Brewing School

A passion for beer and a passion for brewing are vastly different. I love surfing but I don’t want a job making surfboards.

I homebrew and the biggest part of homebrewing is loving the process. What I recommend is start homebrewing and either take classes or get a job at a brewery to find out if you like the process and or industry.

If you learn brewing isn’t your thing there are many other jobs in the beer industry that might fit your skills and interest. Just because you like beer doesn’t mean you like making it.

 

If you go to a local place you know enough I wonder if you could just tell them your story and see if they ever needed help. You could see what it’s like, I don’t know, couldn’t hurt I guess to ask.

I bet one of the industry people may post with some better insight for you.

 

Yes, and I was thinking my circumstance might solicit a different answer.

It might be inevitable that I need to return to school, either for the PhD or for the certification for teaching high school, if I remain with my current degree.

 

Getting your feet wet with helping is a good place to start. Talk to brewers at local breweries. The folks at Bell’s will talk with you for as long as you want if their day permits. Not sure if you’re near Kalamazoo or Comstock. I spoke with a brewer in the Kalamazoo facility for an hour on a visit a couple of years ago.

I started brewing when the only place to go was a brewing supply store (how Larry started heat became Bells) and used the old Courage kits since there was no discernible craft beer market. The availability of good beer has made me lazy about brewing. It’s hard work especially if you’re a startup, but there is great satisfaction in tasting your own brew. Well, most of the time

 

In my area there are a lot of homebrew clubs. If that's the case where you live it may be a useful step. Tons of advice and probably some spare equipment you could get cheap, or brew on someone else's system.

 

Grand Rapids Community College has a strong program: https://www.grcc.edu/programs/craft-brewing-packaging-service-operations-certificate. I don't know how much of it can be completed online. Their on-site Fountain Hill Brewery has produced beers that compare favorably to the ones produced by the big guys in town. Spending some of your instructional time in this great beer city cannot be an entirely bad idea.