What do you do?

I'm the director of the Cash and Pricing division of a $7B/year business you've all heard of. So naturally, I started as a Biology major. Over the years, I've also been an Inventory Planner/Director, an Operations Analyst, a Mainframe Systems Analyst, and a Client/Server Software Programmer. I used to write freeware/shareware for fun. I've always pretty much been the IT Guy wherever I worked, even when I wasn't in IT. As a relative youngster, I stood in line for hours at the mall when DOS 6.0 was released.

I've never been an employee of a brewery, but I have brewed in one. I used to enter competitions, but not in the last couple years. I did pretty well. I've written for one of the homebrewing mags. I've thought about becoming a BJCP Judge from time to time, not because it would be fun, but to give back to the hobby. I sort of justify my foot dragging on that by working on BrewCipher instead.

 

My University education involved three years of Engineering (Civil) and then switching to Geography. I completed my Honours BA in 1975. Combining my math and geography skills, and wanting to work outdoors, I started my career as a Survey Technologist, but a few years later became a City Planner and then later again, a Senior Regional Planner for a large Regional Municipality (a little larger than the State of Delaware). I specialized in Computer Programming, Research Studies, Application development, and Statistics. I retired less than two years ago.

My first venture into brewing began 44 years ago (Spring 1972) while I was still a University student. I made a sparkling wine then, and have been making wine ever since. Although I did try homebrewed beer during that time that others made, I was never impressed until I finally tried a decent-tasting homebrew that a friend had made. I was hooked, and subsequently made my first beer 26 years ago (April 1990), using some of the skills I learned from making wine.

Today beer is much more difficult to make and time-consuming than making wine, but in those days, you made beer simply from pre-packaged cans of hopped liquid malt extract. You just added boiled water to the contents of the can, about 8 cups of corn sugar (for 23 liters – 5 cups for 19 liters), and when at room temperature, you added the yeast. That was it, although I often boiled the wort and water, adding some extra hops or other ingredients (ginger, lemons, honey, cinnamon, raspberries, cloves, lemon balm, etc.) to give it a little more taste, originality and challenge. I thought the homebrewed beers were relatively great then, since most commercial beers were also quite bland (many still are), but looking back, and comparing to what’s available today, they were pretty bad, and often had a cidery taste.

Eventually I progressed to all-grain brewing and noticed a huge improvement. It’s a lot more effort, but the results are worth it. I often do ten gallon brews, but also combine this with five gallon brews. Besides wine and beer, I have also brewed or made Braggots, meads, ciders, liqueurs, Vermouth and a sour. In terms of beer, I generally brew four to eight times a year (some of those being double batches).

I’ve been married for 40 years. My wife prefers wine over beer, but will occasionally have a small glass of beer. She likes the heavier, darker beers, while I generally prefer either the lighter pilsners or the super strong higher percentage alcohol beers such as Dogfish Head 120-Minute IPA or their Raison D’Extra. I must be a man of extremes! My oldest son lives in Austin Texas, and he has exposed me to some of the most amazing American beers, that unfortunately, you can’t get here in Canada. So I make lots of pilnsers but also other types of beers including clones of those amazing American beers that I can’t purchase here, to please my wife and friends and for the challenge and variety.

 

Hey everybody
I've been into beer for about 4 years now. Started off just drinking it and tried my hand at brewing a year and a half ago and realized it was way better than drinking it. Gave me a small creative outlet and now don't think it could ever be out of my life. Honeymoon phase i guess.
I've been a welder for 12 years now for a gas utility in my area. Got 4 kids, a girl and 3 small boys. Married for 10 years now and haven't regretted one second. My wife is totally supportive and even tries my beers once in a while. I love to fish, play guitar and brew beer. Don't really post much but i really enjoy reading this thread. Cheers to the fella that posted it. Maybe i'll try and post a pic of the porter i've been drinking. Denny cons imp porter. I added cinnamon and vanilla beans and its much better than i thought it was gonna be. Looking forward to keeping this thread going. Cheers.

 

I work in Accounting and Finance for a real estate developer; currently transitioning out of my financial reporting position into a more dynamic role. I am a CPA, but don't ask me to do your taxes, because Turbo Tax would be a far better option.

