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IBD exams are written by over educated self important ......... Only my opinion.
There is no point in making learning a Fing pain in the arse, but remember a lot of them (IBD exam dudes) have degrees in science and they dont want you stealing their thunder for a few dollars.
You will only ever get a job bottling :(
Been there and done that (IBD member) and really not worth the dollars ! If you live in Europe its better value , course and education wise.
If you really want to work in the industry ,make great (exceptional) beer, enter comps and win (consistently) and them mingle with brewers who brew great Micro beers and edge your way in.
My 2cents.
Nev
 
IBD exams are written by over educated self important ......... Only my opinion.
There is no point in making learning a Fing pain in the arse, but remember a lot of them (IBD exam dudes) have degrees in science and they dont want you stealing their thunder for a few dollars.
You will only ever get a job bottling :(
Been there and done that (IBD member) and really not worth the dollars ! If you live in Europe its better value , course and education wise.
If you really want to work in the industry ,make great (exceptional) beer, enter comps and win (consistently) and them mingle with brewers who brew great Micro beers and edge your way in.
My 2cents.
Nev


can i have a job?
 
I am currently half way through the grad cert at Ballarat, I managed to get in with no previous tertiary education.
There are many paths you can take to break into brewing professionally however it is pretty difficult these days to get any work beyond working on a packaging line or similar without some sort of qualification.
If you can, I would suggest doing the short course at Ballarat, This will give you a bit of an overview of the grad cert/diploma. It will also look good on your application form.
Having a science degree would be handy but it is not essential to understand the concepts presented in the course. It would probably be a good idea to get your head around some of the more in depth brewing books eg, Fix, Bamforth, Lewis etc.
good luck!
 
Its only bit of paper saying you can do this and that,but it cant by the experience,how did the breweries survive before hand,what qualifications did thomas cooper and james boag have.i am not knocking the system but we have to think about how it use to be.
 
I am currently half way through the grad cert at Ballarat, I managed to get in with no previous tertiary education.

Not trying to poke fingers at you or anyone else, but how do you get to do a Graduate Certificate if you are not a graduate ?

:unsure:
 
If you really want to work in the industry ,make great (exceptional) beer, enter comps and win (consistently) and them mingle with brewers who brew great Micro beers and edge your way in.
My 2cents.
Nev

This was plan B.
My sister who now lives in Tasmania has a retro fudge bar ( Belerive, near Hobart ) & they also do the Salamanka markets selling their fudge.
She had some guy from Cascade brewery in the shop the other day wanting a fudge to go with one of their new beers they were working on.
I am going to brew a few different styles this year & am going to try & get to the BeerFest this year armed with some of my finest.
I know it's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. She gave the guy my contact details so hopefully I can talk to him when I get down there.
 
Not trying to poke fingers at you or anyone else, but how do you get to do a Graduate Certificate if you are not a graduate ?

:unsure:
I did the short course, got to know the lecturer, got involved with the local brewing industry, sent off the application.
Maybe I was lucky, it depends on the number of applicants and whether they can justify accepting you.
I certainly wouldn't let not being a graduate discourage you from applying.
 
A bit of context perhaps helps. The brewers who run through the IBD exams from the bigger houses will typically work through the material as a group and sit the exam (esp. in the UK). On this side of the pond, if you were like me, this is not the case, it would be solo study and the best of luck. There is an online prep series they have available, no sure the length but it was not the cheapest (from memory).

A degree from a school like UB, ECU or the overseas offerings, is a degree none the less and recognized as such. Seems students who study at Davis and some other schools can gain an exception from some of the 3 exams under the IBD, but not the other schools. So there is some difference there. Having tried to complete both (stopped and started the IBD twice), the UB course is at the Diploma level. With only the exams to sit, the IBD was just not the right method for myself.

One brilliant thing the IBD does (and has started in Aust) is the various trade based and short items there (Beer Academy etc). Those courses are great for trade and interested folks and are a good step in broadening awareness of beer for the common man.

So, different horses (or should that be courses and exams), different courses.

Scotty
 
IBD exams are written by over educated self important ......... Only my opinion.
There is no point in making learning a Fing pain in the arse, but remember a lot of them (IBD exam dudes) have degrees in science and they dont want you stealing their thunder for a few dollars.
You will only ever get a job bottling :(
Been there and done that (IBD member) and really not worth the dollars ! If you live in Europe its better value , course and education wise.
If you really want to work in the industry ,make great (exceptional) beer, enter comps and win (consistently) and them mingle with brewers who brew great Micro beers and edge your way in.
My 2cents.
Nev

What's wrong with a bottling job?
 
A bit of context perhaps helps. The brewers who run through the IBD exams from the bigger houses will typically work through the material as a group and sit the exam (esp. in the UK). On this side of the pond, if you were like me, this is not the case, it would be solo study and the best of luck. There is an online prep series they have available, no sure the length but it was not the cheapest (from memory).

A degree from a school like UB, ECU or the overseas offerings, is a degree none the less and recognized as such. Seems students who study at Davis and some other schools can gain an exception from some of the 3 exams under the IBD, but not the other schools. So there is some difference there. Having tried to complete both (stopped and started the IBD twice), the UB course is at the Diploma level. With only the exams to sit, the IBD was just not the right method for myself.

One brilliant thing the IBD does (and has started in Aust) is the various trade based and short items there (Beer Academy etc). Those courses are great for trade and interested folks and are a good step in broadening awareness of beer for the common man.

So, different horses (or should that be courses and exams), different courses.

