Chris Good

WHEN DID YOU FIRST FALL IN LOVE WITH BREWING?

I homebrewed with my older brother for a few years. I always appreciated the creative and technical side to brewing. Before attending Penn College, I bounced around for a few years doing different jobs. I was a barista for four years, but never had any major career aspirations. I made the decision when I was around 25 that I needed to make a move about my future. I thought that brewing could match up well with my skills and interests. I looked into brewing schools. However, none were within my ability to attend at the time. I saw an ad posted for an Assistant Brewer at Elk Creek Cafe and Aleworks. The brewmaster there, Tim Yarrington, was also starting a brewing program at Penn College. In June of 2017, I became the assistant at Elk Creek Cafe and also enrolled in the program at the same time. 

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE ASPECTS OF THE ART OF BREWING?

I love that even though it is an art and a creative venture, it is extremely technical. Places like Victory Brewing and others have managed to maintain the art and craft while still producing consistent, quality beer, and a lot of it. Plus, you get to enjoy the product you create. 

DO YOU FEEL A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN BREWING?

There is definitely a strong sense of community throughout the brewing industry. It was a difficult change going from my 15bbl setup in a smaller town to Victory's full production facility. But working on a team to produce the beer has been a great experience so far.  

As far as the Penn College community, I attended as an "adult learner" who commuted so I wasn't very involved in the extracurriculars and events at the college. However, I never felt like an outsider. Penn College does a good job of encouraging and supporting students of all ages. My graduating class from the brewing program was made up of classmates with similar backgrounds and experiences. 

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO ATTEND PENN COLLEGE?

I mainly chose Penn College based on location and convenience at the time. I definitely do not regret the decision. And it helped that my boss at the time was running the program.  

WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT LEARNING AT PENN COLLEGE?

The hands-on technical aspect, along with the smaller class sizes made all the difference. I tried attending a major university right out of high school and never felt connected to any of the classes or the teachers the way I did at Penn College. It was definitely a better learning environment. As far as brewing knowledge, Tim's hands-on meticulous approach really prepared me for the industry. There is only so much you can see and do in a classroom setting but learning from a veteran in the industry was paramount in me and my classmates' abilities to dive in and contribute immediately to our breweries after graduation. Being a product of my environment from both in-class instruction with Tim and working in his brewery, I have taken on somewhat similar views towards brewing and really appreciate classic beer tradition and style. 

WHAT ARE YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS?

As far as the future goes, I know that I am enjoying my work at Victory. If that develops into something more than I am open to it. Wherever/whatever I end up doing, I just hope I can use my education, knowledge, and skills to produce the finest product that I can.