I have been offered the chance to do some unpaid work at a Belgain
Brewery, in return for beer, accomodation and food. This brewery is in
a small village, has exhibited its beers in the UK and supplied the
Belgian Parliament. It also sponsors the local football team. However,
I don't know its name, where it is , or any contact details.
Volunteers usually work there for a week each, but longer stays are
possible. A list of similar work arangements, in Europe, for Breweries
would be appreciated. Thanks.

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Request for Question Clarification by jackburton-ga on 27 Nov 2002 10:54 PST

How was this opportunity presented to you?

hi charles,
 
I have made extensive enquiries into this matter and have forwarded
your question to various organisations, breweries, and beer
enthusiasts. Most people I contacted had no knowing of breweries
offering this kind of work, and treated your enquiry with suspicion.
 
One very helpful person "John  White" from www.whitebeertravels.com
also made on enquiries on your behalf. A response to your question was
posted on the "Burgundian Babble Belt" (message board), by "Eric N"
who had visited the brewery recently...
 
------------------------------------------------
"I believe that Vapeur de Cochon in Papaix takes on volunteers during
its brewing weekends. If memory serves, brew-weekends are the last
weekend of every month. It is a working steam brewery, and this info
was current as of Nov2002. I visted the brewery in Mid-Nov 2002 and
they gave me a very warm welcome. Their style is wildly
innovative/iconoclastic, truely a saison's saison attitude, and any
ingrediant is fair game for the brewpot.
 
I have their current contact info listed as: 
Brewer/Brasseur: Jean-Louis DITS 
La Brasserie 'a Vapeur Papaix 
Rue de Marechal 1 
7904 Papaix-Leuze, BELGIUM 
tel: 069/66.20.47 
fax: 069/66.71.32 
(BELGIUM country code is 32)
Email:  brasserie@vapeur.com
http://www.vapeur.com
 
I don't seem to find out much more by doing a websearch on it, which
shouldn't be surprising I suppose as they still use brewing methods
which are 150+ years old!
 
The ability to speak at least some French would be desirable, as
Papaix rests very close to the French boarder of Walloonia, and is the
predominant language there."
www.cmg.net/belgium/clubhub/message/readpost.html?id=1038590381
------------------------------------------------
 
John White says this brewery is very special, and if you get the
chance to go there you should definitely take it.
 
I hope this has answered your question - I haven't come across any
other breweries offering this kind of work, but if I do come across
any more information I'll post it for you.
 
hope this helps !

Thank you Jack for making these extensive enquiries. 

I was offered this work when sitting next to a guy who works for this
brewery, in a brew-pub in Antwerp. We were enjoying some of the fine
beers and he told me about people coming to work at his brewery.
However, I was unable to get any details from him.

All I have to do now is learn to speak Belgian!