The Minnesota Home Brewers Association will again be offering the Beer Judge Certification Program classes this coming winter. If you are interested in taking the course please send me an e-mail at cristj(a)bsci.com <cristj(a)bsci.com> . The class consists of 14 consecutive Thursdays, from 6-10pm starting January 8th. The BJCP exam is scheduled for Saturday April 17th. Each week we discuss and learn about a specific technical brewing topic, as well as taste and discuss specific beer styles, both commercial "classic" examples of the style as well as homebrewed examples. Each week we will be judging at least one beer, complete with scoresheets, to improve our judging and feedback abilities. The proposed schedule is below. Locations for the classes will rotate around the Twin Cities, hosted by several of the club members. The winter class will run much the same as the fall classes: 1) class size will be limited to 12 to ensure we can fit in all the host houses and for better class interaction 2) the cost for the class will be $50 for first timers and $30 for people who have taken the BJCP exam before. The cost is to be paid by the 3rd class and is non-refundable. PLEASE UNDERSTAND what this money covers and why we ask you to pay in advance: a) this is the exam fee for the April BJCP exam - you won't have to pay it again later. b) if you pay your fee in advance (non-refundable) you will be more committed to studying and taking the exam. 3) Drop-ins are welcome (as long as we have space available) - if possible, please let me or the host know you will be coming. Please bring a 6-pack of the weekly style to share with the class. Homebrew is highly encouraged. The course schedule is organized much the same as the fall session, with the technical topics somewhat in the order of a brew session and the styles, where possible, from lighter to darker. Two of the early styles, fruit/vege/spiced beers and ciders, are placed early because they are not on the exam. Meads are also not on the exam but were scheduled to coincide with an upcoming club only competition. The second Doctored Beer session will be different from the first session in that the flavors will be at the threshold level and the focus will be on how/what do you tell the brewer to fix. Each class will be broken down into 3 (or 4) parts: 30 mins: Judge a beer, score it, then discuss it. 45-60 mins: Technical Topic 15-30 mins: Quizzes - not every week, but be prepared! 60+ mins: Beer Styles - sample and discuss the weekly style of beer This fall about 8 people are taking the class and scheduled to take the exam in December. I'm sure everyone in the class would agree that not only did they learn about beer judging, but they also became better brewers. We always have a lot of fun! If you want to learn about beer and brewing - come join us! Jonathan 2004 MINNESOTA HOME BREWERS ASSOCIATION BEER JUDGE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM CLASSES WK DATE TOPIC STYLE 1. 8 Jan Doctored Beer Seminar Technical Topic: Flavors and Aromas Researcher: Jonathan Crist 2 15 Jan Light Ale, Fruit, Spice, Herb, Vege Ale 3, 21, 22, 24 Technical Topic: Sanitation 3 22 Jan Cider 26 Technical Topic: Water 4 29 Jan Light Lagers 1, 2 Technical Topic: Malt - from the husk to the brewer 5 5 Feb Amber and Dark Lagers 9, 13, 14 Technical Topic: Mashing - from the brewer to beer 6 12 Feb Bitters and Pale Ales 4, 6, 7 Technical Topic: Hops 7 19 Feb Brown, Scottish, Strong Scotch Ale 5, 10, 11b Technical Topic: Yeast 8 26 Feb German Ale, Wheat Beer, Rauch bier 8, 17, 23 Technical Topic: Adjuncts and Packaging 9 4 Mar Other Belgian Ales 19a-b, 20 Technical Topic: Troubleshooting 10 11 Mar Strong Belgian and French Ales 18, 19c-e Technical Topic: Brewing Procedures - boil onward 11 18 Mar Meads 25 Technical Topic: Recipe Formulation Club Only: Mead, due in April 12 25 Mar Stout and Porters 12c, 15, 16 Technical Topic: BJCP Knowledge 13 1 Apr Barleywines and Old Ales 11a, 12a-b Technical Topic: Doctored Beer II 14 8 Apr or Study Session: Q & A 15 Apr 15 17 Apr BJCP EXAM !!!