The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) is an independent non-profit membership organization of beer judges. It was formed in 1985 through the efforts of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) and the Home Wine and Beer Trade Association (HWBTA). Over 1500 judges are currently active in the program. The purpose of the BJCP is to promote beer literacy and the appreciation of real beer, and to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills.
The three-hour BJCP exam is given in two parts: essay and tasting, The essay portion, worth 70 percent of the final score, is designed to determine an individual's overall knowledge of beer and his or her ability to express the information in writing. Essay questions cover the following areas:
The tasting portion of the exam is worth 30 percent of the final score. Each candidate will judge four beers as he or she would at a competition. The prospective judge must score the beer and describe all significant aspects of it, as well as comment on style characteristics.
In preparing for the exam, you should acquire a broad understanding of beer styles, know different brewing methods and how brewing methods correlate with style and flavor. Brewing processes should be understood to the point where you can intelligently discuss various techniques and ingredients and how they may have affected the beer being sampled. Frequent tasting of commercial beers will help you gain further understanding of style differences.
Each club wanting to host an exam must get a National or Master judge to proctor the test. I have spoken to Wendy Aaronson of BURP about getting one of their judges to come assist us, and will confirm their assistance before I book a date. The exam costs $50 for first-time takers, and $30 for retakes.
The BJCP suggests strategies for studying for this exam, including having group study/tasting/discussion sessions. The BJCP also has a study guide available for test-takers. In preparation for our test, I will put together a study group, and make copies of the study guide for each member. I will need to ask for a $10 deposit in order to get materials for the sessions (copies, example beers, etc).
We should meet 10-12 times, each session should last approximately 3 hours. Each session will pair a beer style and aspect of brewing, and involve us in judging. We will use the sample questions provided by the BJCP and look to articles from the recommended reading list as well as our own experience in answering these questions.
Class 1- What is the BJCP? & overview
Class 2- Light Lagers & Malt
Class 3- Amber and Dark Lagers & Water
Class 4- Bitters and Pale Ales & Mashing
Class 5- Brown, Scottish and Strong Scotch Ales & Hops
Class 6- Stout and Porter & Yeast and Fermentation
Class 7- Barleywines and Old Ales & Brewing procedures
Class 8- German Ales, Wheat Beers and Rauchbiers & Troubleshooting I
Class 9- Strong Belgian and French Ales & Troubleshooting II
Class 10- Other Belgian Ales & Recipe Formulation
Class 11- Doctored beer seminar
Participants are encouraged to start on the recommended reading as soon as possible. We may take turns leading the discussions of styles and techniques.
Judges vary widely in their skill and experience. As a result, the BJCP recognizes various levels of accomplishment. An individual's level of certification is determined by two factors: exam score and experience points earned through BJCP registered and AHA sanctioned competitions. The different levels and the criteria for achieving them are outlined below.
Because both exam scores and experience points determine the level of recognition achieved in the BJCP, a judge should strive to meet both types of criteria on an ongoing basis. A judge may wish to retake the exam at a reduced fee in order to achieve the higher score necessary to advance to the next level. A judge will be placed on an inactive list if no experience points are recorded for two years. After two years on the inactive list, a judge will be dropped from the BJCP roster. This policy encourages judges to maintain their skills and assures competition organizers that they are using experienced judges with up to date knowledge of beer styles and judging practices. Upon certification by the BJCP, the judge receives a handsome certificate and a wallet-size card showing the date of award and level of recognition.
I hope that we get a dedicated group of people who want to have a good time with friends while we increase our knowledge and understanding of the beverage we love (and get cool wallet- cards to flash at saucy beertenders). Please consider studying for and taking the BJCP test with us this spring, and contact me if you have any questions-
Stasi York
stasiyork@hotmail.com