Isn’t brewing beer the same whether it’s at home or in a brewery?

Short answer: The basic steps match up — mash → boil → ferment → pour.
Long answer: As one pro puts it:
“Well, brewing is about 80% cleaning, so some say we’re glorified maids.”
That sums it up—there’s a lot more process, discipline and scale involved when you go commercial.

How different is the gear & setup?

At home: A kettle, maybe a pump, a fermenter in the basement or garage, flexible schedule.
At a pro brewery: Big tanks, steam-jacketed kettles, glycol jackets, full pipework systems.
One brewer noted:
“Finding your place in the market with price changing all the time is tough… Even if you find a hop and lot you like…it may get bought out by a large brewery.”

What about efficiency & cost?

Homebrewer vibe: “It’s fun. If I get 70‑80% efficiency, I’ll live.”
Pro brewer life: “If I don’t hit 90%+, I lose money AND reputation.”
As another brewer said:
“Intensity of flavor does not equal quality of flavor… you can have a very well made beer that is subtle.”

Can I still experiment if I go pro?

Home brewer: “Let’s throw in cherry and marshmallow and call it ‘fun’. Why not?”
Pro brewer: “Let’s throw in cherry and marshmallow ... but first I’ve got to calculate cost, shelf‑life, regulation, scaling, QA, distribution…”
Consider this quote:
“I thought to myself, if [my brothers] like it, I can start a brewery.”

Is going pro as fun as homebrewing?

Short answer: Sometimes. Long answer: Yes, but also no.
One brewer said:
“It’s still work … but it’s work that you love. It’s not like you wake up in the morning like, ‘Oh, crap! I got to go make beer today!’”

Bonus Section: Thinking of Going Pro? Here’s What to Know

- Start small: Get a feel for what commercial breweries are like (volunteer, intern) before jumping in.
- Be humble: Brewing commercially is less about the “creative hero brew” and more about “make this beer reliably every week.”
- Learn the business side: Crafting a recipe is only part of the job; managing cost, staffing, distribution, and regulations is the rest.
- Use the quotes as truth checks:
   • Cleaning is 80% of it.
   • Finding your place (and controlling input costs) is tricky.
   • Quality vs intensity is a real conversation.

Final Thoughts

Your journey from hobby brewer to professional brewer is exciting—but it’s also a move from “playtime” to “business time”.
Keep your love for the craft alive, but don’t underestimate the scale, discipline and hustle it takes to do it professionally.
With the right expectation and mindset (and leaning into those real brewer quotes above), you’ll brew smarter and stand a better chance of making that leap work.