Trying to apply for a job at a local microbrewery. Tips please!
March 28, 2011 9:44 PM Subscribe
How can I make myself sound attractive to a local microbrewery given my qualifications?
Ok, so a little background about myself, I hold two bachelor degrees in chemistry and nutrition with zero experience in the food industry. However, my liking in beers has gotten me to seriously contemplate in gaining some hands-on experience in the microbrewery industry. There's this well-known brewpub in my city, but I don't exactly know how to approach them other than dropping them an email. There's no indication on their website whatsoever that they are hiring, in such case, how do I go about telling them that I'm not not really "looking for a big pay" without sounding tacky? Any ideas? Much love.
Ok, so a little background about myself, I hold two bachelor degrees in chemistry and nutrition with zero experience in the food industry. However, my liking in beers has gotten me to seriously contemplate in gaining some hands-on experience in the microbrewery industry. There's this well-known brewpub in my city, but I don't exactly know how to approach them other than dropping them an email. There's no indication on their website whatsoever that they are hiring, in such case, how do I go about telling them that I'm not not really "looking for a big pay" without sounding tacky? Any ideas? Much love.
Generally speaking, people don't get into brewing looking for a "big pay", so that will be understood already.
I think a lot of micros are happy to accept unpaid volunteers / intern friends / enthusiasts, who then might be invited to join the staff when an opportunity presents itself. You might start off with a lot of mundane stuff like keg washing, manual handling and then graduate to more technical tasks. Speaking as a brewer (who is looking to hire, fwiw), it would be preferable to hire someone who knows how to brew, especially if s/he already know how to brew on my plant.
I also think a lot of people imagine it would be cool to be a brewer until they find out how much hard work is involved. I guess it's about 85% hygiene and 15% brewing. Doing some intern work gives you a chance to see what is involved at the coal face and decide if it's your vocation. I've seen a few people turn back at this first hurdle.
Good luck! It's very rewarding to drink your own beer in a pub, but you will feel like you've earned it.
posted by sagwalla at 12:46 AM on March 29, 2011
I think a lot of micros are happy to accept unpaid volunteers / intern friends / enthusiasts, who then might be invited to join the staff when an opportunity presents itself. You might start off with a lot of mundane stuff like keg washing, manual handling and then graduate to more technical tasks. Speaking as a brewer (who is looking to hire, fwiw), it would be preferable to hire someone who knows how to brew, especially if s/he already know how to brew on my plant.
I also think a lot of people imagine it would be cool to be a brewer until they find out how much hard work is involved. I guess it's about 85% hygiene and 15% brewing. Doing some intern work gives you a chance to see what is involved at the coal face and decide if it's your vocation. I've seen a few people turn back at this first hurdle.
Good luck! It's very rewarding to drink your own beer in a pub, but you will feel like you've earned it.
posted by sagwalla at 12:46 AM on March 29, 2011
I have two friends that turned their love of beer into careers. They both started by volunteering at a local microbrewery.
posted by COD at 5:01 AM on March 29, 2011
posted by COD at 5:01 AM on March 29, 2011
Read John Palmer's online version of How to Brew; it's essentially the same text available in print. True, homebrewing techniques aren't exactly what you scale up in a craft brewery but at least you'll have lots of interesting and informed questions to ask them. I think you'd appear a lot more useful, even as a volunteer, if you already know why the grain is malted, why the fermentation temperature matters, why some sugars turn to alcohol while some will not, etc. etc... the basics.
posted by fatllama at 7:02 AM on March 29, 2011
posted by fatllama at 7:02 AM on March 29, 2011
Find out who the brew manager or master brewer is and then call them by phone asking if they would meet to show you the process and possibly having you as an unpaid apprentice. You will have to frame it so it doesn't look like you are offering to take the place of a paid employee or infringe on someone's job.
posted by JJ86 at 7:49 AM on March 29, 2011
posted by JJ86 at 7:49 AM on March 29, 2011
So far you've gotten excellent advice for a dude interested in beer, which is probably what you will be to you microbrewery, but this is what, from your experience with chemistry, will set you apart.
Instrumentation, instrumentation, instrumentation. For the most part a brewery will care what you can do more than what you know, they already have people who know more than you and would want to reteach you anyway.
Breweries, even microbreweries have a surprising number of fancy machines that go boop, which most people don't understand. What kinds of lab experience do you have? Do you have any experience with microbiology and sterile technique? Have you ever used a spectrophotometer? Do you know how one works works? Each kind? Ever taken one apart? (IBUs and SRM are measured with one) Did you ever end up taking microbial physiology? Do you know what yeast smells like on a plate? Can you run an HPLC machine? Pick the right column for one? You wouldn't happen to have one in your basement would you? You'd be surprised Have you ever cleaned and sterilized glassware? If you can find yourself answering any of these questions well, it would be good to mention.
