Can it be Seen as Unprofessional to Brew Beer?

[Murphys_Law]

I was asked about my hobbies in an interview a few years ago and told them “brewing”.

I was careful to point out that I like the process and rigor involved and that, plus excellent home made beer, was the attraction. I talked a little about how important things like temp control, yeast health, etc are and how enjoyable it is to create recipes, like a chef.

I don’t think I came across as “boozy”. Granted, I didn’t get the job so...! [emoji482]

 

[6Tap]

I was asked about my hobbies in an interview a few years ago and told them “brewing”.

I was careful to point out that I like the process and rigor involved and that, plus excellent home made beer, was the attraction. I talked a little about how important things like temp control, yeast health, etc are and how enjoyable it is to create recipes, like a chef.

I don’t think I came across as “boozy”. Granted, I didn’t get the job so...! [emoji482]

If you are in the construction industry and mention homebrewing,
there is a very good chance you will get the job during the interview.

Homebrew is a great tool to building professional reslationships with clients/ owners.

 

[teesherv]

As a teacher, none my students nor their parents know of my homebrew hobby (we are encouraged to share our personal lives to be more relatable). However, my fellow staff know all about it and appreciate when I give them a few bottles. I even just gave my admin a batch to honor her first year as a principal!
I would like to say I don't care what others think, but I have to be careful if I want to keep my credential,

 

[Oginme]

Much depends upon your profession. As a ChE working in product development and manufacturing, it can generally be seen as a plus when I talk about the creativity, rigor of control of ingredients, wort making, and fermenting. Especially when I throw in that I do yeast culturing and cell counts, it appeals to many I work with as to the breadth of fields with which I am proficient.

That said, I also raise dairy goats and that usually becomes more of the focus of conversation with others. Great distraction when needed!

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I have this weird feeling about telling others (especially in the professional world) that I brew beer. I feel some outsiders may view this as me sitting around getting drunk on my own beer all the time and being irresponsible. I am especially cautious because I am a professional within the medical field. Others may be quick to judge because I am creating alcohol instead of doing something to save the world like researching the cure for cancer.

Everyone is allowed a hobby - how many of those doctors out on the golf course are curing cancer? On the flip side, having some time to switch off is actually really important for work - someone has done time and motion studies on Charles Darwin and he spent a lot of time "doing nothing" - he spent a surprising amount of each day walking on his "thinking path", and it obviously worked for him...

And only teetotallers can have a problem with making beer, it's just cooking for microbiologists, the original biotechnology. Noone gets weird about people who like baking, even though eating nothing but cakes would be just as bad for your health as too much beer. Everything in moderation and all that.

I love brewing for the love of the science, methods, creativity, and that fact that its something I can look at and call my own.

Exactly - talk about that stuff. Talk about all the new stuff coming out about yeast genetics - Suregork has combined recent genome sequencing results to come up with a phyogeny of 1168 yeast, from bread to distilling to lab strains.... And then there are ways to combine the two fields, a Polish brewery is souring beer with vaginal lactobacilli....

 

[Desert_Sky]

"Sitting around getting drunk on my own beer"

**** em.....its better than sitting found getting drunk off of someone else's beer.

 

[El Nino]

I wouldn't think so. I mean it doesn't sound like an alcoholic to say "Hey man want to brew so we can get totally wasted in 3-4 weeks?"

If anything it's unprofessional to drink BMC beers lol

 

[bleme]

As a teacher, none my students nor their parents know of my homebrew hobby (we are encouraged to share our personal lives to be more relatable). However, my fellow staff know all about it and appreciate when I give them a few bottles. I even just gave my admin a batch to honor her first year as a principal!
I would like to say I don't care what others think, but I have to be careful if I want to keep my credential,

I would guess about a quarter on the members of my homebrew club are teachers. I think something about the job must necessitate more relaxing downtime...

 

[Gytaryst]

Hello all,

I am wondering if others have felt the way I feel about our beloved hobby and passion. I love brewing for the love of the science, methods, creativity, and that fact that its something I can look at and call my own. The good taste and the buzz are definitely pluses too! I have this weird feeling about telling others (especially in the professional world) that I brew beer. I feel some outsiders may view this as me sitting around getting drunk on my own beer all the time and being irresponsible. I am especially cautious because I am a professional within the medical field. Others may be quick to judge because I am creating alcohol instead of doing something to save the world like researching the cure for cancer. I feel like I have to keep it secret from most and its hard because I am proud of my hobby and want to take further to being known in competition and possibly a brewery owner years down the road. Hope im not the only person who feels this way.

"Can it Be Seen As Unprofessional to Brew Beer?" - Yes. (Some people) "can" see it as being unprofessional. The gist of your question seems to imply that you yourself see it that way.

