BJCP Preparation Class

Become a Beer Judge

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Think you can tell a good beer from a bad beer? If so, how about formalizing your credentials by becoming an offical beer judge?

Periodically, some of the local homebrew clubs host an exam for the Beer Judge Certification Program. Some of the topics covered include use of the official score sheet, definitions of beer styles, flavor contributions of various ingredients, brewing techniques, and identification of brewing defects. We'll sample a variety of beer styles, including styles you've never tried before. If you still have a notebook from a previous session, please bring it. I'll give you some fresh material representing the new BJCP styles.

Thanks to Kevin Koening, Greg Beron, Bruce Brode and Michael Froelich for proctoring and judging at the last exam.

Course Costs

Exam: $50 ($30 for second-time takers)
Class: $35
Notebook $25

Class Organization

Each class will consist of three parts:

1. Technical Topics, including brewing techniques, use of ingredients and identification of flavor defects.
2. Beer Style Study, including judgings of commercial beers and homebrews. If you have a homebrew you'd like to share, please let me know so I can schedule it in. We'll taste 4 to 6 beers per class (not 14!) If enough people donate beer, you'll get a refund for part of the class costs.
3. Homework Assignments. We'll write up one of these at each class. For best results, I recommend that you write up answers to all of the sample questions. If you e-mail me your responses a few days before the next class, I'll review them and provide constructive comments.