I don't have any experience working in a brewery setting, although I did give serious thought to starting a beer related business (not brewing related) when I was ready to leave my last job. I just ended up deciding I wasn't up for the risk and moved on.

I started brewing about 4 years ago with a few extract batches, and was instantly hooked. I quickly moved on to BIAB, and then built my mash tun and moved on from there. I average about 10 batches a year at this point. I've slowly added to my equipment "arsenal" over time by either building my own items (I tend to be hands on, even given my profession), or convincing my wife that I need to have something. One thing I haven't been able to convince her is a necessity is a kegging system. Maybe one day that will happen.

 

JMich24 - Jeff from Michigan 24 years old when I made it up.

Born and raised in the restaurant business. Bachelors degree in Business Management. Still in the restaurant industry. Hobbies include craft beer, brewing, bbq, disc golf, fishing and hunting.

Started brewing around 2010. Extract Blue Moon clone was my first batch was really good all things considered. Things went down hill from there for a while. Chlorophenols! To this day I cant seem to figure out how/why I continued in this hobby after quite a few bad batches. I still remember, I finally figured out to use camden tabs in my process. I had everything done correctly, two hearted ale clone and I used chlorine water to mix with bottling sugar. My wife was part of the reason I didn't quit, she could tell I was crushed and bought me a kegging setup that solved all my issues.(not even knowing why at the time)

Brewing TV had a huge part in my early brewing knowledge and excitement. Today I do mostly all grain, but do brew BIAB and extract batches still. I have done well overall in competitions, but don't enter as many as I probably should for the feedback. Use BrewCipher and really like it. I enjoy making and drinking hoppy beer and low ABV beers of all kinds. I have a fairly large sour pipeline going, with some dating back to 2012.

I often think about going pro, but not in the traditional sense. Ideally, I would like to include a nano brewery as a very small part of general restaurant concept. More of a creative outlet for me within the restaurant operation. Think 2 of the 10 taps being my own at your local mom and pop casual restaurant.

 

Retired Automotive Engineer. Specialized in N&V, did a 1.5 year assigment in Germany working on a new global platform.

Stated brewing in 1992. Won my share of awards, a couple were national medals. Went to Sierra Nevada Beer Camp in 2009. BJCP Certified, Now have an 85 tasting score, so I am taking the essay exam in May, and I hope to get the score to hit National. That would be attaining a goal, just need to study for it.

I'm also involved with the AHA, currently on the Governing Committee. Judged first round NHC yesterday and today.

The wife and I travel frequently, and that is often beer centric. Last year included England, Germany, NHC in SD, and Hop School in Yakima WA with a side trip to Bend. Some road trips were also sprinkled in between those other trips.

I am fortunate to have health, time, and the ability to travel, a wife of 36 years that shares in my brewing hobby and beer related travel. All of the friends we have made doing this is just the best bonus possible.

 

Wow. Rad thread.
I am a shop foreman / lead technician at a diesel performance shop. Before that I was an english major, aspiring poet, and major stoner. I had about 7 years of cleaning up my act, but my love for beer prevailed. I started back after beer in 2011 and brewing at home came with it in 2012. I nerd out on brewing pretty hardcore, but havent gone for bjcp ranking yet. Truth be told I am afraid of failing, and also dont want a great hobby to become a crappy job. Even though it wouldnt be a job, but I digress... I have entered some comps, some small like random county fairs, some big like Vail Big Beers, and I place a consistent 2nd place. Lol. While I dont work in a brewery, I have friends who do. But I guess that really doesnt mean shit anyway. In the end I am just some guy who can brew some tasty beer, but usually let my own stupidity get in the way.

 

Ha, ha, ha! I like that. It's all about experiencing difficulties and having fun fixing them.

