It seems that almost every homebrewer has dreamed of turning his/her hobby into a career. Look at the craft breweries in your area, and you’ll likely see proof that the leap is possible, but it’s anything but easy. Professional brewmasters go through a lot to earn that position, and opening your own place is even harder. It takes a lot of will, hard work, and skills beyond the brew kettle to get there.
Charting Your Course
As an experienced homebrewer, it’s tempting to imagine diving straight into business. All those batches and brew-days taught you how to make tasty beer. You’re familiar with the tools and ingredients, and you probably have some regular recipes that turn out predictably. Your storehouse of practical and theoretical brewing knowledge will help you, but there are a host of pitfalls that you might not be ready for, such as planning out a large-scale brewhouse, understanding regulatory compliance, or putting together a business model.
Rather than tackling all of that without a net, you can develop that background by either paying for the training, getting work experience in the industry, or some combination of the two. Brewing programs such as those offered by the American Brewers Guild or the Siebel Institute of Technology are designed to teach commercial brewing. Numerous state schools also offer courses and programs. This path may seem expensive and time consuming, but it can be a differentiator for getting professional experience or convincing investors to support your business.