Looking for advice on my current planned career path...

[phenry]

So I'm a senior majoring in environmental engineering. It's taken me a little more than three years, but I've come to realize I really don't want to work in the field that my major has to offer. Instead of probably becoming a corporate paper pusher just around to comply with EPA laws, I'd rather do something more rewarding for my time. I really do believe breaking into the brewing industry would be the answer for that.

I do realize that to take an entry level position in brewing would cut my average starting salary by about 60%, but I'm really okay with that. I'd rather do something I love and make just enough money than something I loathe waking up for every day with more money than I know what to do with. I do realize that working as a cellar person (the most probable entry position I'd be able to obtain) is physically exhausting, but it's not like I haven't been waking up every morning at 5:00 AM for varsity swimming my entire college career. I can take physical punishment, and if it's for something I enjoy that's absolutely no problem.

I'd just like to know, has anybody else chosen to do this? If so, what advice would you have for me? I'm entirely open to relocate just about anywhere that's offering a job, so that's no problem. Should I pursue formal brewing education with Siebel (or equivalent) directly after I graduate or should I go straight to looking for a job to get the professional experience?

 

[cfonnes]

Put in 10 years as a paper pusher making big money. During that 10 years invest every cent that you can. Then you can do what you want.

Life will probably give you a couple of kids, this way you will be able to man up and pay for them.

 

[ao125]

If you seriously want to become a professional brewer, it's not going to happen overnight.

Even if you take brewing courses and get an apprenticeship somewhere, you're still going to have to "pay your dues" as it were, and start at the bottom. You'll be cleaning floors, sterilizing equipment, cleaning up hundreds of pounds of hot and sticky spent grain - all for next to no money (or none at all).

Depending on the size of the brewery or brew pub you're going to be working at, you may also get stuck with the overnight brew shifts - or often times in a large warehouse that is unheated in winter or uncooled in summer.

I'm not trying to scare you off - but you're also likely looking at a 90-100% pay cut for a while until you get your foot in the door somewhere.

Just relating some of the experiences of other professional brewers I know.

I'm content to push paper around my desk and brew as a hobby.

If you're still serious, do get the formal education - but be realistic about what follows.

 

[Daydreaming]

Most of what ao125 posted is what you should expect atm. There are a lot of people trying to get into this industry and not that many paid positions. Even with formal education (highly suggested) you will still more than likely end up in an entry level position where you will gain intimate knowledge of the keg cleaner, hose, and cleaning chemicals. This does not mean you will not gain any brewing experience it's just what you will spend the most time on.

For a good sample of what you may need to know I would suggest looking at the classified ads over at probrewer. Breweries like Harpoon or Boston Beer even advertise positions from time to time on there.

You may also want to try to volunteer at both a brewpub and a packaging brewery as they are a bit different in operation.

If you get into this industry you will be doing it for the love of beer more than for the pay. You can work your way up into a position that will pay you a living wage but don't expect much your first few years.

 

[wildwest450]

Your first step should probably be to learn where to post for advice, this section is for drinking and being an ass. That is why i'm here most of the time.


_

 

[phenry]

I was pretty far gone when I posted that, so I figured I would need advice from some other pretty far gone members. I'm not really looking for sage advice in here, just a few people's two cents... maybe even enough advice to make a whole dime.

But yeah, I do realize that starting out I'll have a pretty ****ty job for a while. But that's pretty much been my entire life's work history: ****ty jobs.

I worked for 3 years as pool maintenance/life guarding, where the life guarding part was the easy part. Maintenance consisted of pretty much making sure the pool didn't fall apart. Why they had a person with 1 year of experience doing that I'm not really sure, I'm guessing it's because I was the only person on staff with any mechanical aptitude for if the pumps started crapping out. Which they a few times. Apparently there was a big manufacturer defect in a batch, and we kept on being lucky enough to get every replacement pump from that bad batch.

Then I worked as a swim coach for 2 summers, and that was pretty easy and awesome. Made me realize I don't really want kids too much though.

And then for the past year I've been working as an undergrad research assistant, and it's by far one of the messiest jobs on campus. Pretty much I haul around huge quantities of sand, clay, and carbon and generally just getting covered in all kinds of crap. It's physically demanding, requires lots of bookkeeping, and takes at least a half hour of scrubbing myself in the shower to get cleaned up afterwards.

So I figure with this kind of work history, entry level brewing work wouldn't seem too bad. It's not like I'm going in from working in retail or restaurant service and have no idea how to get my hands (and rest of my body) dirty.