Friday at 1 pm. While cheese and potatoes find their way into Kreuzberg's shopping baskets upstairs, things are fermenting and bubbling in the cellar of Markthalle Neun. Lisa Scholz stands between steel brewing kettles and storage tanks in a silk-print Heidenpeters jumper, short jeans and waterproof boots. She concentrates on taking samples from the fermenting beers: ‘I'm measuring the brew of two beers. I want to know how much sugar the yeast has already fermented. The density measurement gives me the extract in degrees Plato. If the values aren't right, the beers continue to ferment in the bottle and it bangs.’

Lisa also experienced a bang when she decided to pursue her unexpected passion - the craft of brewing. Lisa found an unusual path into the world of brewing. After successfully completing a dual study programme in Finance and Controlling, she discovered her true love: brewing. The transition from the world of finance to the brewing kettle was not just a career change for Lisa, but a profound change, a personal ‘fermentation’, so to speak.

Growing up under the sign of self-sufficiency

Lisa grew up in an environment that was strongly characterised by agriculture. Her grandparents made a living from growing their own fruit and vegetables and instilled in her a deep understanding of manual labour and food handling from an early age. ‘That was a crucial experience for me,’ Lisa recalls. ‘I learnt that you can achieve a lot with your own hands and that there is something very special about enjoying home-made products.’

These experiences not only shaped her childhood, but also her later career. Despite her decision to initially pursue a completely different career path, the deep connection to nature and craftsmanship that she inherited from her grandparents remained an essential part of her identity.

The path from Excel spreadsheets to the fermentation tank

As a Kölsche Jeck, beer played a central role in Lisa's life from an early age, but her relationship with it went beyond just drinking. ‘Beer is a big deal in Cologne's carnival culture, but for me it was more than that. The variety and the craft behind the product took me away. I did brewing courses in various cities or took part in beer tastings.’ Over the years, this curiosity and passion developed into a serious interest that eventually led her - albeit in a roundabout way - into the world of craft brewing.

‘I really had no idea what I wanted to do,’ admits Lisa. ‘I also don't know why I didn't go into this organic sector back then. An orientation year would probably have done me good.’ Her studies in finance were initially a pragmatic decision - at the same time, she emphasises that her boss at the time, Ute Hartmann, was a strong mentor and she has her to thank: ‘Nevertheless, the idea of numbers came from the fact that I had that as a focus in my A-levels - maths and biology. That was closer to me than language or art.’

Lisa eventually realised that, despite her successful start in the financial sector, she was missing something. ‘I often asked myself whether that was really all there was to it,’ she says looking back. After extensive experience in various areas - from catering to working as a ski instructor and studying environmental engineering and organic horticulture to internships on various farms, her curiosity led her to the world of brewing. ‘The first time I really got to grips with brewing, I knew: this is it,’ she says. ’That moment changed everything.’ Lisa decided to redirect her path and start training as a brewer.

Her first step in this new direction took her to Erfurt, where she gained her first practical experience. Through the Kreativbrauerbund and the Heimathafen in Erfurt, she came into contact with the Heidenpeters brewery. ‘My boss in Erfurt said it would fit like a glove,’ she laughs. A phone call with Johannes Heidenpeter and a meeting in the market hall later, it was clear: ‘It was love at first sight – both regarding the team and the production itself. Not too clean, not too perfect, endearing and just right.’ The start of the apprenticeship was decided.

Training as a brewer

In everyday school life, Lisa experiences a rather atypical class picture. ‘Most of the people in my class are career changers who have already completed vocational training or a degree. It's a small but instructive class. The lessons are intensive and we can often choose topics that are of particular interest to us - but only because the class is unusually small. Even though there is a curriculum, exciting topics are given special attention.’

Although the curriculum does not focus on small, craft breweries, but deals with larger working realities, Lisa sees the advantage of developing a comprehensive understanding of the industry. ‘We learn all about large breweries and malt houses, but this also helps us to better understand the craft aspects. Even though we don't have state-of-the-art equipment, it's important to learn about different areas of the industry.’ Nevertheless, Lisa's preference is clear: ‘In such huge plants, it doesn't matter whether milk, yoghurt, juice or beer is going through. The movement aspect was very important to me, not sitting at a desk any more. Here you touch barrels, you are in contact with the product and the raw materials. It would be a horror for me to be in a giganto production hall like this, wearing earplugs and a helmet and sitting in front of a screen operating three touchscreens. That was one of the reasons why I left my old job.’

Everyday working life at Heidenpeters and plans for the future

Lisa is enthusiastic about her day-to-day work in the hall and the brewery. ‘Working here is a fantastic opportunity to network and participate directly in processes,’ she says. Her training and the Markthalle Neun learning centre not only cover the technical aspects of brewing, but also include holistic learning and interaction with other food artisans. ‘The extraordinary opportunities that Johannes offers us are a real highlight,’ enthuses Lisa. ‘We regularly go on trips to other breweries and vineyards - and take part in events such as the legume field day. Johannes is always coming up with creative ideas - from making wine and cider to other innovative projects. It's just great to be there and soak it all up.’

And it is precisely in this combination of tradition and innovation that Lisa sees her future. She would like to deepen her knowledge further and start her own project in the field of sustainable beer brewing in the future. ‘I find it exciting to develop concepts that are both traditional and innovative. Maybe in the future I will set up a project that combines different trades and promotes sustainable brewing practices. I'm definitely keen to combine everything at some point - all the professions and areas that interest me and in which I've gained experience. At the moment, I'm still putting the pieces of the puzzle together. My aim is to develop a sustainable and socially just concept in which agriculture, craftsmanship and brewing play a central role. It remains to be seen whether I will become self-employed or work in a company that follows these values.’

Lisa's journey from finance to the brewing kettles shows that sometimes it's worth rethinking the brew of life. Instead of Excel spreadsheets, she now fills fermentation tanks - and does so with full commitment. Not everything always has to go according to plan, as long as the values are right in the end.