When you form your opinions by sticking your index finger into the air to see which way the cultural wind is blowing, there's no limits to how anything "can be seen."

No limits is not always good

 

[Jako]

i am young (25) and i tell everyone i work with and share some times, but everyone jokes that i always drink. this is not true. its been over a week since i had a drink and even then i only had a beer or two. i drink for flavor now and i never drink to get drunk.

we live in a world that it doesn't matter what you do someone will be offended in one way or another. my wife is a teacher and has a hard time having a drink when we go out. we also live in Utah and Mormons for the most part in this area are quick to judge.

 

[ProblemChild]

I am of the mindset that it matters little.

We live in an overly judgmental society. If our activities are legal, hurt no one, and we enjoy them - then go forth and propogate (yeast).

My experience with homebrewers is that they are creative and inquisitive, and enjoy collaboration. Very good traits in my book.

 

[Gytaryst]

i am young (25) and i tell everyone i work with and share some times, but everyone jokes that i always drink. this is not true. its been over a week since i had a drink and even then i only had a beer or two. i drink for flavor now and i never drink to get drunk.

we live in a world that it doesn't matter what you do someone will be offended in one way or another. my wife is a teacher and has a hard time having a drink when we go out. we also live in Utah and Mormons for the most part in this area are quick to judge.

Everyone judges. You wouldn't survive 2 seconds if you didn't exercise judgment. I'd be willing to bet the nonsensical idea that it's wrong to judge probably comes from the same superficial half-wits who "see brewing as unprofessional."

I've always been a beer drinker; never cared for spirits, wine, mead, hard cider, etc. For most of my adult life I drank beer for the buzz. The "beer" was just the medium by which the alcohol was infused into my bloodstream. I didn't give a rip about style, appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel. The cheaper and the colder... the better. I spent more than my fair share of time "drunk" back in the day.

Eventually "getting drunk" kind of lost it's appeal and I gave up drinking altogether for a couple of years. I remember going into a bar I used to hang out in and seeing a lot of my old friends stumbling around, slurring their words, bouncing off walls, acting like fools... I was embarrassed for them, but more embarrassed that I used to be right in there with them. I couldn't help wondering how many people would have watched me back in the day and felt the same pity I felt watching my friends, hugging each other, hanging on each other, telling each other how much they loved each other... Like the old Bud Light commercial, "I LOVE YOU MAN!"

I didn't get into home brewing until I was 55. It actually started as an interest in learning the different styles of beer. Up until then the only difference between beers I knew was warm or cold, light or dark, import or domestic.

My journey into learning about beer has been one of the most rewarding and satisfying hobby's of my life. Just a cursory glance at the history of beer in the world will shut up any moron who has an uninformed opinion based in stupidity and ignorance about how professional or unprofessional it is. The study of yeast and fermentation has probably contributed as much to medicine as the study of anything else. Louis Pasteur was a "professional" involved with the brewing of beer. Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation was heavily involved in the brewing of beer; the Pope called him a "drunk monk." George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, on and on and on. Obama brewed beer in the white House.

I have a deeper appreciation for beer now. I drink more beer today than I ever did, but I can't remember the last time I was "drunk." I still despise "drunk". My wife and I spent a day in Flagstaff, AZ, and I visited every brewery in that city. I kept track of what I drank and how much time elapsed between one beer and another, and we walked as much as possible. It took all day, (from the time the breweries opened until 10 or 11 that night), but it was an awesome day, we had a ball, I can't remember how many amazing beers I drank - and the most I ever felt at any one time was maybe slightly buzzed walking out of a brewery. I never got drunk. If I would have drunk half of those beers slamming them one after another like was my old habit - I would have been toast in about 3 hours, my wife would have had to have driven me back to the hotel room to "sleep it off." I would have woke up feeling like crap and probably not remembered anything. Instead, we had an awesome day, I got to drink twice as much beer, and I had a blast, remember ever minute of it, and skipped the ugly hangover feeling.

I think people who have a deep appreciation and love of beer and all that is involved, are some of the most responsible professionals in society. The Bud Light drinkers who just drink to get hammered and screw their lives and everyone around them up - those are the unprofessionals who look at brewing as unprofessional.

Just my long-winded opinion

 

[Sparger]

I just tell my highbrow friends it's like exotic cooking and you get to drink it, like the wine I make. The other dirty secret for us "professional" types (that have some cash to burn) is that we don't have to tinker as much in the DIY area as other homebrewers. I know some of you might be thinking "dude, that's half the fun." But I'm getting too old to for converting a fridge to a kegerator or building a hop spider from scratch!

 

[Jako]

Do you live in Utah? I do, and wouldn't mention it in a job interview. But I travel a lot and when I'm in other states, it's usually a point of interest. Nothing more, nothing less.

this is so true.

