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Why Did You Choose The Brewing Industry??

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  • #16
    Great topic.

    Interesting comments from some of the working brewers who opted out of a less-than-satisying IT/IS career. I did 12 years in IT starting in 1975, and I saw a lot of IT people go thru job burnout and depression, divorces, etc. IT/IS pays well but costs even more, if you know what I mean. By the 10-yr mark, it loses its allure and challenge, and it becomes boring as hell.

    One of my best friends is still in IT. He is one of the best there is at it, but he is also one of the best homebrewers in the world, having done pilot brews for several PDX breweries back in the day. He would be a fulltime brewer if he could afford it. But he makes 120k a year and has a wife and two kids, one in college and one in high school.

    I am getting into the brewing business as a 2nd career. I didn't burn out in IT, but only because I stopped doing IT work and instead built an IT contracting company. I sold that co. a few years back, and I am glad I am done with IT.

    Several of you mentioned brewing is physically demanding and a young man's game. I agree. I am 50, with a 50-year-old back. I wish I was 25 or 30 again, and could work as a full-time brewer. Instead, my plan is to learn the business & then buy a brewing business with a brewer. I'll run the financial, sales, and distribution side. Like the rest of you, I'm drawn to brewing as a craft & as a labor of love.

    Like craft cheesemaking, specialty farms, weekend farmers markets, and craft bread-baking, there is a cultural aspect to craft brewing. Having craft breweries enriches our American culture. It is a worthy calling and a worthy thing to do. But just like farming, cheesemaking, being a chef, teaching in public schools, and a thousand other occupations, don't go into it expecting to make a lot of money.
    Last edited by OregonMtnBrewer; 05-30-2005, 02:02 AM.

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    • #17
      Aspiring to be....

      I like to think of myself as a brewer that just happens to work as a Structural Engineer. Almost like how Batman knows he's Batman, but works as the head of Wayne Corp. I got into homebrewing 3 years ago, shortly after that I became completely sick of my job and wanted to make a change. I figured, why not try to change to something I might actually like to do for a living...what a noble concept. After some research, I went to American Brewers Guild for some schooling and did a 5 week stint as an apprentice at a local microbrewery. I know I have found my calling, but for now I am still working at my engineering job. I fell in love with brewing for a few basic reasons.....it appeals to my desire for some direct control over what I do, a personal satisfaction in producing something tangible with my own 2 hands (so to speak), the artistic side of me that died shortly after entering college for engineering was reborn, and hell....it's beer!!! I also like the thought of being part of a fraternity of men and women that is exclusive yet inclusive at the same time. The comraderie and general sense of brotherhood is something i find quite appealing.

      On a side note....I am not a drummer, but have always had the urge to become one. Maybe that's the last piece of the puzzle for me....start drumming....start brewing.

      -B

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      • #18
        I became a professional brewer almost by accident. I'm a musician, and back in 1991 I was also a fair homebrewer and was pretty fanatical about good beer. I moved to an area with a few brewpubs (to start a band with an old bandmate), and walked into an assistant job by sheer happenstance (a brewer was fired the day before I inquired about a job, and I had samples of my beer in bottles).

        That job lasted seven months, and enabled me to get a significantly better job in Fort Collins, Colorado, where I brewed for three years at Odell's. I love the Odell family, my co-workers, the beer we made and the city of Fort Collins, and that was one of the best periods of my life.

        I moved on, into a 13-month nightmare, and then a couple of less than inspiring brewpub jobs, and have been a happy ex-brewer for the last six years.

        I'm still a musician, though! http://www.moodswingers.org

        Cheers, Tim

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