From Homebrewing Hobbyist to Brewpub Dream Catcher

Alex Kandel initially started brewing as a hobby in 2019. An avid cook who was fond of beer, homebrewing seemed like a good fit for him. “It turns out I like it even more than cooking,” he says. “Brewing is more controlled and more methodical, and one only needs to focus on four ingredients!” 

During COVID, Alex admits to brewing “a truly ridiculous amount of beer.” So much so, that he began considering opening a brewpub upon retirement. Well aware that many people who brew as a hobby share this same dream, he decided to do some research and discovered that to actually become a professional brewer, he would need a formal education. 

As a chemistry professor at the University of Notre Dame, a husband and a father, Alex maintains a busy life and needed a flexible, remote program. “An online program was the only realistic way for me to study brewing without upending multiple other parts of my life,” he explains, which is why he applied to UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s online Master Brewers Certificate Program. 

“The Master Brewers Certificate Program opened a door for me that otherwise would have remained closed,” he says. “It's been a tremendously valuable experience for me.” 

We reached out to Alex to learn more about his time in the program. 

I would recommend the program—five out of five stars.”  

Tell us about your homebrewing experience. 

My taste in beer has broadened a lot because of my own brewing, and when I hear or read about a new style of beer, my response is to go and try to brew one. I don't do what I think of as "stunt" beers, but I think I've brewed a representative of just about everything else. I like to brew styles where it's hard to find many commercial examples, like Altbier, Grodziskie and Baltic porter. I've also spent a lot of time trying to make my perfect low-alcohol (3% ABV or less) IPA. 

What was your experience like in the online Master Brewers Program? 

Going into the program, I had a more-or-less realistic view of what sorts of things I would be able to learn remotely, such as the ins and outs of the biochemistry of fermentation. And I realized that I wasn't going to get direct sensory information about beer (or ingredients). 

But the program could hardly have been more convenient. The timed asynchronous format was perfect because I could go through the reading and lectures any day and time during the week, without getting more than a few days behind. I won't say there weren't weeks where both life and brewing demanded a lot more of my attention than usual, but generally things stayed nicely under control. 

I would recommend the program—five out of five stars. 

Were there opportunities to connect with instructors and classmates? 

Connections are the real strength of this program. Before the first module started, I read through Kunze’s Technology: Brewing and Malting cover-to-cover, all 1,000 pages or so of it. Mostly everything I needed to know was in there, but the instructors explained it, highlighted the things that were really important and put it all in context. Then I would join the Zoom office hours every Friday and ask questions—lots of questions. During the week my questions went by email, and I found everyone to be super responsive. 

I was also able to connect with other students, both during office hours and then more frequently through Google Chat. I'm still in regular touch with a few classmates and reach out for advice (or sometimes just commiseration) about brewing. 

What were your goals going into the program and did you achieve them? 

Well, some of my goals are still in the future—I haven’t opened that brewpub yet! But I definitely feel like I’m much more on top of the important issues and much better at effective planning. I can also speak the language now and communicate effectively with professional brewers. 

What did you find most valuable about the program and why? 

The instructors! I appreciated that there was a whole lineup of experts to teach the range of topics covered in the program. 

How do you feel the program helped you improve as a brewer? 

When I started brewing, I more or less learned everything from the internet. The problem with this approach is that there's a lot of information out there. When you go to the internet with a brewing question, you'll usually find three or four answers pointing you in completely different directions. 

The Master Brewers Certificate Program instructors are actual authorities, and if you ask them to back something up, they'll point you to textbooks and papers. So, I didn't learn the one true way to brew—there isn't one—but instead I got an appreciation for what the issues are and a willingness to think critically to achieve my goals in the brewery. 

Did you participate in the in-person bootcamp? If so, what was the experience like? 

Yes! This was essentially summer camp with beer. I was impressed by the UC Davis brewing facility, and getting my hands on equipment helped a few things that I'd learned in class "click" for me. But the best part of the bootcamp was being able to meet people in person, hang out and talk (and drink) beer. The instructors really went the extra mile to spend time with us. 

What are your plans for the future? 

I'm still set on a brewpub a couple of years down the road. Since finishing the Master Brewers Program, I've turned my attention towards planning the "pub" side of things. Meanwhile, my brewing hobby keeps me going...I just put a Vienna lager in the fermenter.