Have you ever volunteered at a brewery?

I haven't but have wanted to since I started homebrewing. Did you know they take volunteers or did you just approach them on your own? What did you do there?

 

I guess it would be a great way to learn about how a brewery actually functions. Personally though, I'd volunteer my time/energy/talent/money to a not-for-profit cause I support before I volunteered at a brewery. To each their own though.

 

I did for a summer, acting as a brewery's intern, and it was incredible. I made firkins/casks, dropped yeast out of tanks, cleaned, worked the bottling line, etc.

I approached the brewery saying I wanted to help, god bless them they said yes haha.

In regards to having a deeper appreciation for brewing, I absolutely agree. I wish every beer drinker would do it -- maybe then there would be less bickering/criticizing/etc in the industry. Same goes for any real craft, actually. Gotta be on the ground floor to see how it all works, and the time/effort to make it right...even if it is Budweiser or whatever.

 

I started volunteering at a local brewery a little over a year ago and fell in love with the whole process, interactions with brewery visitors, etc. It abdolutely deepened my appreciation for the whole process, and led to me getting hired there earlier this week! I encourage everyone to give it a shot as well. I never would have considered getting a job at a brewery prior to my experiences there.

 

That would be a dream come true for me. Alas, I only have so much time in a day. Perhaps life is too short for me to ignore this desire, though...

OP, did you approach the brewery, or did they have a listing for volunteer positions?

 

I try to volunteer all the time, but they all say the same thing. No we do not need a taste tester.

 

I used to have to swing by one small brewery to pick up kegs on occasion. It seems like I learned a lot about the brewing process just from hanging out for a little bit while there, but to agree with the OP, what I realized above all else was all the work it took to brew. I mean, if you were a much larger company that had an automated process, you may not have to brew the hard way, but these guys brewed the hard way every time they produced beer.

 

Thanx for the info. I can save some time trying.

 

Working for free aka "volunteering" devalues an already low paying profession.

 

Craft beer is not about making money and creating Super Bowl commercials .....

 

I have done it. If you want to be a better homebrewer or have thoughts of one day going pro it is a must do experience. You will learn more than you can ever imagine. Your best shot will be with a nano or small micro. Be prepared to do the jobs they don't want to do. Be good at operating a mop. A LOT of what goes on in a brewery is not fun. But it is part of the process. If you want them to help you learn then you need to help them do whatever it is they need done. They are not going to put you on the brew house anytime soon. I don't care how many homebrew medals you won.

Best of luck to you! Cheers.

 

It is also illegal under state and Federal labor law.

Wineries in California have already been fined for using unpaid labor - Volunteers and the Law: Winery Shuts Down After Labor Violation. The Brewers Association, so concerned with and proud of the jobs "craft" breweries create, should let their members know that relying on so-called unpaid "volunteers" is not a legal or a very admirable business practice.

Goddam, minimum hourly wage is the US less than the price of a half gallon growler of beer. Imagine working minimum wage and asking for a raise and you're working next to a "volunteer" --- not much bargaining power in that scenario.

 

I'm sorry...but volunteering at a brewery? What about Meals on Wheels, Special Olympics, Hospice care, etc??? They need volunteers.

 

What brewery was it?

 

You beat me to it! Letting someone "volunteer" at your for-profit brewery can get you in a ton of trouble.

 

For about 2 months I volunteered before getting hired... Worked about 30 hours a week bottling. 3 years later and the brewery has paid for my brewing school and promoted me to brewmaster. I think those two months were pretty well worth it

 

even its considered an internship? Ive had internships with companies (not beer related) they won't pay me but have me do work (PR mainly) that would normally be done by a paid employee for free. some of these solicit that they are looking for it interns. Id imagine if volunteer work were to be called a internship it would be perfectly fine

 

Nope, not any more. I work at the Oregon Aquarium as a Volunteer docent and they just had to get rid of their interns http://internships.about.com/od/internships101/a/departmentoflaborsnewguidelinesforinterns.htm

 

Only if such a position meets the FLSA criteria for an true "Internship":

 

Which takes the mop right out of the equation. Kind of hard to explain why using a mop is an educational benefit to the intern.

 

It is absolutley about making money for the people who own and work at breweries. They have bills and families like eveyone else.

 

geez man... do you guilt everyone that is pursuing a hobby and wants to get better at it?

 

Yes.

 

Yes, and you beat me to it, too. But I see small breweries (and wineries) doing things illegally every day (read any small brewery's Twitter feed or look at their FB page). They most likely do not even know it's illegal, but breaking labor laws and/or alcohol industry laws is something you don't want to get in trouble for.

 

I often wondered about this. A couple of local breweries use volunteers quite a bit. I have seen other breweries pay in beer. I wondered if that would be legal also.

 

Nope
Sixteen tons and what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt.....

 

I'll buy the beer, but I won't volunteer.

 

I approached and asked a small local brewpub if I could drop by on brewing day and check out the process. The brewer said sure after we chatted a bit and told me what time he was starting mash in. I brought a homebrew, we tasted talked and naturally I felt like lending a hand instead of just watching and it was a great experience and I absolutely learned a good deal and would do it again no guilt. I also have volunteered making and distributing meals for the needy but consider these two different "volunteer" experiences. If you want to learn more about brewing it does not hurt to ask if you can stop by and maybe lend a hand.

 

I appreciate you apologizing for not adding anything useful to the original topic.

 

seriously though

 

Volunteered a few times at (now defunct) Heavyweight Brewing in Ocean, NJ. Always a good time and good beers with Tom & Peggy. That was a great brewery...

 

There are a couple breweries in my area that I'd like to work/intern or whatever the correct term is. One is smaller ane would definitely help me learn things that would be more applicable to homebrewing. The other is a bit bigger and would help me learn more about the overall process of brewing and running a tasting room etc. Either way, I'm not sure if I could get into either place but I would be willing to put in some time to get some experience. It's a win win situation.