Brewer

Kern River Brewing Company Brewer

Kern River Brewing Company is a 100% employee-owned company located at the gateway to the Southern Sierras. With a focus on quality of products and quality of life, KRBC is an ideal place to live and work for an outdoor enthusiast. The Original Pub, opened in 2006, contains a restaurant and 7 bbl brewing system. The adjacent Backyard Restaurant was opened in 2016 and hosts a 20 bbl production facility. Together, the two facilities earned the 2019 Brewery Group of the Year award at the Great American Beer Festival. In addition to producing outstanding beer, KRBC is a vibrant gathering place, creating the social hub of the small mountain town of Kernville, California.

JOB SUMMARY

KRBC is looking for an experienced, hardworking brewer to join our team of brew, cellar and packaging staff. The brewer will be responsible for our 7 bbl pub system as well as the 20 bbl production system and will work collaboratively with the Board of Directors, Head Brewer and Brewery Manager. Of utmost importance in this role is the ability to continue to brew our award-winning beers by focusing on attention to detail in all aspects of the brewery, from brewing to cellar to packaging, and the ability to work synergistically with the rest of our brewery team.

This position reports to KRBC’s Head Brewer (Brandon Berube) and Brewery Manager (Ethan Reynolds).

Location: Kernville, California is a small mountain town located on the Kern River at the gateway to the Southern Sierras - one of the best backyards an outdoor enthusiast could ask for.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Brewing Operations

• Possess exceptional ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects within deadlines.
• Follow and improve standard operating procedures (SOPs) and efficient workflows.
• Ensure standard, consistent and sound brewing procedures and practices are used for all tasks through formalized SOP training, certification and equipment logs.
• Ensure that core and new beers meet sensory goals. Create and implement a corrective action plan in case of variation. Identify brewing process and beer quality issues and develop systematic cause and effect approach to solutions. Quickly respond to system issues that impact product quality and/or quantity.
• Maintain brew sheets and monitor fermentation. Evaluate wort and beer quality on a daily basis. Implement changes to improve processes, recipes, flavor and consistency.
• Manage yeast and other brewing ingredients in support of the brew plan.
• Ensure that all equipment and systems are functioning properly to ensure the quality of the beer.
• Work closely with the Maintenance Manager to ensure an adequate, documented inventory of parts to ensure optimized reliability/uptime and lowest cost. Proactively engage to ensure preventative maintenance is scheduled and completed.
• Maintain organization and cleanliness of brewing facility, loading dock, storage, and surrounding areas.
• Ensure responsible use of brewing resources by reducing process loss throughout the brewing, fermenting and finishing operations.
• Evaluate and monitor finished beer and raw materials involved in brewing (inventory management).

Technical Capabilities

• Produce beer to Kern River Brewing Company standards. This includes brewing existing KRBC recipes and developing and brewing new recipes to meet market demands and trends.
• Be knowledgeable in the entire brewing process from milling, brewing, fermenting and packaging to serving.
• Competently execute beer transfers and carbonation, yeast management (to include forecasting, cell counting and viability), dry-hopping and other cellar fermentation procedures.
• Cleaning (CIP) all brewery vessels including brewhouse, fermenters, brite and serving tanks. Cleaning kegs, plate heat exchangers and brew hoses and fittings, and all equipment necessary to maintain a sanitary brewing environment.
• Help manage an effective Quality Assurance (QA) program.
• Package on a 6-head Meheen bottling line and 12-head Palmer canning line.
• Troubleshoot equipment problems within the brewhouse. Must possess a fundamental knowledge of plumbing and machinery mechanics/maintenance of brewery equipment.
• Knowledge of and experience with the proper handling of chemicals required for sanitization and cleaning of equipment.
• Manage brewery waste including spent grain, yeast, trub, and wastewater. Manage brewery wastewater MBBR system.

Safety Leadership

• Ensure all brewing, cellar, and packaging operations are completed in a safe and efficient manner and meet OSHA standards. Proactively drive and partner with others to ensure a safe work environment and ‘safety first’ culture that embraces safe habits, understanding of workplace risks, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement of safety performance.
• Understand and practice all internal company safety standards.
• Help identify potential hazards in the brewery and recommend solutions to prevent reoccurrence.
• Help perform regular safety inspections and maintain accurate records of such audits.

REQUIREMENTS

• At least 2 years brewing experience in a production brewery, or equivalent combination of brewing and brewery specific education.
• Detailed knowledge of the brewing process and industrial utility systems including glycol chiller and boiler operation, CO2 and compressed air, liquid pumps, grain handling and industrial control units.
• Proven experience with process control and troubleshooting techniques.
• Ability to recognize off-flavors in beer, determine causes and develop/implement corrective actions.
• Safely operate forklift, pallet jacks, and other machinery - current forklift certification will be required.
• Online Brewers Association Safety Course - certificates required within 30 days of hire.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness and ability to uphold a strict level of confidentiality.
• Ability to efficiently and effectively use Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar, and Mail.
• Ability to learn new software, programs or systems that KRBC may implement.
• Proficiency in collaboration, delegation, and prioritization of duties.
• Friendly and professional demeanor.
• Self-motivated, professional and capable of:
• managing workload,
• prioritizing tasks/needs
• handling matters expeditiously and proactively
• follow-through on projects to successful completion.
• Demonstrate leadership to maintain credibility, trust and support of coworkers.
• Shared company ethics and values.
• Monitor current technological advances and trends.
• This position may require occasional travel to other breweries, events and taproom locations. Occasional travel is outside the local area and overnight stays may be required.
• Pre-employment background check and drug screening

KRBC Ambassador:

• Support beer dinners, beer events, festivals, promotional/charitable events and sales visits as required and requested.
• Conduct brewery tours when necessary.
• Represent the company in a positive manner both on and off premise, on and off duty. Be an everyday ambassador for KRBC.

Physical Demands

• Able to stand, walk, bend, kneel, stoop, crouch, crawl and climb for long periods of time (8-10hrs/day).
• Able to frequently lift or move 55 lbs.
• Able to climb ladders safely.
• Able to work in wet, tight or cramped spaces.
• Able to work with hazardous chemicals.
• Able to work in awkward positions for extended periods of time.
• Able to wear required Personal Protective Equipment (respirators, ear plugs, boots, etc).
• Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to:
• high noise levels (wearing ear protection)
• handling of hazardous materials, hot and cold fluids
• pressurized vessels and transfer lines
• fumes and airborne particles
• moving mechanical parts
• variable temperature levels, wet slippery floors, wet clothing
• carbon dioxide, broken glass
• a variety of extreme outside weather conditions.

Position and Expected Hours of Work

• This is a full-time position. A typical work week would be Monday-Friday or Sunday-Thursday for 40-50 hours. Schedule may vary due to brewing and packaging needs. Occasional evenings, weekend work and long hours may be required as job duties demand.

Employee Pay/Benefits

• Competitive Compensation
• Health Insurance
• Employee Stock Ownership Program
• Dental and Vision offered
• Vacation/PTO Accrual
• Food and Brew Allowance
• Food and Merch discounts
• 401 K with company matching

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in the position of Brewer at Kern River Brewing Company, please apply through Indeed and include a cover letter and a resume with professional references. You may also send the information to .

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $20.00 - $26.00 per hour

Expected hours: 36 – 50 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid sick time
• Paid time off
• Store discount
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Evening shift
• Monday to Friday
• Morning shift
• Rotating shift
• Rotating weekends
• Weekends as needed

Experience:

• Brewing: 2 years (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Kernville, CA 93238 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Kernville, CA 93238: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person