Seeking pro brewer advice.

[ATXweirdobrew]

I know i know not another, "I want to be a pro brewer so what should i do," post. I have already done alot of research on getting started and some of the best stuff to do. I have been brewing for about a year and a half, not too long but I experiment, read, educate, and do research on a daily basis. I brew anywhere from 3-5 times a month and do all styles. I decided to see if this career path is something I want to get into. I am currently reading an advanced homebrewing book and will start a zymurgy book here soon. I am also starting to brew 1bbl brews at a restaurant with somebody I met through a homebrew group. I also have volunteer positions at two of the local breweries on the bottling line doing grunt work. I already know that I am looking at crazy hours, low pay, and grunt work to start out. I know that I will start at the bottom and will work up which is something I am cool with. I have also looked at going to some of the online brew schools since moving is not an option for me but decided to wait and see what the experts I volunteer for say would be the best to do. I want to do the volunteer brewing and bottling to see if this is something I really want to do and to also get my foot in the door, network out, and see what the experts think about me. At this point in my trek does anybody think I am doing anything wrong or is there anything I could be doing better? I plan to bring my homebrew to let the experts taste besides my family, friends, and random strangers I meet who all say my stuff is good. So any thoughts from other brewers?

 

[kaconga]

Enter some competitions and keep good records. If you can bring a pro an award winning beer then it might make you stand out more.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I saw somebody on probrewer say one thing they really want to see is an applicant with a skill other than brewing (e.g. plumbing, welding, etc.).

 

[ATXweirdobrew]

I am a paramedic working on an ambulance in a high call volume 911 service. I believe that will help me to prove to them that I have critical decision making skills, the ability to work as a team, the ability to multitask, and other useful general working related skills. Also, when people get hurt on the job I can help them out.

 

[fastricky]

If you want to get in a place as fast as possible work for free. It might take months before you prove your worth and they can afford to hire you (or have an opening) but you'll be getting the education you seek at least. It might mean moving back in with the folks, but this will be the quickest way in.

 

[Rundownhouse]

You're already doing all you can. I've heard brew schools are booked for the next couple years. If so, don't even bother applying unless you want to work for a brewery like Sierra, Boston, or the like. Otherwise, the experience you can gain working in an actual brewery from now until whenever that graduation point will be worth much more than tuition.

Trust me, if you've got a job in a production brewery, you've jumped the highest hurdle. Learn all you can there, let other people pay $20k for brew school and then send out resumes to compete with, "Brewed commercially for the last five years."

 

[Vagrant]

Sounds like you've done your research and you have a good idea of what you're going into.

A lot of breweries want to see prior experience... it is pretty hard to break in but there's two time tested ways to do it.

1) Hang around the place. Become a regular. Make friends at the brewery and see if you can get in on the next bottle line or "box world" opening. From there, prove your salt and move up. In my experience, breweries have 0 openings for months and then "HOLY JESUS, WE NEED SOMEONE RIGHT NOW". So timing and patience are definitely a factor.

2) Go to a brew school. I highly recommend Siebel or American Brewers Guild. I attended Siebel myself and that gave me a killer edge that got me in the door. I was 28 or 29 when I started at a brewery coming from a Satellite Communications background. My resume would look good in a lot of technical circles but I felt like an idiot submitting a resume that had "Managing Director" for a brewing position. I just didn't have any relevant work experience and a blank page with "Siebel" didn't seem like it would cut it.

It's a thread in itself, but I disagree generally with Rundownhouse. A 4-year fermentation sciences program is better suited for Sierra, Boston or a BMC, sure, but I honestly believe Siebel/ABG is a good way to get into a brewery if you have a few months to spare and 10Gs (or maybe more now). Of the 30 people in my class, there's only 1 I know of that never worked in a brewery. Not to mention it will be one of the top adventures of your life [but extremely hard work to pass].