7 Devils Brewing Company is looking for its next Head Brewer!
We are a small craft brewery in Coos Bay Oregon, producing 1000 barrels of beer per year. We make a range of beer styles, from light lagers to rich stouts. We operate on a 15 barrel brew system with four 15 barrel fermenters and one 30 barrel fermenter. Our brew crew is small: a head brewer, assistant brewer, part-time cellarhand, and sales/distribution person. We are currently hiring a new head brewer who will train during the spring under our current head brewer, and step into the role fully in summer.
We are the only craft brewery in our area, and have become a fixture of our local community on the Southern Oregon Coast. Owners Carmen Matthews and Annie Pollard opened the brewery and attached pub/taproom in 2013, and opened our second restaurant location (the Waterfront Alehouse) in 2021. Our motto of Peace, Love, Music, Beer is at the heart of everything we do. We regularly host live music, community events, fundraisers, and much more. There’s always something fun and meaningful happening at 7 Devils.
We are looking for a hard-working, enthusiastic, beer-loving person to fill the important role of head brewer. The head brewer is a highly visible role at the company and is essential to the operation as a whole. Below is a description of the head brewer’s responsibilities.
The head brewer has several key responsibilities:
Brewing all of our beers. The head brewer is the sole individual who brews the wide variety of beers that 7 Devils is known for. This includes all steps of the brewing process: grinding grain, dough-in, run-off, hop additions during boil, knock-out into fermenter, pitching yeast, and clean up. We generally brew two or three times during the week, sometimes more during the busy summer months, and sometimes less during the slow winter months.
Fermentation monitoring. The head brewer will track the progress of all fermentations and handle any additions/yeast harvesting that needs to happen depending on the beer.
Transferring beers. The head brewer will need to transfer beers from fermenter to brite tank. (Assistant brewer can also do this)
Conditioning beers. The head brewer will need to carbonate and clarify beers and make sure the finished beer is ready to be packaged and sold. (Assistant brewer can also do this)
Ordering materials. The head brewer is responsible for ordering all of the grain, hops, and yeast required for brewing. They also need to order brewing equipment as needed.
Inventory tracking/Brew scheduling. The head brewer keeps track of current beer stock available for sale and plans which beers to brew in order to (ideally) never run out of our main beers.
Staff scheduling/management. The head brewer leads the brew crew. They will schedule the assistant brewer and cellarhand, and assign tasks on a daily/weekly basis. They will also supervise the work of these employees.
Staff Engagement. The head brewer is responsible for educating and training all front of house staff members on 7 Devils beer and proper pouring techniques. The head brewer may also be asked to host “Beer 101” training sessions for new employees.
Community engagement. The head brewer may be called upon to lead brewery tours or do public beer tastings/pouring events.
The head brewer should also be able to assist with all other aspects of the brewery’s operations. These tasks are the primary role of the assistant brewer/cellarhand, but the head brewer should know how to do all of these and assist with/assign these tasks.
These include:
Packaging beer. The kegging, canning, bottling, and barrel-filling of beer is the job of the assistant brewer, but the head brewer should be able to step in and help as needed, especially during busy seasons. In particular, setting up the canning machine should be done by the head brewer to ensure proper operation.
Cleaning of tanks and cleaning of brewery equipment. The assistant brewer does all of this, but the head brewer should also be responsible for the overall cleanliness of the brewery/brewery equipment.
End-of-brew cleanup. The assistant brewer scoops the mash tun, cleans the mash tun, monitors knock-out, and cleans all the brew equipment at the end of each brew day. The head brewer needs to know how to do all of these so that, if needed, they can brew alone.
Keg cleaning and tap cleaning. These are the primary tasks for the part-time cellarhand.
Delivering beer. While this is the primary role of the sales/distribution person, the head brewer should also be able to assist in a pinch to deliver beer to our accounts.
Equipment repair. Things break in the brewery. When this happens, the head brewer should be able to make quick repairs (for example, fixing valves, regulators, etc.), or diagnose larger issues and consult Carmen about how to proceed.
The Head Brewer wears a lot of hats in this position. They need to be intelligent, observant, patient, and self-motivated. The head brewer has a lot of trust and responsibility placed on them, and should be able to handle the stress that comes along with such a role. The head brewer operates on their own schedule and needs to make personally sure that the brewery operates smoothly and efficiently. Having a wide set of skills and knowledge is crucial for success in this role. One day you’ll be brewing beer, the next you’ll be rewiring broken heating elements. You may need to pivot your schedule around unforeseen equipment failures. This job has a steep learning curve for people new to brewing or working in craft breweries, and as such we are looking for people with said experience. See below for job requirements:
Job Requirements:
Prior work experience in craft beer (or craft alcohol, ie wine) production is a must.
Higher education is strongly suggested. We are looking for intelligent, mature applicants with previous experience in high-stress, demanding roles.
We are looking for positive, open-minded people with excellent communication skills.
Head brewer must be strongly self-motivated and enthusiastic about running a brewery and the responsibilities that entails.
The head brewer needs good observational skills/be able to catch mistakes.
Punctuality and efficient time management is essential.
Previous management/leadership experience is strongly suggested.
Applicants must be physically capable (lifting 50lbs or more) and willing to work 10+ hour days, as well as work in the rain and cold.
Applicants must be comfortable with a flexible schedule. Our busy seasons often demand long days and short weekends, while our slow seasons allow for more time off with shorter hours.
Strong forklift skills. Experience with machinery/general handiness is a plus.
No criminal record or DUIs.
OLCC certified. We will assist with this if needed.
Job Compensation/Benefits
Pay: Negotiable depending on experience and how quickly we can complete training.
Hours: 40+ Hours per week during Spring/Summer/Fall, plus overtime as needed, 30-40 Hours per week during Winter (depending on larger projects/events/necessity of other staff’s hours). We slow down considerably during the winter months.
Benefits: Paid vacation/sick leave, free gym membership, free shift meal and shift beer at brewery taproom, 50% off at 7 Devils Waterfront Alehouse, 50% off kegs and cans, 401k with 4% company match after 6 months of employment, Opt-In Health/Dental/Vision insurance (United Health) w/ company 55% premium, employee 45% premium, access to company recreational equipment (SUPs, cornhole sets, jockey boxes/hand taps, disc golf baskets, etc).
Applicants should send a resume (cover letter optional) via email.