The BJCPReporter Issue Number 4 October, 1998 New Board JudgeNet Is Back Help us grow! fter a prolonged absence or those of us who like to Adue to a server failure and Fkeep track of such things, the Members Elected transition to a new operating system, BJCP is still on a steady growth track. lease welcome some new the original JudgeNet is back online. 2,147 of us are receiving this newslet- Pfaces to the BJCP Board of JudgeNet is a public digest for ter. Directors. Our by-laws call for the discussion of topics of interest to But as anyone who has entered a directors to be elected on a rotating beer competition judges and organiz- competition and received a poorly basis every two years, and this was ers. JudgeNet is moderated by BJCP executed score sheet will be happy to one of those years. master beer judge Chuck Cox tell us (at great length), we still have Bill Slack, the newly elected ([email protected]) and is spon- far too few qualified and experienced representative from the Northeast, sored by SynchroSystems. judges for the number of competition has assumed the role of President (or To subscribe to JudgeNet, send a entries available. maybe that should be Chief Justice?). message to Why not schedule a presentation He succeeds Bob Gorman in this [email protected] at your next homebrew club meeting? region. Dennis Davison will remain The body of the message should You could devote 20 or 30 minutes to as Midwestern representative on the contain the following on a line by explaining how to really fill out a first board as well as Treasurer, so we’ll itself: class scoresheet. Chances are, there have good continuity there. subscribe judge will be so much input from those Alan Moen replaced Darryl You’ll receive a welcome mes- present that you’ll run closer to an Richman in the Mountain/Northwest sage with all the details about how to hour at it. But mainly, you’ll be region. Alan will also serve as post messages, etc. generating interest that might lead to Secretary of the Board, so don’t forget JudgeNet is similar to the well- some of those brewers becoming to send him hops on Secretary’s Day. known HomeBrew Digest. If you’ve judges. Steve Moore took over in the never experienced this kind of Another good technique is to try Gulf Coast region from Steve Daniel. electronic forum, here’s how it works: some flavor identification experi- Scott Birdwell hopes to build on You send a message by e-mail. ments. Take two identical pitchers of the momentum Tom Fitzpatrick built The next day, you’ll receive an e-mail beer, but add something to one of up on the Competition Committee. message that contains all the postings them to get an off flavor. One good The full roster of elected and made by all subscribers since the last possibility is some light-struck appointed BJCP officers appears on digest went out. It’s a very efficient (“skunky”) beer. Go easy on whatever page 7. system, and we’re all very grateful to you add; you want the effect to be Chuck Cox for providing this service very subtle. That way, you can talk to beer judges. about how everyone has a different threshold for perceiving different flavors and aromas. “I am as sober as a judge.” The important thing is to show – Henry Fielding your friends that beer judging is fun, Don Quixote in England (1734) interesting, and worthwhile. Act III, scene xiv InMemoriam Please pass the information in this With great regret, we report the untimely deaths of two BJCP judges. newsletter on to your friends, Sheldon Jackson, a BJCP Certified judge, died in August. He was fellow club members, local suppli- quite active in the program in Nevada and Southern California and was a ers, and anyone else you think BJCP proctor in1996. might be interested in beer judging. Mark Johnston, a BJCP National judge, was killed in an automobile Consider making a photocopy or accident in July. He was also a beer writer, and a BJCP exam grader. two. BJCP Reporter gauntlet. Third, it would provide far more entries for competitions, since Judge Not? A Modest Proposal judges would not be able to abstain aving judged at those who do. These exalted indi- from the process. And finally, it homebrew competi- viduals seem to show up at every should (hopefully) provide much tions for the past major contest, regardless of their own better beer for BJCP- sanctioned seven years, I’ve involvement in brewing. Strangely, contests as well. noticed one thing that nobody seems to question the I think these last two points are makes me increas- opinions of persons who are unwill- particularly important. Although ingly uncomfortable. ing to put their own beers on the homebrew competitions such as the As homebrewers move up in the table for evaluation by their peers. NHC seem to be increasing in size judging ranks, many stop entering Even at best, this is an unfair each year, I’ve noticed a decline competitions. Worse yet, they stop system. I think that All BJCP judges, recently in many local and regional brewing altogether. Instead of regardless of rank, should have to ones. Hopefully this change in BJCP making better beers available to the enter a minimum number of sanc- policy would help keep the spirit of homebrewing community, some of tioned competitions- say two each competition alive to a greater degree, these individuals seem to have pulled year- to retain their status as judges. and improve participation in these out of the competition process, while I have the utmost respect for events from the very people who still emerging from time to time to notable beer gurus, like George Fix have already become involved and accumulate points by evaluating the and Byron Burch, who continue to do have learned to make better beer. In efforts of others. this. The only exceptions allowed other words, judge and be judged - or That’s a shame, in my opinion. should be for professional brewers, judge not! There are undoubtedly many reasons those in the homebrew trade, or Obviously, this is only my for this apparent phenomenon: first writers and critics (I’m not trying to opinion. As I understand it, the of all, life seems to get more compli- get myself off the hook, by the way - I question of whether judges ought to cated as we get older, with less time still entered some competitions last enter their own brews to retain their for our hobbies. And, with all the year and have no intention of judging credentials has been raised paperwork, deadlines, packing and stopping now.) before, without being resolved. It shipping involved in entering would probably involve more effort homebrew competitions, it often on the part of both judges and the seems to take more time than we judgeandbejudged– BJCP to monitor such a policy, should have available. In addition, if you keg it be put into effect. Still I believe, for nearly all your beer, as I do, you just orjudgenot! the reasons I have given, that the might not be able to grab (or fill) benefits to BJCP members from this three bottles at any given time and A change in BJCP policy to this change would outweigh any signifi- send them off. effect would produce some positive cant liabilities. But I suspect that there might be results. First of all. it would weed out So isn’t it about time to revise the another reason for this that is a little those in the organization whose current “no entry required” policy? I harder to excuse: namely, that we involvement might be, shall we say, welcome the comments of other BJCP have created a kind of caste system in less than beneficial to homebrewing. judges on this matter. the BJCP which allows those who Secondly, it would encourage fairer Alan Moen may no longer brew or enter competi- judging, since everyone’s beer would Northwest/Mountain Rep tions to forever pass judgment on have to run the same scoresheet Find out when the next exam is in Know what to study to prepare for How do I ... my area? the exam? Here are three good ways: You should have a good knowl- Raise my score to earn a higher • Check the BJCP web site. edge of styles and brewing BJCP rank? • Ask your regional rep. techniques. The BJCP Study Guide • Contact the homebrew clubs nearby; helps a lot. It also helps to be familiar All you have to do is take the most exams are scheduled by clubs. with a wide range of commercial BJCP exam again. It will be very Exams aren’t scheduled as often examples of various styles. Not similar to the one you’ve already as some people would like, but more familiar with a particular style? Try to taken, and you probably know more often than others (the graders) would serve as a competition steward for now than you did then. like. It’s a difficult balancing act. judges who know that style. Most The good news is that it only Grading exams is a lot of work, judges are happy to let their steward costs $30 to take the exam again, and we’re all volunteers here. In taste along with them, and you can instead of the $50 you paid the first practice though, most areas have an learn a lot by simply listening to their time. exam schduled within a reasonable comments.