Certified Beer Server Exam: Should I Just Pass or Ace?

[Hopsichord]

So I'm making a career move to the craft industry and be a brewer. Gave my notice at work last week. Oh, man, I'm scared since I'm mid career but really excited. Wish me luck. Any counsel, networking, general thoughts are most appreciated.

I don't yet have brewhouse experience but have completed an IBD General Certificate in Brewing prep course and expect that I'll take the test this May. I hear it's pretty challenging. In the meantime, I'm thinking I might be more attractive to potential employers if I've begun working on the Cicerone track and have the Certified Beer Server qualification under my belt. Open to opinions about whether this sounds like a good plan or if there are better ways of getting my boot in the door. (BTW, I've begun reaching out in person, by phone, and email to try to land an entry-level gig and if nothing else, volunteering.)

If going in this direction is advised, my question for the moment is this: Should I try to get the best score possible on the Certified Beer Server test later, or is simply passing it now completely fine? Given how new breweries are popping up left and right in our area these days, I'm wondering if getting a high grade is worth the time and of greater interest to breweries or if they couldn't really care less.

Eager to hear your thoughts, particularly from people in the industry.

Many thanks!


-- UPDATED ABOVE -- Thanks to moto; sorry to be unclear. I'm asking about timing: get certification now to have it under my belt when I walk in the door or wait a bit and try to do really well on certification tests. Continued discussion in subsequent posts.

 

[broadbill]

I'm unclear what type of career move you are trying to make. What job are you going into after quitting your other job?

 

[Hopsichord]

Thanks, broadbill. Sorry it wasn't very obvious. Amended above and will restate here: I want to be a craft industry brewer.

I'm unclear what type of career move you are trying to make. What job are you going into after quitting your other job?

 

[brewcat]

What job did you quit? I'm guessing most breweries don't care about tests. I assume you are homebrewing?

 

[TimH]

I would assume you would want to do the best on everything you do. You wouldn't want to make just mid grade beer right? So why would you just go for a mid grade on a test?

 

[motobrewer]

if you're not willing to do your best at what you set out to achieve, what the hell did you quit your other job for?

 

[Qhrumphf]

Certified Beer Server will do you well in the tap room, but that's probably about it. BJCP is better for the brewhouse from a QC/QA perspective (and somewhat harder as well, as far as I'm aware there are Master Cicerones who are only National level BJCP judges, let alone Master or Grand Master, I've got BJCP certification but haven't bothered with Cicerone and likely won't any time soon).

However, it's hard. I don't know if Richmond is as bad as DC is in this regard, but without both pro experience AND a brewing degree, you'll have a hard time getting a call back for even entry level cellar tech jobs up here. Rarely will you even get an interview. Taking online courses may help, but nepotism seems to run rampant, and often it seems that breweries will pick up people they know from other breweries before they'll pick up someone without experience. Again, around here it seems. Even being willing to work part time and/or tap room as well doesn't seem to help.

I would suggest holding on to your day job in the mean time unless you have some hearty savings built up. I almost quit my day job for a brewing job as a brewer that actually HIRED me, and that didn't even pan out. Been looking elsewhere for a year now with no bites outside of a few interviews. Glad I didn't quit.

 

[Hopsichord]

What job did you quit? I'm guessing most breweries don't care about tests. I assume you are homebrewing?

Am homebrewing, indeed, brewcat. The career I'm moving from is marketing, which will certainly be advantageous if I ever want to have my own place or augment that of a place where I'll be, but the only experience I've got at the moment that would be applicable to a brewhouse is in homebrewing and enjoying great craft beer.

 

[Hopsichord]

if you're not willing to do your best at what you set out to achieve, what the hell did you quit your other job for?

Classy, moto. I'm trying to determine if having the certification in hand while doing the job search now is better than saying "I'm studying for it" or some other certification.

 

[motobrewer]

Classy, moto. I'm trying to determine if having the certification in hand while doing the job search now is better than saying "I'm studying for it" or some other certification.

sure:

"If going in this direction is advised, my question for the moment is this: Should I try to get the best score possible on the Certified Beer Server test, or is simply passing it completely fine? "

 

[IslandLizard]

A brewer doesn't need to have serving certification. If you're not the head brewer, it makes little or no difference what you know about brewing or recipe formulation. But you do need to know about equipment handling, cleaning, moving hoses, sanitation, safety, etc. Being able to drive a forklift and doing other warehousing duties can help getting one of those jobs in a brewery.

