Pelican Brewing Co. sent out this press release, noting how important it is to invest in your staff. We agree. Pelican budgets annually for its brewers to experience the American Brewers Guild Intensive Brewing Science and Engineering program — a 23-week course comprised of insightful instruction in brewing science and engineering including the theory, science and technology of brewing processes that convert barley to beer. Special emphasis is placed on practical issues during the course such as raw materials quality and assessment, practical wort production, yeast propagation and handling, fermentation and finishing practices including filtration, beer packaging and quality assurance.
The bonus? Pelican brewers have a deeper understanding of the ingredients and process that impact the quality of its popular brews. They know that to really create an unforgettable end product and experience they need to have more than a rote understanding of the sequence of tasks that goes into brewing. They need to understand the combination of art and science inherent in Pelican beers.
“We encourage our brewers to think critically about brewery processes and brewing techniques. The training and operating procedures in the brewery form the basis of practical experience and mesh with the coursework and knowledge from the ABG course. Together, the practical experience and deeper knowledge of brewing science and engineering equips our staff to be very purposeful in creating beer,” said Pelican’s Founding Brewmaster Darron Welch, who graduated from the American Brewers Guild Intensive Brewing Science and Engineering program in 2002 and now spearheads Pelican’s continuing education for brewers. “It’s a challenging course, but it prepares brewers for a long-term career in this industry. And because it’s an online course, brewers can continue their day-to-day work while completing the course after hours. It’s a win/win for all of us.”
“Investing in our brewers enables us to make better beer — that’s the bottom line,” said Jason Schlebach, Pelican’s head brewer who completed the ABG course in 2015. “For our brewers, it’s a huge bonus to receive an education that will benefit them for life — and they become incredible contributors to the culture and craft of not only our brewery but to the industry as a whole.”
Pelican has invested in continuing education for scores of brewers over the years and has been named a certified American Brewers Guild brewery. Pelican brewers are all the better for it — from enhanced creativity with raw ingredients and knowledge of the science of brewing to personal development, patience, dedication and discipline.
If you’re looking for a career in brewing, check out its job openings here.
Pelican Brewing was born at the beach 23 years ago as a small, standalone brewpub in a small town on the Oregon coast — Pacific City. Pacific City is still a small town but with consistent growth and demand for its savory creations, Pelican sales are up more than 850 percent from 3,500 barrels in 2013 to 30,000 barrels in 2018.
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