 

[Saunassa]

I like to build rifles and load my own ammo. Do some judge me on it? Yes they do. I find it fun to see what small tweaks affect accuracy and consistency. Maybe that is one of the things about brewing, lots of variables yet if you follow tried and true procedures it will still be good.
I find that those I know who brew are the guys who have to be professional, follow guidelines, help customers, keep product flowing. Brewing gives the ability to just be creative and do something just for themselves. Some people paint, some cook and others brew.

 

[Gytaryst]

... I know some of you might be thinking "dude, that's half the fun." But I'm getting too old to for converting a fridge to a kegerator or building a hop spider from scratch!

I used to think it was dumb to buy something pre-made for $200 when I could save a little money and DIY it for about a $1,000. But then math got the best of me.

I like to build rifles and load my own ammo. Do some judge me on it? Yes they do. I find it fun to see what small tweaks affect accuracy and consistency. Maybe that is one of the things about brewing, lots of variables yet if you follow tried and true procedures it will still be good.
I find that those I know who brew are the guys who have to be professional, follow guidelines, help customers, keep product flowing. Brewing gives the ability to just be creative and do something just for themselves. Some people paint, some cook and others brew.

Right on.
I drank the cheapest, crappiest, freeze-dried coffee from a can every morning and Budweiser or some other watered down piss every night for most of my adult life - without ever giving it a second thought. Then I gave it a thought.

If something's worth doing - it's worth doing it right. That holds true for everything; including coffee, and beer, and firearms, or painting, or playing an instrument. Why just go through the motions?

 

[beernutz]

We don't have any M.D.s but there are 4 Ph.D.s and a DDS in my homebrew club.

 

[jlinz]

Brewing is cool. Don’t even worry about it.

 

[wepeeler]

Sadly, I think some people may view it as a sideshow, with so many beers sold commercially. Everyone I've told, has been interested to the point that they ask me to bring some next time I see them. I do, however, feel that there are misconceptions and skepticism about what we homebrewers bring to the table. I've tasted some of my friend's beers (and my own, not being cocky at all) that rivals Big Beer. Obviously it's all a matter of opinion, but to be able to make beer that YOU enjoy, and then be able to tweak and experiment is more than half the fun (at least for me)! I love trying new techniques/recipes. Sometimes it's hit or miss, but dammit it's fun!

 

[JimRausch]

3 stories:
1. I've owned my own practice in town for 32 years. Some of my clients know I'm a homebrewer, and they occasionally joke that I should change my sign to 'Veterinary Hospital and Brewpub'. Some of them get the occasional gift sixer.
2. For the past 3 years, I've sponsored an 'Oktoberfest in June' celebration at the church where I belong(Lutheran). Brats, pretzels, german potato salad, etc. And I supply homebrew. I had 19 different varieties last year, only 17 this year(I ran out of empty bottles and still have 3 batches to bottle).
3. I'm pretty heavily involved with the Scouts at the local, District, and Council level. They know I brew and some get gift sixers. No one has ever had anything but positive comments.
Do people think any less of me because I homebrew? I doubt it, and to be honest, I wouldn't care if they did.

 

[SEndorf]

Interesting question and interesting responses.
I've been in my field for 37 years. My clients include churches, schools and fortune 500 companies. As relationships develop, interests and hobbies invariably come up. They all know I home brew, and they have enjoyed my samples.
To the OP, professionalism deals with how you interrelate and do your job; not what you do in your spare time.

 

[JimRausch]

To the OP, professionalism deals with how you interrelate and do your job; not what you do in your spare time.

Well said !

 

[passedpawn]

It's best not to mix your private and business life. It is not improper to keep your life private. I suppose that is hard to understand in today's social media blur, where people share their lives with the world.

Whether it's brewing, an affinity for feathery things, guns, or stamp collecting, it's best to hold your interests close to your vest and only share personal things with close friends. Maybe that's an old-fashioned attitude.

 

[SEndorf]

It's best not to mix your private and business life. It is not improper to keep your life private. I suppose that is hard to understand in today's social media blur, where people share their lives with the world.

Whether it's brewing, an affinity for feathery things, guns, or stamp collecting, it's best to hold your interests close to your vest and only share personal things with close friends. Maybe that's an old-fashioned attitude.

I am the poster child of old fashioned. IMHO FacePage (is that what it's called?) is a waste of time. I suppose it depends on your field, but I find business associates want/need to know you personally. Not just what you know professionally.

 

[chickypad]

It's best not to mix your private and business life. It is not improper to keep your life private. I suppose that is hard to understand in today's social media blur, where people share their lives with the world.

Whether it's brewing, an affinity for feathery things, guns, or stamp collecting, it's best to hold your interests close to your vest and only share personal things with close friends. Maybe that's an old-fashioned attitude.

