Thanks for the chuckle, Wilbur. You weren't rambling or incoherent. To clarify, I would be brewing on the 10-gallon pilot system in the actual brewery, on an off-day like a Sunday. I'd be in there probably twice per month. So, this is not really homebrew, it's "R&D Beer" done on a much smaller scale. The recipe formulation would be done as a collaboration with the main brewer, since he enjoys ownership of that aspect of the brewery.
So essentially, I would be brewing 10-gallon batches at the brewery, which could be marketed as R&D Beers with customers giving feedback on the beer, with the understanding that it's under development. You're right that the time factor is the big draw here, and I have a level of experience and knowledge that inspires confidence in my brewing. I'm brewing beers that are consistently high-quality, and after cycling through a lot of the standard styles, I'm pushing forward with some unique cultural beer styles that are not typical in a brewery, such as Sahti, Grödziskie/Grätzer, etc. We're in Minnesota, with a lot of Scandinavian influence, so those particular beers are of interest to our local community.
Anyway, perhaps $12/hr is a decent starting wage for what I'm describing. I'm not really in this to make a ton of money - I just want to help my friends develop new high-quality beers and keep pushing the brewing envelope. If I can get paid to do what I enjoy, while defining my own work schedule, I don't see a huge downside. I have no ambitions to start a commercial brewery of my own, so this would be a nice way to enter into the profession without having it dominate my world. I'm a full-time teacher, father of three, and generally busy dude with lots of hobbies and interests, so this will fit nicely into my life. I just wanted to see if that wage was in the ballpark.
Thanks, guys! I'll keep you posted. Either way, I'm pumped to be expanding my brewing a bit. Cheers.