Planning my future

Hey guys, let me first start out by saying that my time on this forum has led me to trust your opinions.

I am a third year electrical engineering student at Milwaukee School of Engineering ( a institution held in high regards in the engineering world). The only reasons I chose this as a career path is because... Well I'm not really sure, maybe because I'm smart enough to do it and it seemed like a well paying career. I have two years remaining then I will graduate with a bachelors in electrical engineer with a specialization in systems interfacing and a chem minor.

Now that the background information is out of the way here comes my question. What do you guys know about "American Brewers Guild" craft brewers apprenticeship program? The program seem legit and I feel that this is a path I would like to take my life down. I plan finding a summer job at one of the many breweries in Milwaukee. It doesn't matter the pay/position I just want experience.

I feel with my degrees and the degree from the guild could push me on to a promising career in craft brewing. Do you guys have any tips/pointers on how to better reach my goal of one day owning a brewpub later in life.

I want a job that makes me happy, not a desk job. When I turned 18 I got a tattoo my great grandpa had it's a old gaelic poem that ends with "live fast, love slow, die happy". This is how I plan on living and dying. With a job that not only makes me happy but I can feel fulfilled by when all is said and done.

Any advise you can spare is welcomed. Thanks guy!

Before I went out and changed my life completely, I would volunteer at a local, smaller brewery. I am sure if you explained that you would like to volunteer some time they will not turn you away. This will allow you some 1st hand experience so you know what you are getting into before you spend a small brew pubs worth of money on school for something you may or may not like.

Most of the time, the fastest way to kill a fun hobby is to turn it into a job...YMMV

I wish you the best of luck! Also report back here what you decide and how it works out so others can see.

GL!

Thanks! I plan on graduating from my college that I attend now. There are many breweries near by and I plan on getting a job at one to make sure it's something I'll enjoy.

If all else fails I can still get a job as an engineer pretty easily.

If you plan to start your own brewery, consider two things first:
1) startup costs. You either need a business loan or some seed money from a generous friend / relative.
2) the "business side" of things... Permits, paperwork, marketing, distribution, etc. There's a lot to do that's not making beer

I'd take up the internship, as I believe the best way to learn is to do! Worst case the program is bunk and you have only lost a summer.

An alternate path to take: some breweries will let you use their equipment (for a price) to make your beer, would be a lower overhead way to get started.

I bet most successful brewers have a similar story behind why they got started (but then, so may some unsuccessful ones).

Good luck!

Sorry if I wasn't clear that is my fault. In the next 10 years I would like to be a craft brewer at an already established brewery. Then by the age of 40 start a brew pub. How do most head brewers work their way too the top? Would the 10,000$ class be a worth while investment?

Are you married? Have kids? If not, I say go for it! If it doesn't work out you could always go back to being an EE.
Find a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life.

I love my job, and consider myself one of the luck ones to be able to say that.

Good luck to you!

Nope no kids, no wife. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go at this with everything I got but does anyone have any informant on the American brewers guild?

Information* (sorry can't edit post on the app)

You need to check out probrewer.com. TONS of information on brewing at the commercial level.

+1 on checking out probrewer. I have no idea about the craft brewer's guild either, sorry. You should also check out the Siebel Institute, which is in Chicago.

Please keep us updated on what you decide. I'm sure there are others, myself included, that have the same dream that you're deciding on.

Go for it MSOE, then when you get rolling and need a mechanical engineer on staff let me know! Also don't just limit yourself to the craft breweries in Milwaukee...that one big brewery in town also usually has some good opportunities which could be a good way to get some of the experience as well.

You could also do a masters program at UC Davis in brewery science. I hear they do a lot of interfacing/internships with some of the larger microbreweries in northern California.

I graduated from the ABG in the Winter of "08" and and I am glad I had 2 breweries here with former graduates to Apprentice at. The brewery you apprentice at is key IMO of where you get the 5 weeks of hands on commercial brewing experience, so you need to pick a good one. The end of the day sitting around the brew house drinking the batch you made 2 weeks ago with experienced brewers is a great feeling.

SourHopHead said:

I graduated from the ABG in the Winter of "08" and and I am glad I had 2 breweries here with former graduates to Apprentice at. The brewery you apprentice at is key IMO of where you get the 5 weeks of hands on commercial brewing experience, so you need to pick a good one. The end of the day sitting around the brew house drinking the batch you made 2 weeks ago with experienced brewers is a great feeling.

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Sweet I was hoping to find someone who attende&

SourHopHead said:

I graduated from the ABG in the Winter of "08" and and I am glad I had 2 breweries here with former graduates to Apprentice at. The brewery you apprentice at is key IMO of where you get the 5 weeks of hands on commercial brewing experience, so you need to pick a good one. The end of the day sitting around the brew house drinking the batch you made 2 weeks ago with experienced brewers is a great feeling.

Click to expand...

Sweet! I was hoping someone on here attended ABG. Did you learn what you expected from the class? Was the reason you took the class to enter into craft brewing? If so did it help?

Sorry about the post before last. My iPhone needs to be updated.

MSOE_HomeBrew said:

Sweet! I was hoping someone on here attended ABG. Did you learn what you expected from the class? Was the reason you took the class to enter into craft brewing? If so did it help?

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I learned everything I expected and then some. The residents week at Otter Creek in VT was great. During my apprenticeship was when a lot of the learning came together. I was actually laid off from my job when I enrolled and got my job back prior to attending but I still completed the course. I am still looking for the right position, but that is due to personal/family reasons. Jobs are out there if you look and ask the right people. I talked with another former grad and he was looking to just open a store, but I always wanted my own brewery. Planning has begun but they do not teach you that.