Should I quit my brewing job?

[MuddyCreek]

I would look at this opportunity as an excellent internship. You have a great opportunity to learn all the nuts and bolts of the business from the inside while improving your own processes. Since you are the one primarily in charge of making the beer you have the freedom to study the ingredients, methods and equipment in order to really refine best practices.

That means you have a huge leg up when you get your friends together and decide to branch out on your own. Sure, you'll need to get some investment and find some reliable partners with business/marketing experience, but you're the guy with the core knowledge which makes you dude # 1.

I would make sure you're using your opportunities to meet customers, distributors and retail sites and ensure that they know who you are and that you're the guy making the beer. Do it discretely, be cool. You don't want to piss your boss off. But the fact is, consider this your residency. You don't get paid much, but you're learning really invaluable stuff.

Since you're a pro-brewer there are other things you can try to make ends meet too. put together all-grain or extract kits that you can market and sell, locally or over the internets. (Again, where's that marketing guy?) You need to start looking at that 'glass half full' thing. You're in a better position than you know (IFF you have any interest in running your own brewery one day. I guess I just assumed that. ; )

 

[Stirs]

Not trying to sound cold, but if laws change or some other factor interrupts business and it goes south, the worst thing that will happen to you is you will be out of a job. The owner could be in debt and ruined for life. Your risk is low, his is high. Your reward is low, his reward id high.

 

[gometz]

This makes me sad to hear. I always knew being a brewer would not be a lucrative career, but ~$20k/yr is terrible in my eyes. My grandfather was able to raise 7 children on a brewer's salary in Germany, so I figured it couldn't be all that bad (his father was a brewer as well, but only had 4 children, not as good of a Catholic).

 

[saltwaterwop]

Do you have any other skills that would get you a much higher paying job right now than $20 an hour ? Not sure what the cost of living is where you are, but that isn't entry level minimum wage where I am in Fla where its $7.79 an hour.

Salary isn't so much about how much physical actual work you do, but more the value/risk of the type of work/education/experience you have to bring.

What I would call Semi Skilled laborer is a tough work area, since you aren't totally without skills(fast food/day labor) but you ARE in a job skill that doesn't warrant higher salaries. $50K +

Good luck regardless

 

[Whsoj]

That's about what most cops make.

 

[the_trout]

I would leave my dream job in a minute if I was unable to provide for my family.

There will always be someone who makes more than you that works less.
There will always be someone who makes less than you that works more.
Get the best you can get and don't worry about what anyone else makes.
Life is not fair, never has been, never will be.

If you want to get rich brewing your best bet is to take all your money and buy lottery tickets.
Don't spend all your money on lottery tickets. You will not get rich this way.

A lot of people say if you find a job doing something you love you will never work a day in your life.
A lot of people also say if you find a job doing something you love you will learn to hate it.

 

[Schemy]

I can't tell you what to do. I can tell you that I was offered a brewing position at $12/hr and had to turn it down. It was too much of a sacrifice for my family to take on. They come first, and always will. I'll stick to my hobby and my dream of starting my own brewery some day. That's enough for me.

 

[Aileen]

I agree, taking care of the family comes first. I'm a newbie but I can imagine it would be wonderful brewing for a living. Even if I had years of experience I wouldn't do it, not now. I have kids to take care of. My kids are teens, though, so I'll have more flexibility in a few years.

 

[Jayslay]

It sure is an eye-opener hearing about these various wages in the USA. I was scared reading it, but then I reallized I live in Canada and most likely the circumstances are much different here.
For example, in Alberta, minimum wage is about $10/hr, for McDonalds etc.
Most basic labor jobs, as in construction pay around $15-20 for your first day
In my industry, aviation, and specifically inventory:
My current employee takes home around $1350 every 2 weeks (6 months on the job, brand new to aviation) and I take home around $1500 after taxes twice a month, with about 4 years experience. I hate my job but it pays the bills and I am good at it. Basically a glorified shipper, receiver and technical processor...

I really want to become a brewer. I have signed up for the Brewmaster course offered close to where Im living in Calgary. After that, Im not really sure what I will be making... but hopefully more than what I make up here.

Cost of living stats in Calgary
2 bed/1bath townhouse $1250 month
Gas, power, water, internet, Cell: $200 month
Food: $400 month, my share at least
Car, maint, gas,insurance: $450 month

I know the States is having troubles, and unfortunately it makes me feel slightly better about never having any extra money.

