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Mesquite college program primes the next generation of D-FW brewers

Hop dosing, wort knock out and fermentation aren't subjects on the syllabus for most courses at Eastfield College in Mesquite. But the Journeyman Brewer Program is not most courses.

Founded in 2015, the Journeyman Brewer course is designed to prime students for careers in brewing and help them understand the beermaking process "from A to Z," according to Peter Boettcher, creator of the program and master brewer for more than 30 years. Over six weeks, students learn the science of brewing in a classroom setting before getting hands-on experience at one of 15 local craft breweries.

"He covers a lot of information in a short amount of time," says student Rowan Erickson. "But we're getting so much more knowledge than I think we could volunteering at a brewery and working up through positions."

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In its first semester, the Journeyman Brewer class enrolled 18 students, but it quickly gained popularity and has been at capacity almost every semester since. The course was in such high demand that Eastfield added 12 seats this fall.

Boettcher believes the course's key to success is the combination of in-class theory and first-hand experience because it produces qualified, knowledgeable workers that the industry lacks. Former students laud the Journeyman program as a direct entry point into the industry. In the past, if locals wanted to work in a brewery, they had to volunteer and learn the trade over time or know someone who could get them a job.

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And because North Texas' craft beer boom has increased the need for more brewers, 95 percent of the Journeyman students get hired, according to Eastfield.

"After six weeks, more than likely you're going to get paid to do what you just spent the last six weeks learning," says Cody LaFollette, who completed the class in 2015 and now works as a cellarman at Deep Ellum Brewing Co. in Dallas. "[This] is a huge change from what it used to be."

LaFollette now acts as a mentor to students in Journeyman training to give them insight into the industry. He says he didn't realize how much the program helped him get a job and understand the inner workings of the beer business until after he completed it.

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"I had a tiny bit of education and I had some experience with my first cellarman position at Twin Peaks," he says. "Just that little bit of experience and that little bit of education has blossomed into something much bigger."

He admitted, though, that being a volunteer at a brewery for the first time was overwhelming. Travis Banks, who is currently enrolled at Eastfield, experienced a similar feeling.

"It was a little bit intimidating whenever I walked in for the first time, because I had no idea what to expect working in a brewery," he says. "But all the people were really awesome, and I learned a lot just being hands-on for the first time."

Boettcher's goal is to tailor the course to what the industry needs, namely operators and brewers. But he says there's also a large demand for leadership in the brewing industry, such as managers who can effectively coordinate operations, employ efficient scheduling techniques and manage multiple accounts. He plans to provide courses for that soon.

Boettcher also hopes to expand the Journeyman Brewer Program to Austin and Houston by spring 2017. In those cities, the course will consist of online classes and videoconferencing with breweries.

"It's exciting and I think it's great," he says. "We're going to push forward, and we're going to keep growing with the program."

The cost of the program is $3,600, and students must be at least 18 years old to participate. Enrollment for the spring 2017 semester opens Nov. 28. For more information, visit eastfieldcollege.edu/ced/journeyman-brewer.

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By Trevor Cadigan/Special Contributor