I've gone pro!

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farmbrewernw

farmbrewernw

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I haven't been spending very much time on HBT as of late, things have been crazy with moving to WA and whatnot. A couple of months ago I started volunteering at a brewery up here and today they offered me a full time position as an assistant brewer. Two months has taught me that brewing is not all fun and games but maybe I don't know enough yet not to take this job. I'm cautiously optimistic about the future but I'm also looking forward to what I will learn and experience. Hopefully I will be able to be back on here more once things calm down and help anyone who is curious about going pro.
 
Yeah I have lost weight and have gained a lot of muscle, could my body take this for another 30 years? Probably not but at least I'll give it a go for now.
 
That's awesome! The experience will be valuable, and like anything else you start at the bottom humping stuff around, but if you stick with it eventually you should migrate up the food chain a bit and not have all the back breaking work.
 
Awesome man. Good luck with it. I sent my resume to Lexington Brewing Company but they aren't hiring. My buddy works there but I don't know what he does. When I move to Louisville in a couple years I'm going to apply to all the breweries/brewpubs and hopefully get on at one.
 
What's the pay scale for brewers? I'm addicted to my engineer paycheck but I think I might be happier brewing for a living than sitting at a desk looking at CAD and spreadsheets!
 
So, which brewery are you at? Ya know, so we can check and see if there's an improvement or dropoff in quality after you're hired. ;)
 
farmbrewernw - The best of luck, I get worn out just doing 5 gal brews with my ghetto apartment set up.
I really hope it goes well and you enjoy it, once again, best of luck.
 
Thanks for the good wishes, the only thing I worry about is not being able to homebrew as much but I'm going to see if I can do small batches for myself as I work.
 
What's the pay scale for brewers? I'm addicted to my engineer paycheck but I think I might be happier brewing for a living than sitting at a desk looking at CAD and spreadsheets!
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+1, I'm tired of making sure I'm using the correct font and line weight instead of solving problems with creative solutions.
 
I was a civil engineering tech for the last 4 years and I know exactly what you all mean, I really started to hate it towards the end of my career in civil. The pay was indeed good but it was effecting me and my relationships, there is nothing worse than being severely dissatisfied with your career. While I don't feel like I'm using my degree anymore many pro brewers I know in fact have quite advanced degrees in things like chemistry and physics but after working in their fields for some time they realized it wasn't all about the money, if you can afford to I highly recommend trying to pursue your dream job whatever that may be. I don't think pro brewing is for everyone, it's hard physical work and it is very demanding but if you don't mind that it's a great profession.
 
Great move! A brewer, wsrn, keeps trying to sell me his brewery. Yeah, at 57 I'm going to start lugging sacks of grain up three flights of stairs? He's 12 years younger than I am and wants out.
 
I lend you my total moral support. I hope you don't mind if I hold back on any physical support, it's cold here now, and my back is playing up a bit. :)
 
still no answer on what brewery? I'm headin back to tri-cities this weekend. Maybe i'll swing by the brew shop and run into you.
 
garretto said:
still no answer on what brewery? I'm headin back to tri-cities this weekend. Maybe i'll swing by the brew shop and run into you.
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There might be 3 breweries in town but there is only one that is even worth considering.

I believe farmbrewernw said before he was going to be in Hood river for the fresh hop festival this weekend. I'm heading to yakima for their fresh hop festival
 
Bokonon said:
There might be 3 breweries in town but there is only one that is even worth considering.

I believe farmbrewernw said before he was going to be in Hood river for the fresh hop festival this weekend. I'm heading to yakima for their fresh hop festival
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Yep I'll be at the hops fest in Hood River, if anyone is going let me know maybe we can meet up. James how was the GABF? Oh and there really is only one brewery worth considering in the Tri-Cities and no I didn't move to Washington to brew I just had a lot of free time because my SWMBO got a job up here and by chance started working in the business.
 
farmbrewernw said:
Yep I'll be at the hops fest in Hood River, if anyone is going let me know maybe we can meet up. James how was the GABF? Oh and there really is only one brewery worth considering in the Tri-Cities and no I didn't move to Washington to brew I just had a lot of free time because my SWMBO got a job up here and by chance started working in the business.
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You won't be hard to find. Just find the guy in the white Power Ranger costume, right? ;)
 
Well i guess the cat is out of the bag now ;). Anyway thanks for all of the well wishes, with any luck if i like this i will open a brewery back in Oregon when we move back down there, or at least work for one of the fine breweries down there.
 
farmbrewernw said:
I was a civil engineering tech for the last 4 years and I know exactly what you all mean, I really started to hate it towards the end of my career in civil. The pay was indeed good but it was effecting me and my relationships, there is nothing worse than being severely dissatisfied with your career. While I don't feel like I'm using my degree anymore many pro brewers I know in fact have quite advanced degrees in things like chemistry and physics but after working in their fields for some time they realized it wasn't all about the money, if you can afford to I highly recommend trying to pursue your dream job whatever that may be. I don't think pro brewing is for everyone, it's hard physical work and it is very demanding but if you don't mind that it's a great profession.
Click to expand...

:mug:

Your decision is full of win!
 
Congrats! I was just up at Ice Harbor last weekend. Some decent stuff but a bit run of the mill on styles. Hope they let you build up some recipes. Are they bringing their fresh hop beer to the Hood River hops fest?
 
That is great news .. just think of how much brewing you won't do bec you will be sick of the process (just kidding !)
 
beeraroundtown said:
Congrats! I was just up at Ice Harbor last weekend. Some decent stuff but a bit run of the mill on styles. Hope they let you build up some recipes. Are they bringing their fresh hop beer to the Hood River hops fest?
Click to expand...

Yeah our IPA is good but yeah nothing else is all that exciting, that being said we do well up here and have the goal to expand so there may be some room to improve on our products. I think the problem really is that we have been in business since 96 and no fresh ideas have been implemented for some time, really we need to modernize our brand but that's up to the owners I can only offer ideas. Our fresh hop wont be at the hop fest it will be up at the fresh hop fest in Yakima tomorrow. I'm trying to get the brewery to look at Oregon as a market but we're not there yet, i think we would have a hard time competing at this point.
 

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