Craft Brewers (Emerging)


Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources > Craft Brewers (Emerging) > Overview
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Craft Brewers (Emerging)

Craft Brewers (Emerging) - Overview

Craft brewers oversee the production and packaging of unique beer.

People who make craft beer are called craft brewers or just brewers. They create different kinds of beer using established recipes or new recipes. Depending on the recipe and the process, the aroma, color, mouth feel, foam, and flavor of the beer will vary.

Craft brewers blend sugars from malted grains (such as barley or wheat) with hop flowers, yeast, and water. These ingredients are aged so that the sugars ferment into alcohol, carbon dioxide gas, and other chemicals that determine the characteristics of the beer.

After careful aging at the right temperatures, the beer is ready to be packaged and delivered to the consumer. Brewers help with the packaging process. The size and type of operation determine how much packaging is required. Some beers are sold in kegs while others are bottled.

Craft brewers are responsible for keeping their work area clean. They clean the tanks that the beer is made in as well as the kegs that the beer is stored in. They also clean the floors in their work area. Brewers must also be able to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot the equipment they work with.

Brewers take inventory and order necessary ingredients, such as grains and hops. Depending on the size of the brewery, craft brewers may also keep budgets and financial records. They communicate with staff and suppliers.

Brewers who work at brew pubs or microbreweries talk to their customers and describe the different types of beers to them. The brewers often give tours of their facilities and show the public what they do.

Craft brewers at brewpubs may also train servers on the different types of beer available. Depending on the size of the brewery, craft brewers may also help with the marketing of the beers they create.

Source: Illinois Career Information System (CIS) brought to you by Illinois Department of Employment Security.