Whats the huge draw for "going pro"?

[shoreman]

Calichusetts - thanks I'll check out that book - great thoughts. You should go for it and become a judge - I'm a BJCP judge and studying for the test and taking it was super fun - there was no and there isn't any money involved with that one I don't see a need for the cicerone - I work as a graphic designer and pretty sure I won't be serving beer at a bar anytime soon.

 

[Yooper]

I think another reason why people want to turn "pro" is simply to get your beer to the people. Anyone who has seriously considered it already considers it a craft....much like music. Can you imagine spending countless hours practicing only play in front of a mirror or maybe a few friends? Personally the only reason I want to be "pro" is to get my beer "out there". Under our stupid alcohol laws there is no other way.

I think that's the largest reason why we see so many brewers on this forum want to "go pro".

First, they make a couple of beers and think, "This is good! And it's easy!" and it really is. And I call it the "Ugly Baby Syndrome", where brewers love their beer with its many flaws because they made it and love it. And their friends tell them it's great. Because nobody is going to say, "Well, your beer is ok but I don't think it's that great. Just like they don't tell you that your baby is ugly. So they think they have the world's best tasting beer, but it's really not technically that great. It's their Ugly Baby.

If brewing was like quilting, or gardening, where you could sell your wares at a Farmer's Market or something, then it would work. And I think that's what newer brewers are thinking- not that they would have to jump through hoops and arcane liquor laws to do it.

Anybody who works in a brewery will tell you it's HARD work. It's mostly industrial cleaning, and often involves using a canoe paddle to stir the mash and shovels to empty the MLT. It doesn't pay well.

Doing things for a hobby is different than doing it for a living!

 

[Calichusetts]

I think that's the largest reason why we see so many brewers on this forum want to "go pro".

First, they make a couple of beers and think, "This is good! And it's easy!" and it really is. And I call it the "Ugly Baby Syndrome", where brewers love their beer with its many flaws because they made it and love it. And their friends tell them it's great. Because nobody is going to say, "Well, your beer is ok but I don't think it's that great. Just like they don't tell you that your baby is ugly. So they think they have the world's best tasting beer, but it's really not technically that great. It's their Ugly Baby.

Another great point...I think we homebrewers are good at telling when our beer is bad but bad at knowing when our beer is good. I've become way more citical of my beer but I think I would crash and burn against any commercial beer at this point.

UBS...love it! I think I will start to use that term

 

[MikeWI]

This is the same problem with the restaurant industry, food network has romanticized the whole "Chef" thing to a ridiculous point. I used to love cooking, then I began doing it for a living.

That's a great analogy. So many people love to cook and all their friends tell them "You should open a restaurant!" and they think it'll be like T.V. But guess what, it's a business like any other. You're going to spend most of your time fighting with untrustworthy suppliers, dealing with employee issues, advertising and marketing, taxes and government inspections, and all the boring business stuff. And even if you work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week you might still fail. And you're rarely actually going to get to do that thing that you loved.

Nothing kills your love of a relaxing and creative hobby like trying to mix it with money and business.

Amen, brother.

Mike

 

[mlyday]

As part of a fundraising auction, I bid a won a day of brewing with the guys that started a local micro brewery around my hometown. These were some homebrewing brothers and a few friends. While brewing with during the day we talked alot and what I got from that, was that he really missed the fun and creativity that he had as a homebrewer. Most of his time is spent cleaning, and on paperwork, the documentation the state requires is a pain in the ass. They have only been open for a few years and they have quite a few beers, but they all are ones that would apeal to the masses. The day of brewing included a tour of the facility and explanations of all the systems, then brewing 15 gallons of beer on a blichmann top tier system. He got really exited just grabing different grain and dumping them in bucket, not having to really measure anything. You could tell it went from being fun for him to being a job.

 

[PistolsAtDawn]

Risk.

It all comes down to how risk adverse you are. Personally, I'm pretty damned risk adverse for most things - my personal motto being "Zero liabilities." That said, I cannot keep taking orders from other people for the rest of my life. I'm fairly young, but I knew 10 years ago that I would only be able to work for others for a limited amount of time. I'm hitting that endpoint now, and I've yet to make the kind of money I know I can make if I were to work for myself.

I'm going to do this. Succeed or fail, I will have tried. That way, I live with no regrets. My hometown is ripe for craft beer. I have the drive, the resources, the patience and the market to viably brew for a living. I don't care if I never own an Aston Martin (okay, I do...), but so long as I did what my entrepreneur father did - keep a roof over our heads, put food on the table and clothes on our backs - I'll be happy.