Scotty

As I understand it the UC David "Master Brewer" program, which seems to be much admired in the US - is part of their "extension" program. So its not in the same stream as their degrees and diplomas. What I know for certain is - that it is at least (possibly more) a preparation program for the IBD diploma. Essentially, at the end of the UC davis course, you sit the IBD diplom exams. You get a UC Davis certificate or whatever, and you also get the IBD diploma, assuming of course you pass. For the past few years at least, the "dux" diploma student for the IBD diploma exams has been a UC Davis student.... so plainly Davis is doing a fine job.

The IBD certainly isn't part of the regular AQF stream in australia though. It doesn't get you credit at Universities or TAFE - its best to think of it as something akin to a CPA qualification. You know how to brew, because the IBD tested you and they say. Its an industry body - not a university.

That said - it is a VERY widely recognised industry body. If it isn't already, the IBD diploma is rapidly becoming the "standard" qualification for the big brewers - and say what you like about the beers they choose to brew, the big boys DO know how to brew.

But - as Scotty said. Here in Australia, you are studying on your pat malone if you choose the IBD. The are a few online support courses available from the aibd itself and a couple of other sources, but they are thousands of dollars. And well..... I'm an IBD graduate and think the qualification is valuable and all. But if you are going to spend thousands, you might as well do it on a local course where you get some instruction, where you get to meet people and network. The IBD qual is flexible, well recognised, high quality and cheap - if you are shelling out the big wads of cash anyway though, I'd choose BU or EC.

Mind you - I'm aware that there is an effort being made to run support and training courses for the IBd Diploma Units in Australia sometime soon. Depending on the cost, they might well be a worthwhile option.

Upshot for me is that all the institutions and qualifications are hitting around about the same marks.... I dont actually think one is significantly "better" than another. But:

*If you are happy to learn independently (I was) and official recognition is a significant part of your goal - the IBD is a more flexible option, is an order of magnitude less expensive than the "Grad" options offered by the instututions and is the qualification du jour for big brewers and rather a lot of international brewers of all sizes.

*If you want to be taught about brewing and the bit of paper is at most a secondary goal.... the IBD at the moment isn't for you. Go to a Uni, do a course.

In both cases - the first thing to do in my opinion, is get a job in a brewery. Hump boxes, stand up bottles, shovel out mash tuns. Get in there. The IBD certainly assumes you are already working in a brewery in some way or form. Its certainly going to help with your study...... and you mit find you get your dream brewing job without the qualification in the first place (but do it anyway)

TB
 
Go get a degree in something that actually pays well in a brewery - it ain't the monkeys making the beer...
 
Go get a degree in something that actually pays well in a brewery - it ain't the monkeys making the beer...

And that shows to anyone who actually has a clue of any description, just exactly how much you know about it.
 
Go get a degree in something that actually pays well in a brewery - it ain't the monkeys making the beer...

It's not a simple task to just go get a degree that pays well. I have 3 kids to support so simply can't just drop everything & chase a degree which costs thousands & a full time course would mean I would also have to be making some money, somewhere. The family would still be at our current location which would mean double expenses unfortunately. We also only have one vehicle so it seems every which way I turn, there's something that gets in the way. I am going to the beer festival for sure in Tassie this year & my sister has spoken to the brewer at Cascade brewery & I will be meeting up with him when I get down there. I will be armed with some of my best beers & will be seeking a position somewhere, somehow. The guy from Cascade told my sister to tell me not to worry too much about trying to get qualifications as he started without one & it's really just being in the right place at the right time. I'm passionate about what I do & I will be doing my best to make it happen.
 
Nick JD said:
Go get a degree in something that actually pays well in a brewery - it ain't the monkeys making the beer...
The microbiologists earn fairly good coin in breweries, about $20K more than a junior brewer, as for management/execs -- couldn't tell you. Got a PhD in chemistry, and my day job (before landing a job with CUB/SABmiller as a brewer) was developing and manufacturing experimental drugs for clinical trials. It's a cool job, but after being a chemist for 8 years I felt like I was more passionate about brewing. So after taking up home brewing 18 months ago, pulled the trigger last year to study the Grad Cert. at Ballarat and within 12 months of doing so landed a job with one of the countries biggest breweries. Took a huge pay cut -- but who cares right? Dream came true. The other thing worth mentioning is the big breweries employ a mixture of people with and without technical training, so if you've got the itch, don't write anything off until you've had a real go at it, or at least demonstrated (to your future employer) some commitment by starting the Grad Cert. or an equivalent degree.
 
micblair said:
Got a PhD in chemistry, and my day job (before landing a job with CUB/SABmiller as a brewer) was developing and manufacturing experimental drugs
Breaking Bad
 
Haha, yeah I have been known to rock up to a fancy dress or halloween party in a bright orange Tyvek jumpsuit tributing Walter White.
 
Crusty:

https://weteachme.com/costanzobrewing/sydney-one-day-beer-brewing-essentials

https://weteachme.com/costanzobrewing/sydney-four-day-masterbrew-brewing-course

Not an 8K course.....not even close. But, good entry level stuff that might create the thirst for further knowledge.

Frankly I think 8+K for a Grad Cert is downright bloody rude and heavily reliant on folks having stars in their eyes for a career in beer. Don't get me wrong, it's got the potential to be a bloody good career with prospects, but there's more hard yards than there are great beers involved.

Martin
 
Yeah its expensive, you can always add it your higher education debt or potentially get your future employer to pay it off for you. Ballarat offer a short course too.
 
May sound like a dumb question, but do you actually need a degree to open your own micro brewery? and if so which one is required? I just read over this thread and am somewhat confused about all the different courses and degrees. Unless you actually require one to achieve or do something I would just be trying to get a job in a micro brewery to learn the process first hand.
 
If you have the cash then you can open up any sort of business doesn't mean you will be successful with it!
 
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