Friday 21 October 2016

Brewery for sale - Devon



The owners of Big Rabbit Brewery are offering for sale their award winning 12 barrel brewery, complete with an estate of plastic casks and established beer brands with recipes . Big Rabbit Brew was established 2 years ago to complement our cider business and has been successful in gaining listings with several wholesalers and pubcos, and has also been well received in many freehouses.

It has however been somewhat neglected in comparison with their cider business and so they have decided to sell Big Rabbit to concentrate solely on cider. Big Rabbit is priced to reflect that it comes with no good will or order book,  however details of past wholesale listings will be provided on request, and the new owner will be formally introduced. Also, any  reorders or enquiries will be passed on.

Big Rabbit is a ready made microbrewery with an existing reputation, winning a YOURROUND best new brewer award, and having had successful listings with it range of cask ales. Then brewery could be taken on as a new enterprise, or by an existing brewer looking for larger kit who could run the Big Rabbit brands in conjunction with their own.

For full details of the brewery for sale have a look at the PDF.

More details 

Hot Liquor Tank is circa 2300 litre HLT fitted with three 18 KW elements

Insulated mash tun capable of holding 450 kgs of malt

2000 litre copper with 4 18kw elements

2 time 1300 litre 'half brew' ferments with a glcol remote chiller

200 plastic casks 

The essential thing when looking at being able to purchase a brewery is being able to access brewery finance.  This will give you the economic fire power to make your brewing dream a reality.

OFFERS AROUND £35,000

For more info or to make an offer email: breweries@brew-school.com 

Beer brewing courses - how to set up your own microbrewery?

Monday 17 October 2016

How To Become A Junior Brewer?



The Brewing Industry is growing


The brewing industry continues to grow at a rapid pace!  Dozens of new breweries have opened in the UK this year and analysts are predicting strong growth over the next decade.  There are now more than 1,700 breweries in the United Kingdom — a figure that is increasing at a rate of about ten a month.

Julie Carling of brewing search and selection company The Carling Partnership, comments ‘If you are interested in a career in the brewing industry, now is the perfect time to get started.  The substantial growth experienced by the industry has led to a high demand for junior brewers.  Employers are looking for eager brewers with the right combination of qualifications and experience.’ 

This article will help you land your first job in the brewing industry by providing some insight into what employers are looking for in a junior brewer. 

 

What is expected of a junior brewer?


A junior brewer works closely with the senior brewers to produce, package and deliver beer.  Their key responsibilities include:

Brewing beer under the close supervision of senior brewers
Ensuring the brewery remains clean and safe to work in
Performing packaging activities including bottling, keg and cask filling, and canning
Preparing beer for distribution by palletising and wrapping it
Performing quality assurance tests
Managing the cellar

The qualities that most breweries want in their junior brewers include:

A strong focus on safety
A very strong focus on producing beer of exceptional quality
Very motivated and passionate about beer making
The ability to self-manage their workload and work autonomously
Hard working and flexible with excellent attention to detail
Methodical and logical
An understanding of the science of brewing
A passion for the product and interest in NPD

 

What qualifications and experience are employers looking for?


Employers are usually looking for candidates with a right combination of qualifications and experience.  They want people who are familiar with the technical aspects of brewing and have real experience in a brewery.  Here is some more information about the qualifications and experience that employers usually look for.

 

Junior Brewer Qualifications


There are many different brewing qualifications available, ranging from certificates through to postgraduate university degrees.  The qualifications listed below specifically focus on brewing and packaging beer, making them perfect for a junior brewer.

Alternatively, a degree in chemistry, microbiology, engineering or food science can also be a good way into the brewing industry.  Some of the best qualifications available include:

Brew School -- Commercial Brewing Course (Certificate) 
This is a 5-day course that covers all of the theoretical concepts of brewing.  The course prepares students for the Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD) recognised examination.  Brew School also offers courses in craft brewing, advanced brewing and setting up a microbrewery. 

Heriot Watt University — Brewing and Distilling (MSc. BSc. Diploma and Certificate)
Heriot Watt University offers a range of brewing and distilling courses, from short certificates available via distance learning, through to post-graduate diplomas. 

Nottingham University – MSc in Brewing Science
This part-time distance learning programme has been developed for individuals working in the brewing industry, providing a key pathway for continuing professional development.

The Institute of Brewing and Distilling Courses
The Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD) is the world’s leading professional body for people working in brewing and distilling.  Employers often prefer candidates who have qualifications recognised by this organisation. The IBD offer a range of qualifications from a Certificate in Brewing through to the Master Brewer qualification.

Brewlab Diploma in British Brewing Technology

Brewlab offers a range of courses including the certificate in practical brewing, diploma in British brewing technology and the certificate in craft brew quality.

