Hoping to get some info from people who have worked in the brewing industry

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bloodonblood

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I am hoping to be able to work in the brewing industry when I finish college. I am currently planning to minor in chemistry and major in industrial engineering. My hope is that this degree will allow me to qualify for many possible positions in operations and management. But I got to thinking the other day that I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. I have no clue what breweries are looking for and if this degree is a good choice. Now I know that nothing is promised and that getting a job at a brewery can be as much luck as anything but I want to do everything that i can to help improve my odds. Can any of you pro brewers inform me as to what you think this degree will be able to do for me?

Thank you in advance!

Ps. I know that there are other boards that I could post this on but I wanted to ask here because it's more familiar.
 
I know it's more familiar here, but this is the board for the HOBBY end of things, not the professional side, there's very few folks on here who are working in the industry. Most of the time when someone does get into the field, they start hanging out at probrewer.com
 
With those degrees I would be looking at an entirely different career path than brewery work. My best guess is a pencil pusher and bean counter position, possibly an analyst position. The thing is though only the big boys really have those kinds of positions, not so sure about craft style breweries that have that type of facility.

I second Revs comment about checking at Probrewer, they are going to have a more solid answer. I work at a nano and at this size your credentials would be an overquLification unless you were just looking for OJT as a brewer.
 
bloodonblood said:
I am hoping to be able to work in the brewing industry when I finish college. I am currently planning to minor in chemistry and major in industrial engineering. My hope is that this degree will allow me to qualify for many possible positions in operations and management. But I got to thinking the other day that I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. I have no clue what breweries are looking for and if this degree is a good choice. Now I know that nothing is promised and that getting a job at a brewery can be as much luck as anything but I want to do everything that i can to help improve my odds. Can any of you pro brewers inform me as to what you think this degree will be able to do for me?

Thank you in advance!

Ps. I know that there are other boards that I could post this on but I wanted to ask here because it's more familiar.
Click to expand...

You should try to co-op in the industry. Just a guess but some of the larger brewers may have co-op programs.
 
With those degrees, you should be able to find a much better job than as a brewer. An entry level brew job would involve washing kegs, scrubbing out brite tanks and a lot of grunt work before you will ever come close to brewing house recipes, much less brewing your own designs. Breweries big enough to want to hire a chemist, engineer or chemical engineer will be a mass market big boy looking for quality control, efficiency and consistency in their beers. If I were you, i'd consider staying in school, completing your degrees, and brew for fun. That way, you'll get to brew your own recipes and can scale them up as you see fit or work as a contract brewer.
 
Thank you very much for the info guys. I will be taking it all in to account.

I tried to post this on Probrewer but it won't let me start a thread. I'm not sure why, or where I could ask for help on that forum because it won't even let me post. Can anyone here help me out with this?
 
If you live anywhere near a LHBS get a job there. You'll get to meet local brewers and be able to form connections pretty quickly. Knowing the right people is usually just as important as your credentials. I've been given the opportunity to brew at local Micro and Nano breweries alongside the brewmasters after just 6 months of working at the LHBS. Those opportunities and knowledge are priceless for a resume if you're looking to be in the industry. Just my thoughts...
 
Additionally, find out if there is a local brewery around, if there is, go volunteer. You'll know right away if you really want to be crawling around in 120* boilers with scrub pads and stainless steel cleaners (some reason I find this fun).
 
markm2151 said:
Additionally, find out if there is a local brewery around, if there is, go volunteer. You'll know right away if you really want to be crawling around in 120* boilers with scrub pads and stainless steel cleaners (some reason I find this fun).
Click to expand...

I will definitely start trying to make that happen! Thanks for the advice.
 
I worked in the industry for ~10 years as a pub brewer and owner. I would say the only breweries looking for college educated staff would be the largest of regional breweries and those producing millions of barrels. Most craft brewers are looking for dedication (working for low wages) or someone with some kind of experience.

It would be helpful to have some kind of credentials from a brewing school, but nothing beats experience. Pay is also commensurate with the brewery’s output the smaller the brewery the harder it will be to pay decent wages. I would suggest getting an entry level job, get some feeling for what it is envolved and decide what is important to you; then decide what type of education will work for your long term goals.

John
 

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