I don`t know anything more about Brew than what`s on his website. Tim Sanner, who occasionally posts here, offers the least expensive framebuilding course I know of (although it sounds like you really get a lot for your money with any of these courses). Scooper went there, built himself a beautiful lugged frame, learned bunches, and had a good time. Unfortunately, it`s on the other end of the country from you and, from my knowledge of that area, probably pretty expensive lodging. Fattic or Bohm might cost you less overall, I don`t know much about that fellow with the Japanese name (Yamaguchi?), but he`s been touted quite a bit around here also. It seems to me that UBI offers inexpensive dorm room options- they`re the only outfit big enough to manage that. All are probably great ways to spend your vacation. I sure wouldn`t mind going to any of them- wish it had occcured to me when I was still single with time on my hands and money in the bank.

Another poster here (Mudboy or Tuz maybe?) came up with a perfect local option- called up a local framebuilder and arranged some kind of training sessions on a week by week schedule, which gives him time for the info to sink in and he doesn`t have to pay for a hotel. That sounds even better.

Or you could try just via internet and Paterek. That`s what I`m doing and it`s got to be miles easier than it was in preinternet days. It still takes a lot longer than a week and there`s nobody watching over my shoulder to make sure I don`t scrap my whole project in an instant with one dumb move, so it`s a bit of a gamble. Probably not for everyone, but worth considering, especially since you have some related experience.