I went pro, but *spoiler* - I’m not brewing professionally anymore. Before I went pro, a number of years ago, I was in a similar situation in the DFW area, just up the road from Waco. I had been brewing for a year, my friends and family were supportive and liked my beer... But I ultimately chose to become a brewer because it looked to be a good career fit, the industry was growing rapidly, and I had an insatiable desire to learn as much about brewing as possible.
I will say that some homebrewers make good beer right away, and I brewed some decent beers in my first year (some were drain pours). However, in my opinion, the real test of a brewer’s quality is consistency. Most pro brewers are brewing a limited number of beers over and over, with only an occasional chance to experiment. When you’ve brewed dozens of batches of the same beer, you’re better able to detect the variations between them and chisel away at the imperfections. For a pro brewer to succeed, there also needs to be a focus on the scientific aspects of brewing as they are key to improving quality and maintaining consistency. And unless you have a microbiology degree or similar qualification, you need some education to that end, either through a brewing school or brewing literature. But I digress...
Since I had a full-time job, I took online courses from the Siebel Institute for about a year while volunteering at a brewery during weekend tours. Ultimately, beertending got my foot in the door and my certification got me hired as a cellarman. I quickly realized that although my education had given me a good foundation, I had a LOT to learn...so I set myself to the task. 1 year later, I had moved up to brewer, and 1 year after that, I left my position. My passion for beer hadn’t abated, but I had grown tired of the physically uncomfortable environment that is a hot, humid, noisy production facility. Furthermore, I was barely sleeping while working the third shift, which resulted in constant fatigue and bouts of depression. I left on good terms (aided by the gold medals that we won at GABF during my last week), and eventually found a new career that’s a great fit for me.
Though I haven’t missed the work environment too much and I’ve enjoyed the return to homebrewing, I have missed my former team. A good brewing team is much like a family. You work together, travel together, socialize together... You rely on each other for assistance, safety, encouragement, etc. You work through issues and grow closer through the struggle. The beer is great, but for me, the best part of working at a brewery was the team.
Pro brewing isn’t easy work - no more “relax and have a homebrew.” The constantly recurring task of cleaning is no joke, and you will sweat (and bleed) as you drag hoses, load grain, sling kegs, etc. You’ll also burn yourself with hot water/wort/steam, splash harsh chemicals on yourself (hopefully not in your boots or eyes), get a nice big whiff of CO2, smack your head on a fermenter... All in a day’s work. Oh, and the pay isn’t great unless you own the place and produce a good bit of beer, in which case you probably aren’t on the brewhouse anyway. Sure, some head brewers make out pretty well, but they’re the exception to the norm, and likewise, they don’t do much brewing.
Still, the Texas brewing community is awesome and will definitely be supportive if you start your own place. The camaraderie between brewers is truly unique - competition is generally friendly, everyone wants the best for each other and there are few trade secrets. And there’s no better way to bond than over a few beers.
Of course, running a business is a completely different skill set from brewing beer. All aspects are important - management, marketing, sales, production, packaging - good beer isn’t enough, though it’s a start. Brewing equipment is expensive. The legal process is tedious. And Texas laws are a mess when it comes to independent breweries, though progress is slowly being made thanks to the efforts of various craft brewers.
I highly recommend working at a brewery before starting your own, or at the very least interning at one. And get some type of relevant education, it will help you immensely. When you buy equipment, buy as large as possible, so that you can grow with demand and quickly become profitable. Expect to encounter obstacles - the more you do your homework ahead of time, the better you’ll be prepared to overcome them.
Every brewery is different and brewers themselves are an eclectic bunch. What worked for me may not work for you, and it certainly isn’t the only way to go. Though brewing wasn’t the profession for me (at least for now), it may be just right for you, and the world needs good brewers!
Cheers!
