Friend of Beeriety Justin Lloyd recently began working at Chelsea Brewring Company in Manhattan as a cellar man. Below is the latest in his series of articles about what it’s like to work in the brewing industry.

The last month at Chelsea Brewing Company has been like a crash course in everything from brewing technique to boiler maintenance. Unlike most jobs, being an employee in the brewery forces one to become proficient in many things that at first may seem completely unrelated to beer. However, after a few weeks it now seems obvious to me how essential things like properly functioning heat and consistent pH levels in water are to the job.

Friend of Beeriety Justin Lloyd recently began working at Chelsea Brewring Company in Manhattan as a cellar man. Below is the first in a new series of articles by Justin about what it’s like to work in the brewing industry.

Last year I set out across the country in search of the ultimate job—professional brewer. After three months of visiting numerous breweries, pubs and festivals, I landed in Portland, Oregon and set out to find a job in a commercial brewery. Despite dropping off resumes at every brewery, distribution company and beer bar in the area, I simply could not get a job in the industry and resigned myself to home brewing. I eventually found a job in a restaurant but kept an eye out for a chance to work with beer. Hours were spent scanning websites like ProBrewer.com and beer blogs for internship opportunities; pint and after was consumed while chatting up brewers trying to discern their secrets for success; I even convinced a film-making friend of mine to edit a video submission for a chance to work at Full Sail Brewing in Hood River, Oregon: