At s1jobs we’ve been talking to professionals in different industries to give you a first-hand account of life in their field. Having already looked at the world of education, today we’re venturing into the brewing industry, where we were able to have a chat with Inveralmond Brewery’s head brewer, Mr Ken Duncan. Here’s what he had to say:
Name: Ken Duncan
Occupation: Head Brewer
Company: Inveralmond Brewery
Location: Perth
Please outline some of your responsibilities as a head brewer?
Preparation and planning are the foundations of a head brewer’s role. Daily considerations include the specification of raw materials, training, health and safety, due diligence, and ensuring the consistency of the final product. It’s an onerous but necessary task involving much careful tasting! The head brewer won’t usually be operating the brew kit. That’s down to our brewers, who are responsible for the daily production of the beer, monitoring fermentations, yeast husbandry and everything that goes into getting a consistently excellent final product.
What training and qualifications does it take to become a brewer?
Heriot-Watt University’s International Centre of Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) offers internationally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in Brewing. Sympathetic degrees include food science, chemical engineering and microbiology. While a relevant degree definitely helps, nothing can trump hands on experience, enthusiasm for brewing great beer, and running a team of great players.
How do you develop a brewer’s palate? Are there any secrets?
Quite simply, start with the four basic flavours: sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Work up through complexity across a wide range of food and drink tasting. Try as wide a range of beers as you can, and force yourself out of your comfort zone. It’s all about variety of flavour and experimentation. Tasting beer isn’t necessarily about drinking beer. It’s about analysing flavours and working out the best combinations.
Please describe a typical day at Inveralmond Brewery.
It’s a cliché, but every single day, without exception, is different and brings its own challenges. It can be anything from producing a 5,000 litre brew of Ossian to repairing a faulty pump, cleaning kegs or helping with distribution. Everyone has to be able to diversify, react to situations quickly and, above all, to have a good sense of humour.
Is there anything you don’t like about working in the brewing industry?
No, nothing. Working in a brewery isn’t like working in a chocolate factory; you never get sick of it!
Can a job in the brewing industry open up doors into other fields? Which ones?
Yes. It gives an excellent insight into anything in the hospitality industry, whether the licensed trade, events or catering. There’s a wealth of transferable skills to be gained in engineering, logistics, warehousing and hygiene practices and production. Plenty of brewers get into distilling, but there are opportunities in any allied trades.
What kind of opportunities are there for networking or promoting a brewing business?
There are, of course, the usual opportunities like trade fairs and industry conferences, but because beer is everywhere, there’s always the chance to talk about it. Every bar, café or restaurant holds some degree of potential as a prospect. Social media has so much to offer those who choose to embrace it, as craft beer fans tend to be very engaged online. I blog about the goings-on at Inveralmond, but people crave updates on a daily basis and seem to be endlessly interested in what we’re up to, so we make the most of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to communicate about new products, events and to promote our trade customers. Beer is ubiquitous, as tend to be the opportunities.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received for success in the industry?
Enjoy the product and focus on your job, as it takes a lot of effort and attention to detail. Help other people grow: it will bring out the best in them.
Do you work in the brewing industry in Scotland? Maybe you can relate to Ken’s experiences or would like to share some of your own?
Image provided courtesy of Inveralmond Brewery.