I would also recommend taking a peek through this journal
posted by Blasdelb at 7:58 AM on March 29, 2011
Instrumentation, instrumentation, instrumentation. For the most part a brewery will care what you can do more than what you know, they already have people who know more than you and would want to reteach you anyway.
Breweries, even microbreweries have a surprising number of fancy machines that go boop, which most people don't understand. What kinds of lab experience do you have? Do you have any experience with microbiology and sterile technique? Have you ever used a spectrophotometer? Do you know how one works works? Each kind? Ever taken one apart? (IBUs and SRM are measured with one) Did you ever end up taking microbial physiology? Do you know what yeast smells like on a plate? Can you run an HPLC machine? Pick the right column for one? You wouldn't happen to have one in your basement would you? You'd be surprised Have you ever cleaned and sterilized glassware? If you can find yourself answering any of these questions well, it would be good to mention.
I would also recommend taking a peek through this journal
posted by Blasdelb at 7:58 AM on March 29, 2011
So far you've gotten excellent advice for a dude interested in beer, which is probably what you will be to you microbrewery
Except the OP is female. Anyway...
I know you said you like craft beers, but how is your beer knowledge? Almost any city is going to have a group of tight knit craft beer enthusiasts that consist mostly of: bartenders working at bars with extensive selection of beers, the beer reps working for beer distributors, owners of craft beer stores, and brewers. A lot of people like to think they know about beer, but unless you're in the industry or really study craft beer, your knowledge isn't as good as you think it is. You need to seek out the experts and get to know people then you can start to network and find out what the breweries are looking for (if they are looking for anything).
Even though Blasdelb demonstrated male bias that you're going to have to put up with since it's a male dominated industry, he gives good advice. Find out how your chemistry degree experience overlaps with brewing and use that as a selling point for yourself.
Going on a tour at the brewery you want to work at and talking to the brewers is probably the best way to go. But you might get turned down but don't give up. Hang out with the beer enthusiast crowd and something will eventually present itself.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 3:25 PM on March 29, 2011
Except the OP is female. Anyway...
I know you said you like craft beers, but how is your beer knowledge? Almost any city is going to have a group of tight knit craft beer enthusiasts that consist mostly of: bartenders working at bars with extensive selection of beers, the beer reps working for beer distributors, owners of craft beer stores, and brewers. A lot of people like to think they know about beer, but unless you're in the industry or really study craft beer, your knowledge isn't as good as you think it is. You need to seek out the experts and get to know people then you can start to network and find out what the breweries are looking for (if they are looking for anything).
Even though Blasdelb demonstrated male bias that you're going to have to put up with since it's a male dominated industry, he gives good advice. Find out how your chemistry degree experience overlaps with brewing and use that as a selling point for yourself.
Going on a tour at the brewery you want to work at and talking to the brewers is probably the best way to go. But you might get turned down but don't give up. Hang out with the beer enthusiast crowd and something will eventually present itself.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 3:25 PM on March 29, 2011
Yes, it is indeed a heavily male dominated industry with an perverse level of gendered demographics, ignorance and bias, and a much worse fan base, which is one of the reasons I don't work in it. The truth of my first sentence is unfortunately gender neutral. If you do end up with an internship, please sign up with these folks, the people running it are all kinds of awesome and badass.
Other answerers have been suggested that you consider home brewing, this would be very helpful to do, especially if you have limited experience with microbiology and sterile technique. The barriers to starting are pretty low these days, where its ~$100 worth of reusable equipment and ~<$50 worth of ingredients for each 5 gallon batch. If you live in a medium sized town or larger, and you google beer or wine equipment with the name of your town, you should pull up a store.
posted by Blasdelb at 11:40 PM on March 29, 2011
Other answerers have been suggested that you consider home brewing, this would be very helpful to do, especially if you have limited experience with microbiology and sterile technique. The barriers to starting are pretty low these days, where its ~$100 worth of reusable equipment and ~<$50 worth of ingredients for each 5 gallon batch. If you live in a medium sized town or larger, and you google beer or wine equipment with the name of your town, you should pull up a store.
posted by Blasdelb at 11:40 PM on March 29, 2011
Metafilter is one of the places I feel comfortable asking people to use gender neutral pronouns for me , regardless of what my percieved gender is.
posted by Blasdelb at 7:11 AM on March 30, 2011
posted by Blasdelb at 7:11 AM on March 30, 2011
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