Full Residential Program

This is a five-week Intensive Brewing Science & Engineering (IBS&E) program or an eleven-week Craftbrewers Apprenticeship (CBA) program.

The CBA program features five weeks on site in Vermont and five weeks training with a mentor at a mutually agreed participating brewery. We have participating brewers in every State. (Check out just a few of the currently participating breweries.)

This is your opportunity to learn from actual working brewers and industry experts!

As with the standard distanced-learning CBA and IBS&E programs, these programs feature:

  • Practical, intensive, and comprehensive brewing science and engineering

  • Job placement assistance

  • Limited class size

  • Lectures and demonstrations immediately applicable to your brewery

    Who Should Attend:

    The CBA program is intended for seriously committed candidates who:

  • Intend to establish a career as a working brewer

  • Feel the need for practical brewing education and training as part of a plan to open a brewery of their own

  • Wish to advance to a higher position in the brewing industry

    The IBS&E program is intended for working brewers in the industry who lack formal training in brewing science and engineering, or owners/managers who require technical knowledge to better perform their jobs.

    Prerequisites

    While a degree is not required for acceptance to this program, successful completion of at least one college level math course, and a college level science course in the subject areas listed below, are required. Applicants must be able to provide transcripts documenting the math requirement and at least one additional subject area.

    Mathematics: pre calculus or algebra

    and at least one from the following list:

    Biological Sciences: microbiology, cell physiology, or biochemistry
    Chemistry: general college chemistry which must include organic, inorganic and analytical
    Physics: heat and mechanics or process control
    Engineering: topics in mechanical or chemical engineering

    CBA Candidates must be able to devote 5 weeks full time to an unpaid apprenticeship in a brewery at the end of the class

    Course Description:

    These are fully on-site classroom residential versions of the distanced learning CBA and IBS&E programs.

    The program is comprised of 5 weeks of intensive formal classroom instruction in brewing science (e.g. chemistry and microbiology) and engineering at the American Brewers Guild in Middlebury, VT, followed by a single week spent at the Guild’s very own working brewery, Drop-In Brewing Company. The CBA students will then spend five weeks of practical on-site training as a working brewer at a host brewery with a selected Guild approved mentor. A win-win-situation, the employers appreciate the help and the grads get a valuable chance to put their knowledge to work.

    Brewers who complete the program will understand and be able to perform all operations in a brewery. A diploma will be presented to all those candidates who successfully complete the program.

    Tuition includes ALL books and materials.

    Please note: Full residential programs are not regularly scheduled, so stay tuned for future announcements!

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