How To Become A Brewer

[jason]

Hi all

I'm at a bit of a cross-road with my career. I have been working as a Laboratory scientist for a couple of years but find the work quite boring. I therefore recently started looking at other career options that I could use my university degree (BSc in Microbiology). I thought why not try and make my hobby into my job and become a brewer. I am by no means an expert in beer (styles, manufacture etc) but I have had a number of years of experience in making my own homebrew (extract and all grain brewing). So I do know some general brewing concepts. My question is does anyone know how you become a brewer, who do you have to know to get a start?

Any help will be much appreciated
J

 

[Shortz]

Hi,

There are a number of post-grad courses if you're looking to do something official, i found this in victoria, but i'm sure something closer to you is available.

http://www.ballarat.edu.au/ard/sci-eng/courses/food.shtml

 

[reg]

Apparently you need a march pump.......

As I have read in numerous posts "YOURE NOT A REAL BREWER UNTIL YOU GET A MARCH PUMP"

So if you get a march pump you are half way there....

 

[braufrau]

I think that's right.
Whenever I start working out the logistics of AG I always end up at "but I'd need a march pump!".

 

[BottleBitch]

Jason,

One word "Passion" that is what being a brewer is all about, if you have passion you will get a long way in this industry, when its 2am and you are stuck at work because of a break down or its 5am and you are mashing in the first of 5 mashes for the day, passion is the one thing that keeps you going, because brewing its production based work you can not just walk out the door at the end of shift and things can go wrong and this can make for long days. Oh and the ability to have a laugh when it all goes horribly, horribly wrong.

People will tell you that you have to go back to Uni to do a brewing degree, but this is not the case, its really just a waste of time and money, because you can get a job in a brewery and sit your IBD exams as you work, I have a lot of friends from Uni that didn't get a job in brewing after spending 3 years studying brewing, I was just one of the lucky ones.

Your Laboratory work and BSc in Microbiology are Quiet desirable skills to have in a brewery, one of the brewers at LCB has a degree in Microbiology, so you are looking good for employability in the brewing sector. One of our brewers at Gage Roads brewing Co brought his home brews into his job interview and this helped him get the job.

So how to get your foot in the door, this is the hard bit, finding work at smallish brewers packaging line or kegging line is a great way to get a foot in and it doesn't hurt to drop your CV off at every brewery you can think of and don't forget to follow it up because brewers are busy people.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Brett

 

[Frank]

Hi Jason
I can feel your pain, and know exactly what you are thinking at the moment. But first question is...
Why F*#$ up a perfectly good hobby, by making it your career?
I am not in the industry, but from all that I have spoken with so far is; If you are a clean freak under understane hygiene, your half way there. As your would have learnt from your Micro degree, nasties can come from anywhere, than can turn a good product bad.
All the best in the new direction. It's all about; right place at the right time. So get out there and introduce yourself around.
Cheers.

 

[Gerard_M]

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;hl=Paddy's

Try the above link, & I am not sure whether the link works.
The topic is titled "How to land a job in a brewery!"

In Sydney, go see the guys at Malt Shovel. Ring & ask or just turn up. Keep pestering.


Cheers
Gerard

 

[Wasabi]

Jason,

If you are looking for a formal education then you really only have two choices IN AUSTRALIA.

1. The one Shortz posted in Ballarat.
To get into the Grad Cert you need to have, as a minimum, a Science Degree, and the one you have would be definately sufficient. The course takes two years (one unit per semester) and is mainly done via correspondence and online work. There is also a 1 week block mode practical. Any time a brewery contacts us looking for people, we post the information on the Web site.

2. Edith Cowan University in Perth offers a similar course.

The informal way is to land a job as a "helper" in a micro and work your way up. Jobs for brewers are not usually publicly advertised and the industry largely relies on industry contacts for positions. The big brewers will not take you without a degree, but your scienc degree could get you a lab tech position. Increasingly smaller brewers are looking for Science Qualifications, and many of them come to us looking for referals.

I went through this same dilemma a few years back, but not having a science degree I went Ballarat Uni to do the full undergraduate degree. I left a really well paid job in Telecommunications in Sydney, and it remains one of the BEST decisions I have ever made. I work for the Uni now in Brewing Education.

PM me if you want to know more about Ballarat (and I'll begrudgingly tell you more about Edith Cowan if you want.

 

[Wasabi]

I have a lot of friends from Uni that didn't get a job in brewing after spending 3 years studying brewing, I was just one of the lucky ones.

Brett,

Can I ask where they did there degrees? All of our graduates are snapped up as soon as they graduate, with a few of them getting a choice of where to go work.

 

[BottleBitch]

Brett,

Can I ask where they did there degrees? All of our graduates are snapped up as soon as they graduate, with a few of them getting a choice of where to go work.

ECU back in the old days, when it was a Business degree. I hear it is much better these days from a few guys that we have had in on work experience for the new ECU Science based degree, but it really couldn't get any worst I hope.

