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looking into becoming a professional brewer

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  • looking into becoming a professional brewer

    I am very interested in obtaining formal training/education in the brewing sciences industry, ultimately leading to ownership and operation of my own microbrewery/brewpub.
    I have been brewing my own beer in 5-10 gallon batches, using both extract and all-grain methods. I feel I have enough of a base of knowledge to move to the next level.
    I understand that the brewing related studies in the United States are very limited to University of California at Davis and The Siebel Institute and am trying to figure out which correspondence program would be more beneficial to me. My thought process is to take the either the General Certificate in Brewing & Packaging at UC Davis, or the Concise Course in Brewing Technology at The Siebel Institute curriculum next year. Once I complete one of these courses, what would be my next logical step?

  • #2
    Your next step should be, work in a brewery for at least six months. Completing a brewing program and actually working in an operational brewery/brewpub are VERY different. Try it on and see if it fits.
    Good Luck
    Glacier Brewing Company
    406-883-2595
    info@glacierbrewing.com

    "who said what now?"

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    • #3




      Check out the previous discussions from the boards for more info... I think this covers a lot.

      Ask yourself:
      Do you want to actually brew for a living - you know - stir mash, scrub floors, create beers, and CIP tanks till the cows come home...
      or own a business with staff to train, bills to pay, schedules to organize, stock to order, ego's to massage, etc. ?

      Both are admirable ways to be self employed, but it surprises me when I hear how many brewers think it's just a hop, skip and a jump from homebrewing to running a business. I used to think the same way. Actually working in a brewery/brewpub situation has given me lots of food for thought about this very subject.

      Either way, an education is handy, and helps put your resume to the top of the pile vs. Average Joe Sixpack.
      Maybe the other brewers out there who own their own places can give you a better idea.

      Dave Rudge
      Head Floor Scrubberer
      Bushwakker Brewing Co. Ltd.

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      • #4
        thank you, both of you, for your replies

        after i posted, i saw the school threads and read through them.
        Living in Richmond Virginia, my choices are pretty limited to a couple of brewpubs, and a-b 45 minutes away in williamsburg, but i will approach the brewers in town to see about getting a grunt job.
        I have a couple of positives and negatives , first I am 40 years old, so i may be a bit on the old side to begin this venture, secondly, i have a wife who is very supportive of this venture, and is now the main breadwinner in the family, so its not like my salary requirements are not as demanding. This is something that I really want to do, and frankly, I am not in it to get rich, rather if I can keep the business open(ie profitable) and make some good beer that people would actually buy, i would be thrilled.
        Thanks again for the feedback, and I will try and give updates on the progress of my venture.

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        • #5
          Here's my two cents. As someone who made the jump from homebrewing to grunt work in a local micro, and now head brewer at a brewpub, I can tell you that at any age a brewpub is a very physically and mentally taxing way to make a living. Yes it has it's definate upsides, but it is hard work. And that is just running the beer end. In order to open your own pub you have to run a restaraunt too. Now ask yourself if you are really interested in running a restaraunt. It is one of the most stressful and time consuming ways to make a living. You'll find most hands on owners work around 75-80 hours a week. The learning curve on a venture like a brewpub is extremely steep and you can figure on living there for the first couple of years if everything goes well. If you are set on it, definately work at a brewpub for as long as you can to get a clear idea of the magnitude and complexity of such an operation. If I had enough money to do it right, I think I would hire someone competent to run the restaraunt end, ideally they would be a strong partener financially as well, and I would run the brewery end until it was set up how I wanted it and then hire a full time brewer to run the day to day. In your case it would be a good idea to hire an experienced brewer from the get go due to your lack of experience. Just my thoughts, I don't want to sound discouraging but there are better ways to make a good living while continuing to brew great beer (homebrewing!).
          Big Willey
          "You are what you is." FZ

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          • #6
            I have been asked this question countless times, and there are many ways to go about it. You seem to be leaning towards owning / operating your own small brewery, and if that is the case, be a sponge! Gather any and all info you can get your hop-stained fingers on, from equipment to raw materials, microbiology to wholesaler relationships. If finding "grunt-work" at a local brewpub doesn't pan-out in your home area, I suggest approaching brewpubs and a production brewery about a "brewer for a day" program that may be a small road trip away. I am the head brewer at a regional brewery not far away from you, and would be happy to show you around the steel. Good luck to you!

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            • #7
              Professional Brewing Courses

              Oregon State University is offering a variety of courses for brewing professionals. These are short courses offered in Oregon: Portland, Bend, Corvallis. This is a great opportunity for wanting to further your education.

              https://pne.oregonstate.edu/catalog/...-course-series

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