NB2A Announces Equipment Donation Grant

Equipment Grant Program is Open to NB2A Members…

NB2A Announces Equipment Donation Grant —

The National Black Brewers Association (NB2A) announced an Equipment Donation Grant Program that can help brewery owners secure the tools and equipment they need to maximize their productivity and support the success of their business. Various donors, including equipment donations by Russian River Brewing and Optimism Brewing, facilitated the grant program.

To fairly determine who best receive equipment donations, select members of the National Black Brewers Association Board of Directors and Advisory Board, led by the Board of Directors President, formed a task force to review applicants and their proposals.

To be eligible for this program, each applicant must have the following:

Membership to the NB2A
Must have a location to install the equipment in the U.S. and adequate space for the equipment
Proof of active business license (or registered business for start-ups)
Access to funds to purchase necessary additional equipment to support brew system.

Applicants will be required to provide proof that they meet the eligibility requirements and a written proposal with supporting documentation for the selection committee to review and make their determination.

Proposals must provide explanations of the following:

Financial statements and stability
Plan for equipment utilization
Demonstrated needs for equipment
Commitment to community engagement

Proposal Requirements:

The written proposal must be at minimum 400 words
The proposal must include supporting documents (financial statements, business license, etc.)
Applicants who do not meet all eligibility requirements and who do not submit a proposal will not be considered

Important Dates:

Application Opens: May 27
Application Deadline: June 21
Applicant Review: June 24 – June 28
Recipient(s) Notified By: July 8
Equipment Transfer & Install: July 8 – September 8

The following lists the equipment available, a more specific breakdown of the equipment packages and application guidelines can be found on the website.

Russian River 20bbl Brewhouse

Photo courtesy of NB2A.

Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Company generously donated their 20 barrel brewhouse to the NB2A to support a Black-owned Brewery. This brewhouse has supported Russian River Brewing Company’s production needs for nearly 20 years, brewing their world-famous beer including the coveted Pliny the Elder. The equipment package includes the following:

60bbl HLT
60bbl CLT
20bbl Mash/Lauter Tun
20bbl Kettle/Whirlpool
Hardware including: pumps, piping to interconnect pipes, brewers platform, electrical panels, rakes, etc.

The donation also includes rigging, shipping, and technical support for installation by Russian River Brewing Company.

This brewhouse does require some additional needs which will be the responsibility of the recipient (e.g. heat exchangers, boiler tank, malt handling system, etc.)

Optimism Brewing Canning Line

Photo courtesy of NB2A.

Inspired by Russian River Brewing Company’s donation, Gay Gilmore and Troy Hakala of Optimism Brewing generously donated their canning line to a good home, to help support a taproom brewery whose packaging is just taking off. This canning line is great for 7-15bbl brewhouse. The canning line was originally commissioned in April 2022 and has only had light weekly use for about 12 months. This equipment package includes:

Infeed
Datecoder
Filler
Labeler
Rotary collection table
Label printer
Hardware and extras: line casters, CIP recirculation pump, spare parts, ink cartridges, rolls of blank labels and more.

The donation also includes transportation of equipment, and onboarding and training support from the team at Cask Brewing Systems.

This equipment does require some additional needs which will be the responsibility of the recipient (e.g. hoses, connections, drainage, etc.)