I get a lot of messages from people who want to get into the beer industry, but have no idea where to start. Here is my advice..
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be poor? Do you want to have roommates in your late 30s? Do you enjoy chronic body pain? Then this may be the job for you! Now that I've sold you on it..
Okay, no, but really. You first have to understand that this job isn't rainbows and beer fountains (unless you dry hop a tank without proper ventilation). You won't ever be rich, you'll work long hours, and you'll clean things like, 85% of the time. So you have to really really love beer.
Preparation and Knowledge
One of the things I love most about this industry, is that you never stop learning. A good place to start is with books, and homebrewing. Now, homebrewing doesn't exactly translate to commercial brewing, and no one really cares when it's on your resume. But there are a lot of things you can learn (and a lot of money you can save your brewery) from fucking things up on a smaller scale. You don't have to have your own set up. I used to homebrew with one of the tour guides (Kevin!) from Dogfish Head. So find a friend and get to it.
There are tons of great educational books out there. Here are a few that I own and recommend:
- Malt, Hops, Yeast, Water - The Elemental Series (these are four separate books)
- The Complete Joy of Homebrewing (The first book I ever bought. I used to read it on the patio at Dogfish Head.)
- How to Brew
- Tasting Beer (this is a great book even for just beer enthusiasts)
There are many more incredible books and resources out there. I've included the books above as well as others I intend to read, on my Amazon page.
Landing a Job
Okay, so you've homebrewed a few diacetyl bombs that your friends said were great and read a book, and now you think you're ready to be a brewer. Wrong. This is the part where you beg for a job, and wash A LOT of kegs.
In the beginning of my career I had a very skewed understanding of a "brewing apprenticeship". I asked my local brewery Mispillion River about a job maybe twice, and I brewed a Belgian quad (on the 1bbl pilot) on my second day. Later I had a rude awakening when I learned this is very uncommon. Before moving to Southern California I emailed and called a few breweries. I was set on one, and borderline harassed them for a job. When they didn't get back to me, I showed up in their tasting room, resume in hand. After I got the job, I washed kegs for 8+ hours a day, and canned sometimes. I was very confused.
Typically you'll start as a beertender and/or in packaging. Next you'll spend awhile in the cellar. You might decide cellaring is for you and stay there, or you might decide you want to brew.
There are a couple things that I believe are key when searching for a brewery job, or any job really. Persistence. Don't stop asking that brewery for a job. Let them know you're serious, and willing to work hard. Enthusiasm. When you land that interview, make sure they know how passionate you are, and how eager you are to learn, and be genuine when doing so.
Congrats, You're a Keg Washer!
You're gonna need some PPE (personal protective equipment). Your brewery should provide safety glasses for you. If you're lucky they'll give you some gloves, a stipend for boots, and may even reimburse you for pants/overalls. I've linked some of my preferred brands on my Amazon page. I highly recommend getting a small notebook. I still carry mine in my overall pouch. I write everything down, and even draw diagrams. Tip: If you have an iPhone, you can take photos of things like CIP set ups, and water piping/valves, and add text to the photo for notes. Then save that photo to a specific album. You're welcome.
Some other miscellaneous tips: network network network, sign up to be a beer judge, and gain some basic plumbing/electrical/carpentry skills (those give you brownie points on your resume).
Now go work your ass off, read all the books, ask all the questions, and take all the notes.
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