 

-certified Cajun
-grew up on a rice & crawfish farm in the middle of nowhere in a Schlitz family
-was NOT a beer drinker in high school and college, mostly hard liquor until I eventually needed drink of moderation.
-BS in vocational agriculture with emphasis in botany and plant pathology from LSU (GEAUX TIGERS)
-taught high school agriscience (plant, animal, and soil science, public speaking, metal shop, wood shop, and parliamentary law for 11 years) at a school that is 10% closer to somewhere than nowhere
-former certified journeyman level welder (I still maintain, but have no interest in recertification)
-got my masters +30 in Ed leadership and technology
-I am currently a high school administrator at a school that is 20% closer to somewhere
-I was a mid-20s guy in search of a hobby when I saw The Amber Waves episode of Good Eats.
-I brewed in the dark for a few years then found this site and the brewing network.
-Almost 13 years later, I'm an officer in a Homebrew club, aspiring comp event organizer, and recently identified as the second best Homebrewer in LA by points in the Bayou State Circuit.
-I'm entering our local club comp this year, but am mostly focusing on helping with other club comps and brewing for pouring events.
-spending a week and a half in CO this summer to expand my beer palate and vacation a little

 

Congrats on fatherhood. Just had my third and final kiddo in December. Only able to brew twice since then. I expect that to change once the baby hits 6 months or so and doesn't require constant attention.

 

I got into craft beer about 10 years ago thanks to a friend. I, like many of you, spend too much time thinking about beer, brewing, or traveling with beer in my mind. My wife got me a NB starter kit for Christmas about 5 years ago because she knew I loved beer and always enjoyed baking. I've loved brewing ever since and kindly remind my wife it's her fault I brew anytime she gives me grief about the mess I've made after a brew day. But she also enjoys the fruits of my labor, as she loves craft beer too. The above friend that got me into craft beer moved across the street from me 2 years ago and he started brewing with me and now he's hooked too. We have recipe planning sessions to decide what we want to do. We have a plan, maybe more of a pipe dream, to open up a brewpub or brewery locally in the future.

Personally, I'm a doctor with a standard science background. Ironically enough, my specialty is gastroenterology and hepatology. So I'm a liver doctor. I just don't tell my patients about my hobby. I love brewing because it gives me a creative outlet I don't otherwise have. I've been married to my lovely wife for 7 years. We have 2 kids, ages 4 and 3 months. I have an 11 year old daughter too.

 

IT , front end developer for NYS

 

Howdy fellow homebrewers! Great thread idea, I avoided it for some time as I thought the OP was going to be a hypothetical question of some sort, lol. I'm a Graphic Designer for a publishing company as well as some freelance for a pharmaceutical packaging company, who has been looking to expand their portfolio so I get some interesting side projects including some alcoholic beverage labels. Been doing that going on 12 years now. Also been married for 12 years, and I have a 5 year old daughter. In my spare time, besides homebrewing, I enjoy spending time with my daughter, reading, nature hiking, fishing & hunting, evenings spent around a campfire drinking delicious beer, and just in general spending as much time as possible in the outdoors and more specifically at our cabin in the northwoods.

I got into good beer back in 2000 or so, Guinness, and mostly some regional craft offerings like Spotted Cow. Took a trip to the Netherlands/Belgium in 2006, where I had my first sours and Trappist beers and that really propelled me into the good beer scene. In 2009 my wife gifted me a 5g homebrew starter kit for my birthday. Been hooked ever since. Started entering a few comps around 2012 or so, and to my surprise managed to land a bunch of medals over the years. I'm not BJCP certified or anything official like that, nor do I think I really have the best palate, I just know what I like to drink and what I like to brew and it seems like a lot of other people seem to agree. I belong to the Madison Homebrewers & Tasters Guild and the AHA.

Well that's a quick snapshot of my life. Talk to you all later!

 

I work for the Commonwealth of PA as my FT job and just started at the local YMCA as a personal trainer PT. I recently got into homebrewing due to the fact that I wanted to make my own beer and also to see and undertand the process for making beer.

 

I'm a 30-something medical physicist living and working in Montreal with my lovely girlfriend of 11 years and our 4-year-old son. Before getting a real job, I spent a few years as a musician, playing traditional folk music from Ireland, Scotland, Quebec and New England. I play a few instruments - including, yes, the (Irish tenor) banjo - and sing. Don't play a lot of gigs any more, but I still go to sessions a couple of times a month to have a good time and maintain my chops, such as they are. My other main hobby is games, mostly video, but some board games too.

