Assistant Brewer - Cellar

LOCATION: Geneva, IL

Penrose Brewing is an established and growing production brewery located in Geneva, Illinois, a Western suburb of Chicago. 

This is a full-time position (40+ hrs / week).  Hourly compensation will be dependent upon experience. Health insurance, accrued paid time off and holidays are included. 

IDEAL ATTRIBUTES

• Self-starter with a reliable work ethic 
• Ability to multi-task and think on your feet
• Ability to be flexible and maintain composure in a fast-paced setting
• A strong mechanical thought process

QUALIFICATIONS

• An understanding of the beer brewing, finishing and packaging processes
• Strong consideration will be given to candidates with brewery production experience
• Canning line operation experience a plus

PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORKING CONDITIONS

• Must be able to lift 35 lb. cases of beer, 44 lb. boxes of hops, 55 lb. sacks of grain, and move 165 lb. kegs of beer
• Be able to operate brewery equipment for extended periods of time while wearing appropriate PPE

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Safety, quality, consistency and control are the keys to success in this role.  The Assistant Brewer’s main focus will be the fermentation cellar of the brewery.  However, daily tasks will branch out to other areas of operation as all brewery personnel are expected to assist and operate in all phases of the brewing and production process (brewing, fermentation, lab, packaging, shipping / receiving, cleaning, taproom support and sales and marketing efforts).  Penrose team members are expected to maintain a professional, responsible, positive and respectful attitude at all times when representing the company.

SAFETY MANAGEMENT

• Ensuring the safety of all Penrose team members and patrons throughout the facility
• Wear proper PPE at all times
• Work with team members to proactively identify and address potential safety issues

SOPs

• Follow all written and verbal Standard Operating Procedures and work towards improving every brewery action across the team

SANITATION AND CHEMICAL HANDLING

• Monitor and maintain sanitation practices throughout the brewery
• Work in a clean and organized fashion
• Utilize brewery cleaning chemicals as prescribed by suppliers
• Maintain inventory of cleaning chemicals and work to evaluate their effectiveness.

CELLAR OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT

• Keep detailed records of cellar movements and quality measurements
• Perform CIPs of fermentors, yeast brinks and transfer hoses according to SOPs
• Perform lab activities including gravity / pH measurements, yeast cell counts and VDK sampling
• Efficiently manage a fermentation schedule
• Order yeast from suppliers and manage shipping timelines
• Arrange for yeast harvesting and manage timelines
• Dry hop tanks according to fermentation schedule
• Manage oak aging barrels including filling, sampling and tasting
• Procure fruit and alternative ingredients
• Monitor and maintain supply of CO2 and Oxygen

ASSISTING DUTIES

• Assist in recipe and brand development
• Assist in brewing large and small batch beers
• Assist in canning line and packaging efforts
• Monitor taste standards of finished beer and participate in quality control efforts to identify potential off flavors and contributing factors
• Participate in special events along with other members of our team to help spread the word of Penrose beer
• Participate in production planning to maintain an inventory of fresh beer

UTILITIES AND MAINTENANCE

• Maintain daily, weekly and monthly upkeep on air compressors, glycol chillers, cooler condensing units etc.
• Be able to identify when equipment is not running correctly, source the root cause and track down solutions to fix

INTERESTED IN APPLYING?

Submit a resume and cover email to tom.korder@penrosebrewing.com describing the reasons that you would be the best fit for our team.

Subject Line: Brewery Assistant