[Fwd: Re: BJCP Points Recorded]

Hi Folks! Just had some of Surly's beer at the opening of the Hometown MiniTour at Old Chicago. Get out there and support a new local brewery! The staff are also great people - Omar and Todd in particular! So, drinking Surly goes along with the kind of week I'm having with one particular project at work, and that's all I'll say about work in a beer related email. But, then I got a note about the points I earned as Head Steward for MCAB and I got my little lecture going about the value of the written exam for BJCP. I've only heard people agree with me in one-on-one conversations and thought, gee, what does the whole club think? Or, just the members who respond to email because work is slow or they love computers. Now then, take a minute and put your thoughts together and let the BJCP know........that's the only way it will get changed. Or, if you think I'm wrong, let me know and I'll just keep brewing, drinking and sit quietly in the corner (with a good beer, of course). Cheers! -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: BJCP Points Recorded Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 15:28:06 -0600 From: Mike Behrendt <MGBehrendt(a)mn.rr.com> To: BJCP Program Administrator <program_admin(a)bjcp.org> References: <20060329200036.29816.qmail(a)morebeer.com> thanks! Now someone needs to convince me that I should retake the written part of the exam.........I still believe it goes way beyond qualifying people to be competition judges...........I've passed that part. I just don't see why memorizing stuff about the history of each category, etc., etc., should be part of this when judges have the guidelines and any other material open at a competition if they need to know it. I've brewed for enough year and have enough medals. And some of the score sheets I get show that you should emphasize better tasting ability than essay writing. You're not focusing on the correct issues. Scores of high 30's with comments of 'no serious flaws' just doesn't cut it. So, I'll continue to brew and help out as a Head Steward, but I'll not try to memorize how to describe and differentiate between the beers of Edinburgh, London and Burton. I especially don't care about creating an all-grain recipe as I've done well enough with extract and grains and will stay with that. So, I'd suggest a revamping of the exam and perhaps your whole purpose in the judging of homebrewing. Are you certifying judges or giving out degrees in brewing? I'm open for any conversations on this. Just provide some good beer at the same time. Cheers! //Mike Behrendt MGBehrendt(a)mn.rr.com Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others. Groucho Marx BJCP Program Administrator wrote: -- //Mike Behrendt MGBehrendt(a)mn.rr.com Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others. Groucho Marx