Anyway John Stallwood from Nail was educated at your Uni and look how good he is doing, love that Nail Stout.

Cheers

Brett

 

[jason]

Hi Jason
I can feel your pain, and know exactly what you are thinking at the moment. But first question is...
Why F*#$ up a perfectly good hobby, by making it your career?
I am not in the industry, but from all that I have spoken with so far is; If you are a clean freak under understane hygiene, your half way there. As your would have learnt from your Micro degree, nasties can come from anywhere, than can turn a good product bad.
All the best in the new direction. It's all about; right place at the right time. So get out there and introduce yourself around.
Cheers.

Hehehe, there is no way that I would be F*#$ up a perfectly good hobby, by making it my career. I think it would be great to make my hobby my career. Whats that saying.... "that if you do a job that you love doing then you will never work a day in your life". So if I take up brewing (which I enjoy doing) then I will never feel like im actually working

 

[jason]

Hi all

I'm at a bit of a cross-road with my career. I have been working as a Laboratory scientist for a couple of years but find the work quite boring. I therefore recently started looking at other career options that I could use my university degree (BSc in Microbiology). I thought why not try and make my hobby into my job and become a brewer. I am by no means an expert in beer (styles, manufacture etc) but I have had a number of years of experience in making my own homebrew (extract and all grain brewing). So I do know some general brewing concepts. My question is does anyone know how you become a brewer, who do you have to know to get a start?

Any help will be much appreciated
J

Oh and further to my original post, if anyone out there is a brewer or knows of a brewer that requires an assistant (or any other position that may get my foot in the door) please feel free to send me your contact details so that we can have a chat or I can send you out my resume. Also Im willing to relocate to any location in Australia if a suitable position is available.

 

[Jazzafish]

Jason,

One word "Passion" that is what being a brewer is all about, if you have passion you will get a long way in this industry, when its 2am and you are stuck at work because of a break down or its 5am and you are mashing in the first of 5 mashes for the day, passion is the one thing that keeps you going, because brewing its production based work you can not just walk out the door at the end of shift and things can go wrong and this can make for long days. Oh and the ability to have a laugh when it all goes horribly, horribly wrong.

People will tell you that you have to go back to Uni to do a brewing degree, but this is not the case, its really just a waste of time and money, because you can get a job in a brewery and sit your IBD exams as you work, I have a lot of friends from Uni that didn't get a job in brewing after spending 3 years studying brewing, I was just one of the lucky ones.

Your Laboratory work and BSc in Microbiology are Quiet desirable skills to have in a brewery, one of the brewers at LCB has a degree in Microbiology, so you are looking good for employability in the brewing sector. One of our brewers at Gage Roads brewing Co brought his home brews into his job interview and this helped him get the job.

So how to get your foot in the door, this is the hard bit, finding work at smallish brewers packaging line or kegging line is a great way to get a foot in and it doesn't hurt to drop your CV off at every brewery you can think of and don't forget to follow it up because brewers are busy people.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Brett

I agree with this 100%. It is absolutely spot on.

I cold called a few brewerys and landed an interview. Took along competition results and photos of my home brew stuff. Started brewing the next week. One of the other brewers there was in the same boat.

However as a brewer, I had to put the brewery first. Unfortunately the nature of the job (doesn't work on a 24 hour time frame, more of a fermentation/filter/lauter time frame), was causing grief on the home front. I also took a big pay cut to become a brewer, which also started to add up. So when I was called up and offered a promotion in my old line of work, I had to take it.

I miss it like crazy, but I have to put my family first. If there is ever a brewery job that pays as well as the one I currently hold, and works on an hour based system that suits my family... I'd take it in a heart beat.

Hope this isn't discouraging.

 

[gerald]

Jason,

One word "Passion" that is what being a brewer is all about, if you have passion you will get a long way in this industry, when its 2am and you are stuck at work because of a break down or its 5am and you are mashing in the first of 5 mashes for the day, passion is the one thing that keeps you going, because brewing its production based work you can not just walk out the door at the end of shift and things can go wrong and this can make for long days. Oh and the ability to have a laugh when it all goes horribly, horribly wrong.

i havnt worked as a brewer but i have worked on the bottling line at LN. what herbstoffe said is true, sometimes shit goes wrong and your stuck at work for hours and hours. it not to bad when ur being paid on an hourly basis like me, and your going overtime at twice the normal rate ;-) BUT it definitly starts to get to some of the technitians and managers, machines rule your life when they run your entire operation.

also what boston said about not ******* up your hobby by making it your carrer. its true, you gotta love the line of work your do or work sucks everyday. but i have friends who LOVE cars, love playing with their own cars and would go out of their way to help you with yours if there was a problem cos they love seeing a car working and running properly (im a bit like this too). and so they became mechanics, and now they cant stand playing with their own cars and their love for cars is now just another bloody day at the job.

so yeah,
best of luck
gerald