Hi everyone. I am pretty new to the world of brewing. I have done a few brews and have loved every minute of it. I have been a craft beer enthusiast for several years now and want to keep learning more. My question is this: what does it take to become a brewmaster? I know there are a select few schools but none that I have found in the middle Tennessee area this far. I have been reading and trying to learn everything I can but would love to one day hold that title. Does anyone know what it takes?
How to become a brewmaster?
- Thread starter dlhutson
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I've looked into it, and applied to many places. They want at least one (if not more) of three things: a formal education in brewing, a formal education in chemistry/biochemistry etc., and/or professional experience (and they often make a point of saying homebrew experience does not count).
So unfortunately simple practice is not going to get you there. It seems there are a lot of people who want to be brewmasters, so they are able to be very choosy about who they hire.
So unfortunately simple practice is not going to get you there. It seems there are a lot of people who want to be brewmasters, so they are able to be very choosy about who they hire.
Open your own brewery 
KettleCorn
Well-Known Member
It is all self proclaimed.
Just declare it and whaalaa.. you are
Just declare it and whaalaa.. you are
forstmeister
Well-Known Member
The Seibel Institute in Chicago is a great place. I think they have some online courses even at this point.
Brewing is just like any profession in that regard. If you want to be an electrician, you have the same choices- formal education, on the job training, and/or experience. Re-wiring your house yourself doesn't make someone an electrician, just like homebrewing doesn't make someone a professional brewer.
For practical advice, there are a couple of things you can do. One of course is to go to school, just like you would if you wanted to be an accountant. There are brewing colleges, regular colleges, and Siebel has online courses.
You can also apply as a grunt at a brewery, and work your way up. Brewery pay is low, the hours are long, and the work is hard.
If you really want to be a brewer in the future, you can take steps now to get there. No one walks into a brewery and becomes a brewmaster, anymore than you walk into Microsoft and become Bill Gate's CFO. It's a long hard process. But if that is truly what you want to do professionally, then do it!
Everyone is a brewmaster in their own brewhouse.
Demon
Well-Known Member
In my opinion, being a brewer does not make you a brewmaster. Having a brewing education does.
I own a brewery and still only call myself the head brewer.
If you want to work in a brewery with no experience or education, you'll need to do it as an intern or apprentice aka unpaid labor. This is really no different from any other professional field.
I own a brewery and still only call myself the head brewer.
If you want to work in a brewery with no experience or education, you'll need to do it as an intern or apprentice aka unpaid labor. This is really no different from any other professional field.
MotorcycleMatt
Well-Known Member
I was/still signed up for a brewing school but im dropping it. I honestly havnt felt better about a decision in a long time. I want to continue enjoying brewing, owning a brewery would probably kill that.
To become a brew master through school, they do require a lot of prerequisites, but if it is something you are really serious about, do whatever it takes. I got accepted to the Siebel Master Brewer program for 2014 and I did not have a formal education in science or math. Instead, I got a hose monkey position at a local brewery, and enrolled in the Concise Course at Siebel. I did the 2 weeks in Chicago, and it was a wonderful experience.
Its not that they don't want you if you don't have all the requirements, its basically due to the fact that the class moves at such a quick pace, that it is really good to have a working knowledge of commercial brewing already. It is true that homebrewing experience doesn't really factor into your enrollment. Its nice if you are a homebrewer, but the class is focusing on large operations and doesn't even mention the word homebrewing.
In one of the brewing education posts on here, i gave a "review" of the concise course, so you can find that if you are interested.
I will say that UC Davis has a lot stricter requirements than Siebel, but that is because UC Davis is primarily science.
Its not that they don't want you if you don't have all the requirements, its basically due to the fact that the class moves at such a quick pace, that it is really good to have a working knowledge of commercial brewing already. It is true that homebrewing experience doesn't really factor into your enrollment. Its nice if you are a homebrewer, but the class is focusing on large operations and doesn't even mention the word homebrewing.
In one of the brewing education posts on here, i gave a "review" of the concise course, so you can find that if you are interested.
I will say that UC Davis has a lot stricter requirements than Siebel, but that is because UC Davis is primarily science.
i would also highly recommend the book "Technology Malting and Brewing" by Wolfgang Kunze. If you are serious, its worth the investment.
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