 

[seigex]

Family first.. you gotta do what you gotta do. You can always move back to your dream job later when you are in a better position, or who knows, you might get lucky and be able to use your experience towards your own brewery some day.

 

[Pogopunx82]

I recently just landed a brewing position. 600 barrels a year and I make about the same as you. I cover everything from brewing to cellaring and serving. Also lots of cleaning. Your pay sounds just about legit. Also I have no family to support.

 

[grathan]

I would say if your under 34 years old go for the oil rig. 35 or older just start doing the amount of work you feel they are paying for.

 

[clarksc4]

To OP

I worked in a restaurant for 5 years, living paycheck to paycheck trying to support a wife a two kids and pay the mortgage on a house that was bought at the peak of the market and the tanked in value. I enjoyed working in a restaurant while trying to get a job in the natural science field, which I have a bachelors degree in. I lived 12 minutes from work and I still had to be very strict on a 200/mo gas budget.
Recently I took a job working in a lab at a steel mill. I drive 3 hours round trip every day and I still make more than I was at the restaurant. I know how hard it is to be unable to pay bills. I took a hard look at my finances and did what was right for my kids. There are two kinds of jobs, ones that you love and ones that pay well. If you're really lucky, one job can be both. I took the job that will put my kids through College and put me to retirement.
Just my experience and $.02
Good luck

 

[highgravitybacon]

I had a look over on www.probrewer.com forum and came out with this

So $400 per week for a assistant brewer in a small brewer actually looks in line with the above... sorry

Jesus that's a sad wage scale. I make way more money than that. I'll gladly take the money I make and homebrew for fun on my days off, which compared to what people say about brewing professionally, has more free time to actually do what I want.

Sorry to hear that these jobs suck so bad. I had no idea.

 

[Darwin18]

$800 a paycheck isn't very good no matter where you live. I was able to support myself on that out college but certainly wouldn't be able to support a family on it. If you think you can improve your family's quality of life and earn more in another field then you should look into it. I wouldn't quit your current job though without something else lined up - most employers don't seem to want to hire unemployed workers in this economy. I will say that working in the oil fields is brutal and you need to be in excellent physical and mental condition otherwise you won't make it long. If you do find another job just remember that you can always brew at home. My wife was all about opening a brewery until I showed her just how little we would make and how much financial risk we would take, and how hard we would have to work!

 

[brokebucket]

Thanks for confirming what I already knew: unless you are a business owner, working in a hobby is usually not going to pay the bills.

I will keep my day job and my weekend hobbies, thank you very much.

 

[PistolsAtDawn]

I had to leave a fantastic job in consulting for a government crap job because I needed the benefits. It still stings 5 years later. At least there I was making 40k a year and had a cheap mortgage. Now I make double that but live in Chicago where everything is so expensive that the extra pay is a wash.

Yeah, but you live close to Lou Malnati's and Portillo's, so that makes you about even.

 

[DisturbdChemist]

I work in a Texas brewery and I love my job. The only problem is they don't pay worth a ****. I'm getting $800 and some change for busting my ass and I can't make ends meet. My family is suffering bc they don't want pay. I've asked for raises and all I get is lies and empty promises . Dont know if I should quit or if I should stick it out and hope for the best.I love being a brewer and the sense of purpose it gives me. Would you quit if you had an awesome job but the pay sucked balls or would you stay and endure the royal ass ****ing in hope that they might actual use lube one day

Can you say what brewery your working at? just curious. I say start looking and see whats out there before you leave. That is what i'll do or sadly you might have to takes a second job but just start looking. There are jobs out there you just have to find them. Good luck!

 

[forstmeister]

Yeah, but you live close to Lou Malnati's and Portillo's, so that makes you about even.

Two of the most overrated restaurants in the city...don't get me wrong, they both make good food but I can't remember the last time I had either.

 

[PistolsAtDawn]

Two of the most overrated restaurants in the city...don't get me wrong, they both make good food but I can't remember the last time I had either.

Well, I have never lived there. I could imagine that one might get burned out on them.

I have family there, so I've spent plenty of time in Chicago and the 'burbs spread out over three decades, and therefore we've taken plenty of trips to both. I always enjoyed it.

 

[Cyclman]

I know he isn't necessarily popular on this forum but Dave Ramsey says to do something you can accept that will support yourself and / or your family, do your other loves as a hobby. Living comfortably is the priority.