Brewing Appointments Available
11AM – 6PM Wed – Sun
5837 Mission Gorge Rd, Ste A
San Diego, California
(760) 587-7989
Tasting room open to the public on Saturdays 11:00 – 8:00
Walk-ins welcome for tasting all week while we are open for brewing
Citizen Brewers is a brew on premises, do-it-yourself facility where craft beer enthusiasts can gather and brew on professional equipment. At Citizen Brewers, you design and create personalized quality beer. Citizen Brewers is for anyone who is interested in brewing beer for themselves and are looking for a streamlined, guided process. Whether this is your first time or hundredth time brewing beer, we want this to be a personalized and fun experience.
Beer Styles
Choose whatever style of beer you like from the list of house recipes below, or bring in your own recipe or ingredients (if they are not already available) and we will help you design your beer. Many other styles are also available upon request. Please note that sour or barrel-aged beers are advanced styles and require consultation prior to brewing.
Each batch yields about 90 – 100 16 oz can, or one 50L keg. The cost of each batch with can and labels are listed below. Tax is included in the cost.
Our beers are crafted using all natural ingredients that we provide. This makes the best quality beer, but also reduces shelf life. Keep your beer in a cool, dark place, ideally in a refrigerator. The beer will be at its best if consumed within two months. If you want to add additional ingredients (called adjuncts), this will come at an additional cost and must be discussed ahead of brewing.
| Style | Cost with Cans and Labels | ABV |
|---|---|---|
| Kölsch Style | $390 | ~4.7% |
| American Amber Ale | $390 | ~5.5% |
| Hefeweizen | $390 | ~4.9% |
| American Wheat | $390 | ~5.0% |
| Farmhouse/Saison | $390 | ~6.2% |
| Brown Ale | $390 | ~4.9% |
| Pilsner | $390 | ~5.2% |
| Hard Seltzer | $350 | ~6% |
| Pale Ale | $400 | ~5.6% |
| Irish Stout | $400 | ~4.2% |
| Porter | $400 | ~5.6% |
| India Pale Ale (IPA) | $400 | ~7.0% |
| India Pale Lager (IPL) | $400 | ~7.0% |
| Hazy IPA | $410 | ~6.8% |
| Double IPA | $420 | ~8.7% |
| Mexican Lager | $390 | ~5% |
| Oatmeal Stout | $400 | ~7% |
| Amber Ale | $400 | ~5.2% |
| Red Ale | $400 | ~5.5% |
| Belgian Triple | $425 | ~9% |
FAQs
How does this work?
Citizen Brewers has commercial grade equipment specific for brewing. You will choose a recipe, or you can design one of your own. We will provide the ingredients specific to your batch of beer using specialty grains. You can also supply your own unique ingredients as well at an additional cost. Once you’ve brewed your beer, it will be transferred to a fermenting vessel and allowed 2 to 4 weeks to ferment into beer in a temperature-controlled environment, and then another 2 to 3 weeks to condition. You return to can your beer, which again takes about 2 to 3 hours. In addition, you can create custom labels for your beer.
How long does the brewing process take?
Plan on spending about 2 to 4 hours for the initial brewing process, and then an additional 2 to 3 hours to can the beer. There is about 4 to 6 weeks between brewing and canning while the beer is fermenting and conditioning on-site in our temperature-controlled environment.
How much does it cost to brew beer?
The cost per batch depends on which recipe you select (see our Beer Styles list), but each batch ranges from $380 – $420 depending on the style.
How much beer will I take home?
Each batch of beer produces either one 50L keg or 90 – 100 16 oz cans.
How many people can brew together?
Recommended party size is a maximum of 6 people per kettle, larger groups can be accommodated but we need to know ahead of time. With 8 kettles available we can accommodate larger parties if you want to brew more than one batch at a time. You can even reserve the entire facility for events such as bachelor parties, birthday parties, team-building events – you name it!
Labels
Citizen Brewers encourages you to design your own labels for your beer!
We use labels that are 4×3” and come in matte format. Create a design of your own that is either vertical or horizontal with a picture and text. We prefer files in .jpeg format, but we can also accept .bmp, .tiff, or .pdf formats as well.
We prefer you use Canva to design your label. Here is a template that includes our required government warning and fits our size specifications. YOU MUST GO TO “FILE” > “MAKE A COPY” TO CREATE YOUR OWN EDITABLE VERSION. You can use this link to go directly to the Citizen Brewer’s design page, https://www.canva.com/design/DAGW2k4IyJc/CPEE3Dvra0HnbVd8fqV71g/edit?utm_content=DAGW2k4IyJc&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton. If you prefer to create your own design, please make sure it is at least 300 dpi resolution and in RGB mode, and MUST include this text: “GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery and may cause health problems.” It also has to separately say “Brewed and packaged at Citizen Brewers San Diego, CA 92120. Not For Resale“. You can visit the Canva link to see how we have these laid out as a reference if you want to do your own design.
Either way, once you have your label design, please email it to us prior to your bottling appointment, at citizenbrewers@gmail.com.
Please note that label images need to be submitted AT LEAST 24 hours in advance of your bottling appointment. If the label image is not received in advance, you may not receive them on that day.
Contact Us
You can make a brewing appointment here, but we’d prefer you to do it by text, call, or email. If you are trying to send your label design, please email that directly to citizenbrewers@gmail.com.
Thank you!