Hobby or Job?

[JGowls]

Its the standard pipe dream of most HBT'ers when they first start out and the obsession sets in.

Yeah, right now I would say this is what I'm going through coupled with the fact that I graduate college soon and don't know what type of work I want to do when I'm out

 

[kaconga]

Ask me in 20 years when I retire from my really good paying job that has benefits. Would I be happier brewing? Probably, but my wife and kids would suffer for my choice. But retiring at 55 I could see myself making a go of it as a business.

 

[Seedly]

I've mulled this one over many a home-brew, and I realized after not too long that the part that was the most fun, interesting, and exciting thing about home-brewing was creating. Sadly, as a brewery, your going to be doing 95% production, marketing, sales, and paperwork and 5% creative work with the beer (if your lucky and do lots of risky seasonal and short run brews).

Oh sure, it would be a "dream" once it was the size of Sam Adams or New Belgium and there was enough business to support the crazy owner's wacky ideas.

If I ever do turn this hobby into a business, I will likely stick closer to my wheel-house with a retail shop. And to the nay-sayers, it is possible to run a brick and mortar just as profitably as an online shop. You have higher overhead, but generally better convenience, as your product is available right now (which is handy when you realize that in all that playing with the recipe and adding and removing of things from your cart...you never added back the yeast...).

Also, you might be shocked to learn how many LHBSs get regular shipments from places like MoreBeer. Its faster for them, the prices are likely only 10-15% higher than their normal supplier (for some things like grains), and there is no minimum order. If your not going to move 55lbs of Belgian Special B in a year, it certainly doesnt make sense to be buying it in such large lots...especially when a maltster is going to want to know how many sacks you want (and 1 is a silly answer).

Everyone is cost conscious today, but people still do pay for convenience, whether its $10 for two day air or an extra $5 at a LHBS.

 

[RmikeVT]

Brewing and running a LHBS are two totally different things. With the cheap shipping these days I don't see how it's possible to earn a decent living running a LHBS. Online retailers are where it's at.

I have two local shops that are 20 minutes from my house that are just as competitive as anything online when it comes to ingredients, and usually cost less once you factor in online store's shipping charges. They charge a bit of a premium for equipment which I would expect. They give great advise and customer service is outstanding.

 

[RmikeVT]

I might have to go Pro when I get canned from my corporate job because I spent too much time on the internet reading HBT.

 

[bierhaus15]

I was recently in a position to work at a brewery full time, but it didn't work out and I'm actually somewhat glad it went that way. The truth of brewery jobs is that they pay practically nothing, have no real job security, and require endless hours of work with little long term financial benefit. Then there is the fact that most brewery jobs are not the creative opportunities we think they are, it's just doing the same thing over and over again.

While I have a passion for beer, I'm content keeping homebrewing as a hobby. However, if you truly love being around beer and are content working in a job with little financial reward, brewing professionally can be an 'ok' gig too.

 

[jwitt]

I know the thread is really about brewing for a living, but I'm part timing at my LHBS 3 days a week, and really that time spent earning money by being involved in a hobby just gets me more involved in the hobby- helping new brewers and winemakers, learning from experienced ones, and simply having an excuse for thinking of and learning about brewing all the time. And I can definitely say that at least in the StL area there is plenty of demand for a brick and mortar homebrew shop. I'm pleased with the volume we do considering the economy still isn't exactly booming. Many customers place orders with the big online retailers, but a large portion of their stuff comes from us. I think we're able to stay fairly competitive because we're able to do enough volume to get one or two skids from the distributor each week.

Of course, I'm in no way qualified to be a professional brewer- maybe packaging, cleaning the mash tun, driving a forklift, or working in the office I'd be happy to take on a job like that at a micro, because I've always been happiest at jobs that involve manufacturing a product.

Speaking of professional brewers having to give up creativity- a few of the newer St Louis micros certainly don't have that problem. They generally produce a few traditional styles and a few on the avant garde end of the spectrum, and are constantly rolling out casks of interesting stuff at local bars.

 

[Whattawort]

I'd like to do it, but I'd find a master brewer to head the actual brewing and I'd help and worry about the business itself. Can't have the master worried about anything other than good beer. The catch is, we'd only serve what we liked to make. That's where the fun gets sucked out of the job. I've seen it happen to a few of my friends who opened up various craft shops. They love their jobs and the craft(s) itself, but as soon as you have to do something that you don't like make or do, the pressure of perfecting that for the customer becomes tedious and frustrating. Keep that up, and your attitude and product go out the window. The ideal start up situation would be to have 1 (possibly 2) flagship beer and offer a rotating seasonal or specialty. But you're not going anywhere unless you have a solid business plan and can sell the business to investors...or you have a crapload of money to dump into it.

