Ask The Brewmasters

We've been assessing the viability of a 4x10 workweek for our production staff.  In our situation, we currently have a head brewer, 2 shift brewers and a cellar person (plus a packaging team) working 8 hours per day.  Brewers are staggered to allow us to get 2 turns per day, but we could get 3 if necessary with just a little OT.  We avoid overnights due to safety and cultural concerns.

I know many production facilities utilize 4x10's, but I also notice they tend to be breweries with a larger staff and volume such that these 4x10's span overnights and / or weekend shifts and probably have cellarpeople supporting the brewers. Besides the general pros and cons re: culture and work/life balance, I'm more concerned with unexpected impacts to production if we drop down to effectively having 4 days of work. Things like gaps in fermentation monitoring, safety concerns with the fatigue relating to 10 hour shifts when mashing in/graining out, etc. 

I'd appreciate any insight into your experiences with 4x10's and what do you see as the pro's and con's based on them.

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Jeremy Castellano
Director of Brewing Operations
Mission Brewing
San Diego CA
(619) 544-0555
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Hey Jeremy,

We've been a 4x10 house for a couple of years now.

It's worked out very well for us and our staff. I'll table to cultural/work-life-balance PROs to the side (almost all PROs here).

Logistics: We've got a head brewer and 5 staff that brew/cellar/package. Our head brewer is on salary and working 5 days per week (Tues-Sat). I work Mon-Fri and typically come in on Sunday's to make sure nothing is on fire.

We've found that using this type of schedule allows us to run operations more smoothly. Our start times typically run at 6am for AM brewer, 8am for cellar, and 11am for PM brewer + PM cellar. The longer shifts, with continual overlap, ensures that projects are completed on a timely manner AND the PM brewer is not stuck with an unfair amount of work. A 10 hour shift also allows for greater flexibility of work-items-projects during the day as well as some buffer in case there are issue (the tank didn't charge enough, didn't have enough clean kegs, delivery is an hour late, et al). It also means we've got production staff on the floors from 6-amish until 9-pmish; so lots of timing and project flexibility. The lynch pin of this involves our head brewer and myself to be here full time 5 days per week and then checking in on weekends. 

PROs: Longer projects are completed by a single employee (instead of tagging in someone else), there is greater overlap of shifts in case tag-ins are needed, generally more hands over a longer set period of time.

CONs: Scheduling needs to be a bit finer toothed, making sure to stack labor appropriately so you're not long/short, heat exhortation during the summer months (really making sure everyone is taking cold breaks, drinking lots of fluids, et al)

Hope that helps!

Cheers,

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Benjamin Turkel
Production Manager
Boomtown Brewery
Los Angeles CA
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I liked working 4-10 weeks, It is nice to have an extra day off each week.

You could also think about having your cellar people work monday- thursday and packaging work tuesday- friday. That way your cellar people prepare the beer for the packaging people to come in the next day and package it, giving you time to get the beer in spec and chilled nicely. On the friday the packaging people empty all of the tanks so the cellarperson has empty tanks to clean and fill.

You could also have one brewer come monday to thursday afternoons and the other tuesday to friday mornings so the cellar is able to empty a tank to brew into ant the friday brewer can fill the last tank and cip the brewhouse.

Hey Jeremy,

  I do 4x10's. M-Th, and occasionally T-F depending on production schedule. With scheduling staff on different 4 day sets, that can help the fermentation monitoring/cellar support issues. For my experience there are efficiencies to be gained by a 10hr shift.  For me finishing a brewday/CIP and then utilizing the added time to setup transfers or build lines for the following day. I typically will do the less physically demanding work toward the end of the day( paperwork, lab testing) when possible. Additional pro, depending on tasks needed on the day, the 10hr shift might reduce the need for OT to get a 3rd turn on the brew system. 

Hopefully this was helpful. Good luck!

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Brian Sullivan
Head Brewer
Contrast Artisan Ales
Chamblee GA
510-379-8650
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We are 20k bbl brewery/meadery/distillery.  We have a mixed 5X8 and 4X10 schedule. 

We are all hourly as far as I know.  I think the owner would like everyone back on 5X8's but those of us on 4X10's  have fought to keep it.  I guess keep that in mind if you try to switch, don't like it, and then switchback.  Those of us in packaging that have it have been here the longest. I've been on it for 4 years now.  I think the brewers have been doing it for over a year but it gets brought up a lot about changing it back and there is always push back.

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David Delcourt
Denali Brewing Co
Talkeetna AK
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