Other qualifications that are perfect for anyone seeking to enter the brewing industry include:

UC Davis professional brewers certificate / Masters brewing program / Diploma in Brewing (USA)
Siebel Institute of Technology & World Brewing Academy
American Brewers Guild Intensive Brewing Science & Engineering (USA)
Central Washington University Craft Beer Certificate (USA)
Old College Brewmaster & Brewery Operations Management (Canada)
VLB Berlin Certified Brewmaster Course (Germany)
Doemens Academy Brewing and Beverage Technologist (Germany)
Edith Cowan University Graduate Diploma of Brewing (Australia)

 

Junior Brewer Experience


While having the appropriate qualifications is useful for landing a junior brewer position, many employers have a preference for workers who also have some practical experience.  In fact, many workers only make it into the junior brewer position after spending years working as an intern or an entry level brewing operator. 

Working as an Operator gives a person excellent knowledge of the brewing process, working conditions and the types of tasks that need to be performed.  That experience is invaluable in the eyes of an employer.  In many cases, employers will see any kind of food production or manufacturing experience as a substantial benefit.  It shows that you know how to safely work on a production floor. From starting as an Operator you can move to more formal training and qualification and develop your career in the industry.

There has never been a better time to start working in the brewing industry.  There are plenty of opportunities for motivated brewers to enter the industry and make their mark!

 

Beer Brewing Courses

Monday 12 September 2016

Brewing equipment for sale


We we recently contacted by Graham from Battlefield Brewery in Shrewsbury who is looking to sell a three vessel 2.5BBL brew kit and four fermenters. In his own words :  "It is only four years old and worked extremely well for us when setting our business up. These are £35k plus to buy new and are perfect for a new start up brewery or a brew pub."

If you are interested in the brewing equipment then feel free to email him direct for details.

Setting up a microbrewery course

Saturday 27 August 2016

Brewing Tutor Wanted

Are you a passionate homebrewer?

Are you a homebrewer who loves brewing.  Brew-School in Bakewell has a unique opportunity for a homebrewer to develop / head up a new advanced home brewing course aimed at homebrewers who are looking to develop their brewing skills. 

Would you like to communicate your knowledge of homebrewing to others?

The candidate doesn't have to have any formal teaching qualification just a passion for homebrewing and a desire to communicate this to others.  The day course will take place at Brew-School and most likely at the weekend so if anybody is still working this role can run along your full time job.  If you are interested just drop us a line by email, or give us a call at Brew-School.

Beer brewing courses

Thursday 26 May 2016

Brewing fermenter tanks for sale


We have been recently been approached by Rob Stanley who has a couple of fermenters for sale.  Brew-School has no knowledge of them so caveat emptor but thought that they may be of interest to some of our start up microbrewers. 

Second hand fermenting vessels for sale  

"They are second hand Blichmann 300 litre fermenters which also convert easily to 150 litre. The fermenters are the best type on the market today and are approximately 12 months old complete with Tri-clamp fittings, seals, legs and braces. New, each one retails for around £2500.

These fermenters are offered for sale to any expanding Brewers."

For more details contact Rob Stanley on 07941 696835 for a chat. 


Tuesday 12 April 2016

Setting up a microbrewery - our tutors experience

One of our tutors on our Setting Up Your Own Microbrewery course Alex Barlow has just followed his own advice and set up Sentinel Brewery in Sheffield which opened its doors to the public on Monday.  Good luck to Alex and the other Sentinels and this Brew House and bar will I'm sure make a massive contribution to the brewing and craft beer scene in Sheffield.  I'm particularly looking forward to trying their in house lager.

The fact that Alex is going through the process of setting up his own brewery and bar just reinforces the fact that at Brew-School our expert tutors are practitioners living and doing things in the brewing industry now, today.

We look forward to getting Alex's expert insights on his set up process so far and learning on our next Setting Up A Microbrewery Essentials in May the things you really need to know before you take the brewing plunge.


Wednesday 6 April 2016

Wine maker diversifying into craft beer

There has been a trend recently of some of the small wine and spirit producers diversifying into the craft beer market.  The latest wine producer to move into the brewing market under their sub-brand of Curious Drinks is Chapel Down based in Kent.

New Funding For Breweries

The new funds will be used to build a brewery and visitor attraction and incentives were offered to potential funders including discounts on the cost of the firms beer.  Chapel Down are not the only brewery to tap the buoyant crowd funding route to raising funds for their brewery but are unusual in the respect that they have a wine making heritage.  Other recent crowd funding for breweries were the Aaran Brewery who also used the funds to build a visitor centre and acquire other property assets such as a hotel and pubs.  The trend for crowdfunding was pioneered by another Scottish Brewery Brewdog and the rest as they say is history. A recent example of a Brew-School graduate Nick Farr has also used crowd funding to finance his expansion into a commercial brewing operation down in Harpenden bringing a brewery back to the area for the first time in just under a hundred years.
  