If you want a certification in serving beer, you can probably make much more money becoming a bartender in a craft beer place.

 

[Hopsichord]

Certified Beer Server will do you well in the tap room, but that's probably about it. BJCP is better for the brewhouse from a QC/QA perspective (and somewhat harder as well, as far as I'm aware there are Master Cicerones who are only National level BJCP judges, let alone Master or Grand Master, I've got BJCP certification but haven't bothered with Cicerone and likely won't any time soon).

I would suggest holding on to your day job in the mean time unless you have some hearty savings built up. I almost quit my day job for a brewing job as a brewer that actually HIRED me, and that didn't even pan out. Been looking elsewhere for a year now with no bites outside of a few interviews. Glad I didn't quit.

Thanks, Q. Great perspective to hear. Too late on quitting my job; the notice is in. But it's actually been a confluence of frustration, burnout, and personal evolution. We have two salaries, which allowed for me to leave the old one behind temporarily. That said, I can't be unemployed for very long.

I'm not expecting to get into the industry making anything but peanuts, BTW. I'm prepared and comfortable in not making very much at all. I'll augment any income needs with some unrelated contract work if necessary.

 

[treacheroustexan]

My question is why quit if you don't have a job lined up? I don't know a whole lot but its not the easiest to get a job in a brewery since most of them don't have a lot of staff unless you want to be a bartender or waiter. Sorry to say but if you have to ask whether you should ace a test or just pass it, you have a lot to rethink i would say. Study and do your best. (sorry I didn't see your post above this one)

Either way best of luck.

 

[Hopsichord]

My question is why quit if you don't have a job lined up? I don't know a whole lot but its not the easiest to get a job in a brewery since most of them don't have a lot of staff unless you want to be a bartender or waiter. Sorry to say but if you have to ask whether you should ace a test or just pass it, you have a lot to rethink i would say. Study and do your best. (sorry I didn't see your post above this one)

Either way best of luck.

Thanks, Texan. Yeah, I was already in the process of quitting my job (unrelated to the brewing industry) and taking a little time to think about what I wanted to do next. Long story, but I've been ready for a career change for some time.

I talked with a local small brewery owner awhile back who said that it can be difficult to even just volunteer if you already have an unrelated 9-5 job because in his experience most of the small operations follow similar schedules, producing during weekdays. He did say that without brewhouse experience, knowledge of the commercial side does help. That's why I've asked for input through the forum. (And yes, I have asked him about an opportunity at his place.)

I probably didn't make it very clear earlier--I'll certainly do my best no matter when I take a test. The question is more about timing. What I'm trying to get a picture of from people in the industry is if helps to walk in the door asking for employment (hopefully) or volunteering (I'll take anything I can get) being able to say that I've already taken X steps toward education thus demonstrating my commitment (just to get a boot in the door), or if it'd be worth waiting a month to then walk in and say I got a 97 on X test, or if any of this really matters in the least.

The Certified Beer Server certification would only be a means to an end toward Cicerone since it's a prerequisite. But I like what Qhrumphf said about the BJCP and realize that it's a long and difficult process. I'm also reminded of recently visiting a brewpub in New England this past summer and its beers were really not good at all. Turns out that it'd been open for two years. I asked the brewer about his system, and he said he didn't do controlled fermentation temps and just let them sit in the basement at ambient temperature.

No offense to anyone at all, but I intend to make some great beer, and I don't want to do it half-@ssed--I just want to move beyond doing only homebrewing now. I want to advance great beer and share it with people who enjoy it. I'm not jumping in because I think I can become wealthy riding this craft beer explosion bandwagon; I'm doing it because my passion for great beer is to the point--due in great part to the expanded access to more great beer--to where it has risen to the level that I'd like to make it my living.

While I'm seeking a brewhouse opportunity--any brewhouse opportunity, paid or volunteer--I'm going to do what I can to continue to learn and position myself for getting to that point of making great beer outside of my own basement, no matter how far down the road it may be. When I'm not out knocking down doors to get in the door, I'm going to study and read and taste and interact with people like you to broaden my awareness. I just want to get a start on that road.

 

[Hopsichord]

Took the exam after studying over the last week or so, decided to just go ahead and give it a try. Missed three questions out of 60, so I'm pleased.

Thanks for the advice!