Anyone have a job at a microbrewery or brewpub?

shunoshi · 09-06-2007, 06:38 PM

I'm curious if anyone here brews, or knows someone who brews, at a microbrewery or brewpub. I'm not exactly displeased with my current occupation, but am always open to new ideas. I'm wondering if brewing commercially (other than opening your own brewery) even pays well enough to consider. I enjoy brewing and the chemistry behind it and could easily picture myself doing it as a full time job.

Just curious. I have that grand dream of opening a microbrewery someday and a good stepping stone would be actually working in one.

jeff · 09-06-2007, 06:54 PM

I would check out Probrewer.com

I think the average entry-level salary for a new brewer is in the mid 20's, with a head brewer earning in the 30-35K range. This is for a small brewpub or micro. You can make more working for the big guys, but those jobs are hard to come by without a PhD in chemistry or similar.

**olllllo** · 09-06-2007, 06:57 PM

With no experience....
I would expect that you may have to intern at no or low pay.
Mash Tun scrubber might be where you have to start out.

paranode · 09-06-2007, 07:11 PM

Yeah without credentials you will be doing hard labor mostly.

shunoshi · 09-06-2007, 07:14 PM

Yeah, that was the other thing I forgot to ask. I'm sure they have a "seniority" thing going on. Then you have to work up the corporate ladder to get somewhere. Oh well, 20s would be a bit of a pay cut. Nice idea though.

**Brewtopia** · 09-06-2007, 08:50 PM

I am currently working at two breweries in the Seattle area. I'm working 3-4 days a week at Stix Billiards & Brewhouse (which is currently closed but will reopen this Saturday as the new and improved Stix Pizza & Brewing Co.) and 1 day a week at Lazy Boy Brewing in Everett. The pay is not great, but I'm learning a ton about the entire commercial brewery operation which has been an immense help as I work to get my own brewery off the ground. Stix has an 8.5 barrel system located in about 200 sf. and Lazy Boy has a 15 bbl system in about 5,000 sf. so they are quite a bit different. I love every aspect of the process (including cleaning out the mashtun).

Ed_Savage · 09-06-2007, 09:02 PM

Im in Portland. I have an appernticeship/assistant brewer job at BJ's Brewery that I work at two days a week. Im usually doing cellar work, cleaning the draft systems, and making keg deliveries to other locations. I have been working there three months now, and I have learned zero brewing. Just all of the grunt work.

Im planning on moving to Seattle in the next six months, so maybe I'll have better luck up there. It's hard to find a decent apprenticeship in Portland because all of the beer guys around here snatch up those positions quick.

I have a mortgage, car, and bills to pay. So I wouldn't dare leave my primary high paying day job, to make $10 bucks an hour at a brewery.

I just want the experience, because I would like to run my own brewpub one day. Now thats where the money is at......owning your own business.

For a guy that is willing to work for free on his days off and in his spare time.....you would think it would be easy to stroll into a brewing job, but its not.

Good luck everybody.

Ed

**EdWort** · 09-06-2007, 09:13 PM

Brewing could never pay my bills and support my wife's lifestyle.

Unless I owned a few brew pubs. Someday....

Until then, I volunteer to help at brew pubs on my own time and my own dime.