to build a strong regional only footprint are doing better than those who have tried to "go big" nationally. I remember how excited I was when I first saw Modern Times hit the shelves here in NC, but then how disappointed I was when I saw the freshness date on the can! Much easier to get super-fresh beer from one of the local or regional breweries.

Small batch works for me! I regularly ferment and serve in my old "picobrew" kegs - 1.25 gal batches. I also have a slightly larger keg for 2 gal batches. Works well for me as I usually just drink it myself so it keeps it fresh with new batches and styles every couple of weeks. As an added bonus I make dog treats with the spent grain so they have a constant fresh supply too! (will post on that separately)

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