I guess we must have completely different jobs. I would call very few of my coworkers close personal friends, but I do spend many more waking hours per week with them than I do my own family. We don't have to all be chummy, but we do need to function as a team and depend on each other when the sh** is hitting the fan. It's human nature to want to know your teammates, and from my experience it leads to more cohesive teams. It's not like I announce to everyone I meet that I'm a homebrewer but I definitely discuss my interests with others in the workplace - just like they share their love for knitting, or their obsession with basketball. I certainly would never make an effort to actively keep my brewing a secret as the OP was suggesting.

 

[Wort_Hog]

As a teacher, none my students nor their parents know of my homebrew hobby (we are encouraged to share our personal lives to be more relatable). However, my fellow staff know all about it and appreciate when I give them a few bottles. I even just gave my admin a batch to honor her first year as a principal!
I would like to say I don't care what others think, but I have to be careful if I want to keep my credential,

I'm a teacher in a Christian high school, and I'm very open about my hobby - with colleagues, parents and students. I've never faced any judgment, but have had a lot of interested individuals ask me about it. I most often brew with a fellow teacher, and we frequently live stream large segments of our brew day. We do our very best to portray a healthy and respectful approach to alcohol consumption. I think for too many years the taboo of alcohol consumption has led to more problems than it has prevented.

 

[6Tap]

Don’t fret Homies, have a Homebrew. Cheers [emoji482]

 

[brewbama]

2. For the past 3 years, I've sponsored an 'Oktoberfest in June' celebration at the church where I belong(Lutheran). Brats, pretzels, german potato salad, etc. And I supply homebrew. I had 19 different varieties last year, only 17 this year(I ran out of empty bottles and still have 3 batches to bottle).

+1

The men’s bible class at the local Lutheran Church meets weekly at a local tap room. ...and the preacher’s wife brought some awesome brews to one of the latest potlucks.

 

[Gytaryst]

... I've sponsored an 'Oktoberfest in June' celebration at the church where I belong(Lutheran)...

... My clients include churches, schools and fortune 500 companies. As relationships develop, interests and hobbies invariably come up. They all know I home brew, and they have enjoyed my samples...

... I'm a teacher in a Christian high school, and I'm very open about my hobby - with colleagues, parents and students...

... The men’s bible class at the local Lutheran Church meets weekly at a local tap room. ...and the preacher’s wife brought some awesome brews to one of the latest potlucks.

... Do people think any less of me because I homebrew? I doubt it, and to be honest, I wouldn't care if they did.

Some of the best beers in the world are brewed in abbeys and monasteries by monks. As a Christian, my problem is not with whether it's okay to brew - my problem is with the "Tyranny of the Weaker Brother" precept. But that doesn't just apply to Christians brewing beer. It seems society in general has falling victim to that mentality. So for that reason I am careful about who I let know what I do. And it's not even because I care what others think . . . I don't. I'm retired - I have no colleagues or coworkers. And I'm not ashamed of the fact that I brew beer. But like one poster said, alcohol has developed a rather negative image among some of the more superficial "weaker brothers", (and sisters) out there. So more because I don't feel like getting into a discussion or debate about it - I'm picky about who I tell. Plus I'm not a Lutheran or a Catholic

 

[brewswithshoes]

Been reading this thread for awhile and returning from a "leadership" summit at my companies headquarters in lovely CT. I've been with my company for 22 years, straight out of college, and held 5 different roles while there. I am 2 levels down from the CIO of a Fortune 100 company. I say all that along to preface that there are about a very small handful of colleagues that know I Homebrew. I'm not concerned with them knowing, but I consider myself extremely private (never had a Facebook account and never will).

I was recently put in an awkward situation when one of my long time work friends mentioned my hobby in front of several executives. In a simultaneous moment of scanning their faces I was able to see a 50/50 mix of "that's cool" and "you? a drunk?" looks. Fortunately one of the more senior members of the group asked me to share. I went into a recent experiment of growing up bottle dregs to perfect a clone my wife loves. The look of "holy crap that sounds intricate and actual science" was cool to see. I walked away not really caring if any perceptions of me changed, but a little annoyed that my buddy let the cat out of the bag. (I do think I did come across as more techie/science geek then they previously viewed me as)

Relating that to this discussion, I really truly don't care what they think, and in the camp that says work/life separation is important.

However, I am planning to deliver an anonymous 6'er of my awesome house Saison in their offices on my next trip.

Some may think this is a sad testament but I could leave my company tomorrow and could count on 1 hand the people that I would truly miss and want to stay in contact with. Friends are friends, coworkers are just people that deep down want my job or view me as competition.

Life is short, do what makes you happy and stop caring (so much) what people think.