A week off... at a Brewery!

So I've neglected this blog *JUST* a bit... to say the least. For various reasons that I choose not to go in to at this point, I've had to put homebrewing aside, temporarily. But that's not to say that advancing my brewing career is off the table or not moving forward!

Last time I updated here I was excited that I was going to be moving to Mt Pleasant soon to start an apprenticeship at the Mt Pleasant Brewing Company and Mountain Town Station Brewpub & Steakhouse. Well, due the same reasons that have prevented me from homebrewing recently, and compounded by normal financial limitations... that's had to be put on hold. But definitely not on hold indefinitely! In fact... plans are in the works for me to begin my apprenticeship this fall, even as soon as August or September!

I've still been spending time in Mt Pleasant, at the brewery. My goal at this point is to spend a minimum of one day a month there, helping out and learning as much as I can. But next week... I have a bit of a golden opportunity! I'm going to spend 3-5 days there in a row! Woohoo!!

I've been saving up my vacation time, and so has the assistant brewer up at MPBC. Brad, the assistant, is taking most of next week off, at least Monday through Thursday. That leaves Kim, the Head Brewer, all alone, and up to his eyeballs in work. Now I'm not *quite* as useful as Brad yet... they can't just let me loose and trust that I can clean/sanitize a fermenter, hook up the pump, and transfer a brew off a yeast cake and into the fermenter... yet. But I'm at least a second set of hands, and a set of hands who has a bit of brewing experience rather than Joe Schmoe off the street. So I'll be helping Kim out starting Monday or Tuesday, and ending either Thursday or Friday. I can't wait! This is the perfect use of a spring break if you ask me! And the perfect way to wedge my foot further into the door of a brewing career.

And to top it off, Tuesday night there will be a Wine & Beer Tasting at the pub! Wine & Beer samples, brewery tours, good times... I can't wait! I think the coolest thing is that people will probably assume that I work for the brewery ;-)