No job I've ever worked has stayed interesting or fun for me for long. I've always lost motivation, and that was invariably because the people "above" me made decisions that I knew to be wrong. So I see no difference in taking homebrewing and turning into a business than I did with taking my self-acquired IT knowledge and turning it into my current job - with the extremely large and very-important exception that I'd be my own boss.

I don't want kids, so perhaps that factors in to how much risk I'm able to take on. If I fail, I'm only failing myself (and perhaps a future ex-wife ).

 

[DFoster]

Here's a bit of a different take:

I am currently a brewer in the midwest. I worked in the finance industry for 3 years right out of college and hated it almost immediately. After 3 years I was laid off during the big financial crisis thing that was sort of a big deal.

During my unemployment stint, I started really thinking about what I want out of my career and my life and each time it came down to doing something I take pride in and enjoy. If you don't take pride in what you do, it isn't worth doing. Peddling financial products wasn't something I enjoyed or took pride in and I realized that needed to change. I had been a homebrewer for a few years and really enjoyed the creativity, the process, and the end product. As a homebrewer, I took pride in what I created. After a few lackluster job offers, I decided to make a change and get into an industry that I really wanted to work in. I volunteered at a somewhat local brewery for over 2 months which led to a full time gig. Since the time I started volunteering, I've worked my way up to Head Brewer/Brewing Manager. At no time have I thought I made a bad choice. I made this choice due to my love of homebrewing and my strong desire to eventually start my own thing (brewery...??).

Personally, I don't work 80 hours per week. I work 40-50 hours each and every week and am busy continuously. I enjoy the physical work and the end product and take pride that I have helped create something people enjoy. I will say that the level of creativity at a distribution brewery is completely lacking, which is unfortunate. However, I keep my creative juices alive by continuing to homebrew a few times a month with good friends.

No one ever said any job is the perfect job. Every job has its share of BS and being a brewer is no different. Not every day is the best day, but the good days make it worth while. The industry itself if unlike any other with great people and overall cameraderie. My interest in the job definitely didn't kill my desire to still hang at the house and make 10 gallons at a time, and for that I'm thankful.

With all of that said, I have recently finished my long winded business plan for a brewpub that I intend to start (if I can get financing). I think I may be crazy...but as someone already mentioned earlier in the thread, life is short and living with regrets is no way to live at all.

Oh...and never get involved in the beer industry if you're driven fully by money as there isn't a lot to go around. If you're jumping in knowing that the income will never be huge, you're getting in for the right reasons.

 

[shoreman]

Thanks for the perspective Dfoster -I wish you luck in your future brewpub

 

[PistolsAtDawn]

Here's a bit of a different take:

I worked in the finance industry for 3 years right out of college and hated it almost immediately.

If you don't take pride in what you do, it isn't worth doing. Peddling financial products wasn't something I enjoyed or took pride in and I realized that needed to change.

Exactly! Been there, done that job, hated it too. I'm not after the wealth and prestige that a lot of people seek in those sorts of positions. Telling people "no" for a living (loan officer) was not my idea of happiness.

I've worked a pretty big dichotomy of jobs. The purely physical jobs lacked the mental stimulation I need, and the office jobs leave me out of shape and wishing I was actually building something with my hands. Brewing is the best of both worlds.

I'm still hopeful I can make it a career sometime soon.

 

[LandoLincoln]

Sorry if that came off negative - there certainly are positive aspects but I think of those more along the lines of owning a biz or being self employed - you know making your own hours & products, no boss, etc. I have my own biz and it is very rewarding but also has its challenges.

The only thing that scares me about going pro is that someday I might see brewing as a job instead of a passion.

 

[STL_Lucas]

DFoster,

I know your post about your brewpub is almost two years old but did you ever get it going? I'm in St. Louis and would love to come check it out if your close.

 

[DFoster]

DFoster,

I know your post about your brewpub is almost two years old but did you ever get it going? I'm in St. Louis and would love to come check it out if your close.

It is getting closer every day. It has been a gigantic challenge to this point but everything is moving forward. We're renovating an 1880s building and will be ordering equipment shortly. We personally hope to open this summer sometime but that's far from certain. You can check out what we're doing in Facebook and our website. The website has a blog that has detailed the process. It's not updated as frequently as Id like but in focusing on trying to again update it daily.

If there are any questions about the place or the process please let me know.

Facebook.com/mainandmillbrewingco
Mainandmillbrewco.com

-Denny

 

[STL_Lucas]

Awesome. Thanks for sharing Denny. Thats not far from me at all so we'll be out when the time comes! Good luck.

 

[DFoster]

Sounds great. Ask for me and I'll personally show you around the brewery. We just ordered our equipment today!