My thoughts still are.
Based on what you do know, your Hood's had downstream trades in the family, logic says that these skills were probably passed down the generations, leather trade, brewing and cooper trades, and seeming publicans. If John Hood innkeeper put his supposed son George Hood bapt 1786 Gateshead into a trade that is known to be associated to the brewing industry, the need for barrels and putting George into a definite trade but would also be brought up around the brewing linked outlets of distribution to learn from.
There is definite baptism for George Hood 1786 Gateshead with no after life recorded after. ( a baptism a high need to have or work around than not having one)
There is a very probable or possible explanation for George's skills and fathers or family financial backing.
Plus the Gibson marriage to a John Hood 1779 and Richard Gibson's father of Newcastle on tyne that maybe linked