Setting Up Your Own Microbrewery - benefit from our experience

Sunday 20 March 2016

Join our brewing discussion

Sunday 13 March 2016

Done the course - wear the T-Shirt!


Hot off the catwalks of Milan & London Brew-School brings you the Brew-School T-shirt.  In alluring ash grey it allows you to wear you brewing credentials with pride!

Here is a little sneak preview but the real thing will be available at Beer X and online from Brew-School from 15th March at the very reasonable £10 in 4 accommodating sizes. (  + Post & Packaging £5)

Get your order in early as we have only have a limited number of 100.

Medium - Chest size 38 - 40 cm
Large Chest size 41 - 43 cm
X-Large Chest size 44 - 46 cm
XX-Large Chest 47 - 49 cm

To reserve your T-shirt just email us at : fashion@brew-school.com with your size and we can send you one out; alternatively buy them direct at Beer-X or Brew-School.

Beer Brewing Courses & Expertise













Monday 15 February 2016

Brewing mega merger - microbrewery opportunity



The news that AB InBev and SAB Miller have completed their mega merger creating the worlds biggest brewer generating half of the brewing industry profits could cause microbreweries to feel even more threatened from a dominant brewer with vast economies of scale and financial and geographic reach.  Not so in my opinion.  This in me is the crowning moment for microbreweries across the world.  The time when big beer has finally overstepped the mark and overstretched itself and sullied it's reputation with the average beer drinker to a point where they will question the undeniable fact that if they are drinking Peroni are they really drinking Stella or Becks and is there any difference other than price and a marketing teams carefully worked out brand positioning for their beer? At this point they may come to a dawning realisation that what they really need to do is try a proper craft beer; one that has been lovingly crafted by a brewer, who's taste is original and authentic and is a unique handcrafted product.

 

Brewing mega merger has parallels


To me it reminds me of my experiences with Microsoft and PCs for years I struggled with laptops using Microsoft ubiquitous operating system that worked averagely badly but I knew it and stuck with what I new.  After years of people telling me about this funny little thing called an Apple Mac. I finally switched and realised that everything worked.  There was no going back!  When I walk into a coffee shop and see someone struggling for an hour trying to log on I want to whisper ...just get a mac.  In just the same way when I walk into a pub or bar and see someone ordering a Fosters, Peroni, Becks on draft I want to shout STOP! What a waste of a potentially great drinking experience especially when you look round and there is a range of fantastic hand crafted beers on offer.  Not all dark heavy.  Light hoppy fragrant saisons, a dry hopped IPA or a proper lager all for the same price of a bland piece of corporate brewing masterminded by accountants and marketing men not brewers.  Admittedly, you will always get a consistent beer...but a consistently unbelievably mediocre beer where the brewery is just as likely to have been brewing Stella as Fosters or Peroni (authentic?!!?)

 

New dawn for Microbreweries & craft brewers


Following on from this merger I hope and believe that mass beer drinking consumers will start to see the light.  Just in the same way that when Ford owned Jaguar cars they failed to convince enough drivers that they luxury car was nothing more than an overpriced Mondeo with a different badge.  Will consumers start to question the logic of paying £4 or £5 for a Peroni which is probably brewed in Burton Upon Trent under licence.

This disaffection with mass produced and internationalised beer brands presents a massive opportunity for innovative and exciting new microbreweries and regional brewers to tempt away new beer drinkers into the craft and real ale drinking market.

 

Why I drink craft beer everyday


This is not a confessional!  I'm not sitting in front a panel of AA. It's true.  I drink mainly a single pint of real ale or craft beer every day in a pub.  It's part of my life and I love it. Often I'm working but I still rather drink it out.  Beer is meant to be drunk around people laughing, joking, eating, discussing the state of the world and their families.  To me the mass consumption of supermarket mass produced bland branded beer on your own watching TV is a sad indictment of a society that has lost it's way and true meaning and a million miles away from what the whole beer drinking experience should be.  This is what lead me to set up Brew-School.  To encourage more breweries, more brewers and make beer drinking a more rewarding experience.  British beer is a major part of British culture and something I am rightly proud of.

Going back to the brewing mega merger above I believe that Brew-School can play a part in redressing the balance between big brewer and the emerging microbrewing sector.  We have only being going a short time but we already have a number of success stories and have shown brewers how to set up their own microbrewery.

So if you are looking at setting up a microbrewery the time could be right to take on big beer and persuade not just the converted real ale drinkers but all those other beer brewers that now is the time to swap to a hand crafted beer.

Looking for microbrewery set up advice or how about being taken through all the essential things you need to consider when setting up your own microbrewery on a dedicated course.

Chris Horne is a Director of Brew-School and these are his personal views and not necessarily that of Brew-School Ltd.

Perfect weather for brewing!