Cellar & Brewhouse - Brewer (Full Time)

※Updated 2024/06/30

 

Company Overview

Kyoto Brewing Co (herein KBC) is a craft beer brewery, based south-west of Kyoto station, that started making beer in 2015. Heavily inspired by traditional Belgian methods and the modern American craft beer movement, we have focused on crafting a wide range of styles, whilst looking for ways to positively impact our community.

 

Company Context

KBC recently welcomed its new head brewer, James, an American with over 10 years of experience working in the brewing industry, including at craft brewing giants Stone Brewing and Ballast Point. More recently, James worked at a regional brewery based out of New Jersey called Cape May Brewing and helped steer their production from 3.6 million to 8.7 million litres over the span of 4 years.

James joins KBC just as it enters its 10th year of production and finds itself at a crossroads in its history.

Towards the end of last year, KBC said goodbye to one of its co-founders. Whilst a huge change for us, we are a forward-looking and determined company, and have invested over 200million JPY into the future of the brewery to ensure that, when the next head brewer did come aboard, they’d be able to make use of the new infrastructure to turn out some great beer.

Since James’ arrival, we’ve significantly changed our beer portfolio, adding beers to our lineup that take advantage of his deep knowledge and experience. For the beers that we did keep, the idea has been to not only improve the shelf life of those beers, but to update the recipes to make them even more impactful. For the beers that we said goodbye to, the idea has been to free-up our calendar with the goal of introducing beers that encapsulate what we call “KBC2.0”.

 

Position Background

2 individuals on our 6-person production team are leaving later this year to start up their own brewery projects in Kansai (1 in Kobe, 1 in Shiga). We couldn’t be happier for them.

That being said, we’re looking for 2 people to join our team:

  • Cellar & Brewhouse - Brewer（below）
  • Packaging & Cellar - Brewer（here）

 

About the Team and Brewing Facilities

  • 6-person team, including a Head and Lead Brewer
  • 15 US barrel (1750L) brewhouse; w/ +250,000 liters production (in 2023)
  • 7 single batch fermenters, 6 double batch fermenters
  • Semi-automated keg washer/filler, semi-automated 6-head can filler
  • Centrifuge w/ inline CO2 doser, deaerated water system and dry hop unit
  • Quality Assurance, Quality Control (herein QAQC) lab outfitted with PCR machine and CO2 & Dissolved Oxygen (herein DO) metre

 

About Responsibilities

  • With the goal of allowing people to eventually take full ownership of an area of production and to be able to learn about that area to a higher level of skill and become a resident in all things related to that area, we divide production responsibilities into 4 areas:
    1. Brewhouse
    2. Cellar
    3. Packaging
    4. QAQC
  • For this specific opening, we are looking for someone with a keen interest in cellaring (primary) and brewing (secondary) operations along with a backup (tertiary) on packaging or QAQC (decision will be based upon experience / desire of candidate)
  • Your primary area will not rotate until you are you fully trained up in that area
  • Based upon level of experience, you will either start off as or eventually become lead of your primary area
  • The lead will be responsible for the tasks assigned to that area and will be the one ultimately responsible for ensuring that tasks are completed correctly
  • You will be expected to assist in the secondary and tertiary area once you’ve completed your primary area tasks

 

    Main Areas of Responsibility

    Primary - Cellar-Related Operations:

    This position is responsible for the day-to-day management of the production of beer from the moment it is knocked-out into the fermenter all the way to the moment it lands into the bright beer tank with the ultimate goal of providing high-quality finished beer for handoff to the packaging team.

    • Learn and perform all cellar processes including beer finishing, yeast handling, dry hopping, and tank spicing as assigned.
    • Perform CIP and SIP on all equipment, piping according to standard oprating procedures (herein SOPs).
    • Carryout daily tank checks by measuring and recording the temperature and pressure of each tank. Ensuring to report and address any unexpected deviations and log all results.
    • Perform tank crashes, spunding, harvests and crops as scheduled or assigned by QC or the team lead.
    • Operate and maintain a centrifuge and de-aerated water unit with the goal of optimizing yields based on certain control set points depending on style.
    • Correctly and accurately weigh and stage hops, adjuncts for direct use or with the dry hop unit as required.
    • Complete all scheduled tank transfers while adhering to all KBC-mandated beer quality checkpoints.
    • Reduce DO pickup by ensuring all SOPs are followed.
    • Assist in pulling additional QC samples as required.
    • Ensure all interactions with tanks and raw materials are recorded in the system at the end of each day.
    • Clean and maintain cellar floors, tanks and drains in a sanitary manner.
    • Maintain a clean and orderly parts area ensuring all parts and hoses are returned to their proper storage locations at the end of each day.

