Brewers

To obtain experience, learn about every stage of the brewing process. If you are 21 or older, you can experiment by brewing your own beer at home. Try to land a part-time job as a helper at a brewery.

Brewers must have an avid appreciation for beer and an excellent sense of taste. They must be able to detect all of a particular beer's subtleties and nuances through taste and aroma. They should also be able to distinguish between styles of beer.

Brewers need good organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills as well as creativity. If a batch of beer turns out bad, the brewer must be able, through tests or experience, to pinpoint what went wrong and why. Beer takes time to brew. While the process can be hastened, craftbrewers should have the patience to allow beer to brew in its natural time. Brewers must be able to follow recipes and procedures closely, but they must also know when and how to go beyond a recipe's direction, or when to vary a procedure to achieve a desired result. Since they must be able to legally sample their wares, brewers must be 21 or older.