 

[Nightshade]

I brew as both a hobby and job, but mostly a job lately

 

[Nightshade]

I'd like to do it, but I'd find a master brewer to head the actual brewing and I'd help and worry about the business itself. Can't have the master worried about anything other than good beer. The catch is, we'd only serve what we liked to make. That's where the fun gets sucked out of the job. I've seen it happen to a few of my friends who opened up various craft shops. They love their jobs and the craft(s) itself, but as soon as you have to do something that you don't like make or do, the pressure of perfecting that for the customer becomes tedious and frustrating. Keep that up, and your attitude and product go out the window. The ideal start up situation would be to have 1 (possibly 2) flagship beer and offer a rotating seasonal or specialty. But you're not going anywhere unless you have a solid business plan and can sell the business to investors...or you have a crapload of money to dump into it.

This is a big key...you brew what you like and if someone comes in and doesn't like it then they can go somewhere else. There will be enough who like your brews to keep you going....unless you crash your beer at 1.030 and serve it green

 

[JJL]

Hobby. And I intend to keep it that way. Best way to ruin a good hobby is to turn it into a job IMO. I would however work for a brewery, just not as a brewer.

 

[Denny]

How many of you brew just as a hobby and how many of you do this for a career in a brewery? If you do it just as a hobby, would you ever want to take it another step and try and open up a brewery? I'm just a beginner and have a longggg way to go but I think it would be awesome to one day have my own small brewery...

Hobby only forever. I know too much about commercial brewing to want to do it for a job. And why would I want to ruin a great hobby?

 

[gr8shandini]

I still consider going pro from time to time. The trouble I have, though, is that the only way I see it actually working out is to go the brewpub route and I don't have much of an interest in running the restaurant side of the house. If I can find an experience restauranteur who wouldn't mind teaming with an inexperienced brewhouse owner/operator, I'd be all for it, but that's a pretty tall order.

 

[Gitmoe]

I started working at a LHBS back in July. So "brewing" isn't my job technically. I love working there. Being around people with similar interests all day is awesome. With wine season in full swing and working at the shop around 60hrs/week, I haven't had time to really brew anything at home which is really making me sad. I've learned more about everything fermentable in the last 3 months than I did in the last 5 years of homebrewing. I'm making the best beers of my life every batch and now I don't have time to make more. It's frustrating but I wouldn't change anything. I'm excited to start making wine next week. Gonna take a shot at 30 gallons of wine this season...

 

[PapsD]

I brew as a hobby but it would be cool to turn it into a career and open a brewery. I've had people say it would be cool to open a brewery or brewpub. but they're all a bunch of slackers I'd never go into business with. They're interested in brewing until they find out that it's actually work.

 

[phenry]

I'd never want to brew for a paycheck. I'd rather have brewing be the thing I look forward to after a long work week, not the work week itself.

 

[jwitt]

Hey Gitmoe, sounds like we're in the same situation. It's pretty cool. In the St Louis area, the local grape harvest came in early (chambourcin, norton, foch, and a couple others). Therefore, we're finished with the crazy run on winemaking supplies and back to business as usual with wine kits, beer kits, and lots and lots of grain for eager brewers that were waiting for the weather to get nice to resume brewing.

Like you, I love being surrounded by home wine and beer making all the time. Working at the law office (my other part time job) is waaaay less fun.

 

[DoubleAught]

I brew for a local micro, I volunteer my time (and skill ), he pays me in beer which is the best paycheck ever. It's only lost the fun factor for me a couple times and that's when a problem arises and I'm stuck there until 4 in the morning, like last Friday. After a few hours of sleep I was milling grain and making a yeast starter for a homebrew batch Sunday

 

[xdalisx]

Started out as a hobby but I have been brewing at a local pub for a little over a year. We only brew once a week so it is majorly part time and I have a regular full time job, not in the industry.

 

[diS]

Hobby, I dont want to start hating it..

 

[unionrdr]

I agree with yooper & some of you others insomuch as If it's a hobby,keep it that way. I too am retired from one job,& that was enough. I'm too old to haul 100lb sacks around all day,etc.
It's too easy to start hating your hobby if you make a job out of it. Then,as yooper says,you need to find a new hobby apart from your job.