I started drinking beer late in life, having been scared off it by my early experiences with Canadian macros. I eventually realized that beer didn't have to taste awful, but it took me a few more years before I started to get really serious about learning everything I could about craft beer. I started brewing a little less than 2 years ago and did a half-dozen extract batches before transitioning to BIAB. I'm very critical of my own work, but at the same time I'm very happy with the progress I've made since I started. This forum has been far and away the best resource for me, so you guys can take the credit for any good beers I make! I still have lots to learn and I still make disappointing batches from time-to-time, but at my best I can make something that's definitely better than some of the micros I've tasted around here. I've recently learned that bringing kegs of homebrew to parties is my favorite way to share my hobby, and a great way to meet people too!

 

over 1500 views and 50 some odd posts this place seems loaded with lurkers!!!!!!!

 

I'm a commercial lender at the local office of a top 10 bank. I received a finance degree from [easily guessable school] in 2007. Been married almost 2 years and we have our first kid on the way.

I've enjoyed trying different beers for as long as I've been drinking, though I primarily drank macro. Around 2010-2011, I started actively buying craft but didn't really make an effort to learn about it until late 2012 when I found this site. Started brewing Jan 2014 after asking for a starter kit for Christmas. Brewed four extract batches that year and went BIAB last year. I don't brew very often as I have other hobbies that compete for my time and money (boating, fishing, hunting, traveling and more), but I think and read about beer and brewing more than the others combined. In this early stage of my brewing career, I think if I made 6-8 batches a year, I'd be satisfied.

I've never entered a competition except the very informal one (basically a popularity contest) at our monthly club meetings. I've won that a few times and was told last month that I really should brew more by a few of the more experienced members. I do have some interest in entering them, but it probably won't happen soon. I'm in the midst of a house renovation and then the aforementioned baby will arrive. Doubt I'll ever judge; I think I have a fairly poor palate. Low resolution, I call it.

And yes @GormBrewhouse, I do a lot of lurking. Cheers!

 

I drank Keystone most of my college career, $10 a case. In my last year and a half of college I really got into trying better beer, always getting a different case each time I went to the distributor(only cases of beer..Pennsylvania). Although, now we have more single bottle and 6 pack options now.
Anyway, I graduated with a bachelors degree in biology and a minor in geology in 2011. I always say that if I knew how much I was going to like beer, when I started college at 17, I would have went for brewing. Luckily my degree and natural curiosity in the sciences helped me jump right into brewing and I'll never stop learning. I started brewing in early 2012, after my mom and my girlfriend each got me a homebrewing kit for Christmas. I guess my interest in beer wasn't much of a secret.
I started with extract/steeping grains and also went straight to kegging. I brewed quite a few batches, always thinking about the step to all grain, but cautiously, because I wanted to be prepared.
After brewing for about a year, I came across some all grain equipment that needed a little fixing up. And about the same time, I ran into an old college buddy who was curious about brewing. He saw my all grain equipment and wondered why I planned on an extract kit for his first brew day. So naturally, we switched the plan to all grain and haven't brewed an extract batch since. We only ever entered one competition locally and placed first with our cream corn stout(better than it sounds)
My friend and I ended up meeting a local brew master while we were out one night. He was curious about setting up a lab in his brewery, naturally the 2 former biology classmates offered to help. We ended up helping at the brewery quite a bit, especially on brew days.
I realize I'm writing quite a bit, so to make a long story short... My friend got job at a different local brewery, while I ended up with a job brewing at the original brewery we were helping. We're both happy to be in the industry, and we'd like to brew together again some day in a brewery of our own, we'll see..

This is a great thread, I enjoy reading these posts.

 

I started brewing when I was 19 years old and at the time I was a music education major. I started brewing professionally when I was 21 and have done so ever since. 2 years ago, I received a diploma in brewing technology from Siebel. Before I went to school, almost everything I knew about brewing came from this forum.

 

I'm currently a stay-at-home dad. However, my education (MLitt) and previous work experience is in archaeology. I've never worked at a brewery, or taken courses in brewing. I would consider doing either at some point, but that would be quite a ways down the road.