Joseph Ibach was born in Baden, Germany. In 1853 he and several friends emigrated to America together, settling in Dubuque, Iowa. Finding suitable work lacking, the friends journeyed northward, up the Mississippi towards St. Paul.

En route the captain of the boat offered Ibach a position as fireman at fifty dollars per month. This offer was eagerly seized and suddenly Ibach has a five-year career as a boatman. At the end of his time on the riverboat Ibach settled in Preston, Minnesota.

It was here Ibach met and married Miss Margaret Mary Kramer.  Their 1860 marriage was a union that would produce 10 children over the next 13 years.

Around that same time Ibach bought out Elias Lint's partnership in the Preston city brewery, and a few years later Ibach became its sole proprietor. In 1874 he sold the firm to a Mr. Smith who ran it until his death in 1876. Ibach then purchased Stephen Lamm's brewery in Mankato, Minnesota. After operating that for a year, he sold it and rented the brewery owned by Pete Welsh. He operated that brewery for three years.

In 1878 Ibach established a brewery near what was known as Tinkcom's Addition in Mankato.  The brewery was signed over to his wife in 1880, for some reason, and presumably the two operated it profitably until it was destroyed by fire in 1887. At that point, at age 55, Jacob Ibach and his wife Margaret, aged 44, retired from the brewery business.

Joseph Ibach died on January 24, 1908 at age 75 years.  Margaret passed away the following year.