Intensive Brewing Science and Engineering with Craftbrewer’s Apprenticeship

Program Overview

28 Week Program:

  • 22 weeks of distance education: Intensive, comprehensive and pragmatic brewing science and engineering.
  • 1 Residential week of hands-on training, brewery and laboratory experience, held at our commercial brewery campus, Drop-in Brewing Co
  • 5 Weeks of a total-immersion Appreticeship at a Guild-approved commerical craft brewery, in a US location of your choice
  • Lectures and demonstrations immediately applicable to the brewing industry
  • Job placement assistance
  • Limited class size
  • Personal attention and Guild support during class and after graduation

 

Who Should Enroll

This 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

 

Prerequisites

Successful completion of at least one college level math course and one 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. In certain cases, life experience may apply. 

  • 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

Course Objectives

The Craftbrewers Apprenticeship Program prepares candidates for positions as brewers in brewpubs and microbreweries throughout the U.S. The program combines intensive classroom instruction with hands-on brewery experience.

The 28-week program is comprised of 22 weeks of intensive formal instruction in brewing science (e.g. chemistry and microbiology) and engineering, followed by a residential week spent at a working brewery, followed by five weeks of practical on-site training as a working brewer at a host brewery with a selected Guild approved mentor. 

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.

 

The Apprenticeship

 

  • Candidates must be able to devote 5 continuous weeks to a full-time, unpaid apprenticeship in a brewery that will take place after completion of the residential week.
  •  Apprenticeship placements will take place in a desired region or city in the United States that is convenient to the student. Placements and Mentors are Guild-Approved. If the student has a specific brewery in mind, and it is Guild-Approved, we will do our best to place the student in that brewery. 
  •  During the 5 week apprenticeship program, you must be able to perform the following tasks in the brewery environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand for long periods of time, sit, walk, use a computer and other office equipment.
  • Ability to frequently sit, stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl and climb
  • Ability to frequently talk, hear, and identify aroma
  • Ability to frequently lift and/or move up to 25 lbs and occasionally lift and/or move up to 55 lbs
  • Ability to frequently reach with hands and arms. Use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls
  • Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.
  • Must be able to participate in critical assessment of beers.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. 

  • Work is primarily performed in operational areas
  • The work environment is usually that of a brewery
  • The employee regularly works with hazardous materials.
  • The employee works on wet floors and with wet equipment.
  • The employee regularly works around high voltage, hot water, and steam
  • The employee frequently must work in a sanitary environment

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The residential week is held at Drop-in Brewing Company, Middlebury, VT.

Tuition includes ALL books and materials.

For the application please visit the Admissions page here

Upcoming Classes

Session
Dates
Registration
Status
Tuition
January 2025
January 20th - July 25th
Accepting Registrations
$10,950