    Secondary - Brewhouse-Related Operations:

    • Competently operate brewhouse following KBC SOPs and ensuring wort quality is maintained throughout the process
    • Perform brewhouse, DAW system, and Liquor tank CIP as directed.
    • Stage raw materials each day for the current and next day’s brews as needed.
    • Operating the grist mill as per the recipe requirements and conducting periodic grist analysis to ensure proper grist composition.
    • Conduct and supply an accurate weekly inventory check to the team lead of malt, Hops, dry yeast, chemical and brewing additives on site.
    • Verify the availability of required raw materials for the upcoming week’s brews, notifying the team lead of any deficiencies in a timely manner.
    • Perform a daily check of all critical systems at the start of the day including Glycol chillers, Boiler, Air compressors, Hot/Cold Liquor tanks, water supply station, DAW station, CO2 and O2.
    • Assist with pulling daily gravity and Ph QC samples as needed.
    • Maintain an accurate brewhouse data log and recipe sheets by tracking and recording key specifications from processed batches.
    • Enter brew data into brew keeper at the end of each day ensuring accuracy of raw material usage and recording and variation of process.
    • Ensure all tanks sheets are properly updated with each brew.
    • Pitch Yeast as directed by QC.
    • Maintain spent grain processing/drying system and perform routine maintenance as needed.
    • SIP fermentation vessels as needed for each brew, ensuring all tanks were sanitised within 36hrs of the brew.
    • Ensure the brewhouse area is clean and organised.
    • Perform routine equipment maintenance and communicate any equipment issues to the Maintenance technician or Brewery operations manager in a timely manner.
    • Constantly strive for improvement by looking for ways to make things better, safer, faster or by reducing costs.

     

    Qualifications (Production Related)

    1. 2 years of experience working on the production floor of a brewery or other food and beverage industry (strongly preferred).
    2. Ability to safely lift 25kgs (ex: malt bags and chemicals) and stand for long periods of time (required).
    3. Forklift certification (KBC can assist with certification).

     

    Qualifications (General)

    1. Strong work ethic and ability to multitask.
    2. Ability to maintain a positive mental attitude even in the face of setbacks and schedule changes.
    3. Excellent written and verbal communication skills:
      • Japanese language ability:
        • Preferred – highly proficient in spoken and written (JLPT N2 equivalent)
        • At mininum – understand Japanese used in everyday situations (JLPT N3 equivalent)
      • English language ability:
        • Preferred – highly proficient in spoken and written (Eiken Grade2 equivalent)
        • At minimum – understand English used in everyday situations (Eiken Grade3 equivalent)
    4. Must currently reside in Japan or have ability to quickly get working visa
    5. Ability to use Excel

     

    Physical Demands & Working Conditions

    • Manual labour: lifting bags of grains (25kg), moving heavy equipment and transferring large volumes of liquid; all requiring physical strength and proper lifting techniques
    • Standing for extended periods: stand for long periods of time while performing tasks necessitating endurance.
    • Operating machinery and equipment: operate various types of brewing (ex: fermenters) and logistical-related equipment (ex: forklift); requiring training, focus and adherence to safety protocols.
    • Exposure to hot and cold tempratures: depending on the season and task required of you, adptability to varying envronmental conditions (6C to 45C) is a must.
    • Handling chemicals: Brewing involves the use of chemicals and cleaning agents for sanitization and maintenance of equipment, necessitating knowledge of safety protocols and proper handling techniques.
    • Noise exposure: depending on the task, you will be required to wear hearing protection and have an ability to communicate effectively admist the din
    • Working at heights: some tasks may require employees to work at heights, such as inspecting fermentation tanks or accessing storage areas, necessitating caution and adherence to fall protection measures.
    • Shift work: Brewing operations often run around the clock, requiring employees to work shifts that include early mornings (ex: 6am), evenings (ex: 9pm), weekends, and holidays to maintain production schedules and meet demand.

     

    Employee Benefits and Job Details

    • Contract Type: Full-Time
    • Contract period: initial 6-month training period, followed by a long-term contract upon consent by both parties
    • Monthly Salary: 250,000 – 400,000yen (dependent on experience; includes up to 20 hours of overtime)
    • Work Schedule:
      • Regular Schedule: 9:00-18:00
      • Shift Schedule: 8-hour shift between 6:30-22:00
      • Overtime required as needed
    • Time Off: 2 days/week (normally Saturday/Sunday), National Holidays, Paid Leave (12+ days), Summer Vacation (3 days), Year End (2-3 days), Sick Leave (5 days)
    • Benefits and Perks:
      • Health and Social Insurance
      • Multicultural work environment
      • Monthly stipend + discounts on beer and merchandise

     

    How to Apply

    Please send a resume, cover letter, and CV to recruit@kyotobrewing.com. Please clearly state what it is about KBC that makes you want to work here and why you are the best fit for the position.

     

    Timelines

    • 06/30 - Jul end：application period
    • Jul-Aug：interview period
    • Aug：decision, start work