BJCP Exam in Halifax - Jan 31, 2015

[chicanuck]

We are on the schedule: http://bjcp.org/exams.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have 15 names of interested people, and I have the order i which they made their interest known.

I only have 12 seats.

Please put me on the waiting list, I am 100% interested if there is an open spot. I can also fill a spot on short notice, as I have been reading up on the BJCP guidelines for a while now. I am also quite comfortable with waiting until 2016 or beyond I suppose.

Thanks, Greg

[mikeorr]

Should we look into ordering a BJCP flavor kit? http://www.bjcp.org/cep/kits.php

[mcgster]

Jeff,

Do we know if we are on the list? I wasn't sure if i made the cut or not and i'll have to make flight arrangements when the time comes.

Thanks!

I have checked with the exam director. He indicates that the new Guidelines are still under discussion and would not be launched until at least 6 months from now. So this exam will be conducted using the 2008 Guidelines.

Jeff

[AngeSponge]

Should we look into ordering a BJCP flavor kit? http://www.bjcp.org/cep/kits.php

I'd love to join if there's a study group with an off-flavour kit. Anyone know if there are any plans for that?

[amartin]

I'd be up for that too.

[Brewnoser]

I have an off flavour kit for anyone who wants to coordinate.

[amartin]

I have an off flavour kit for anyone who wants to coordinate.

I don't mind hosting, but I'm a little out of the way for some of you on the Halifax side, especially in December.

[anewton]

I know someone interested. Can I put a hold on a spot for the waiting list for them?

Andrew

[chalmers]

We need some keen folks who'll be taking the exam to step up and coordinate some tastings. Let's make a good go of this!

I can't help the new crew until January, but am happy to do so at that time.

[CartoonCod]

I can help with meetings during the week. So far it looks just like amartin's place is available, Andrew is this still the case? Last chance for a peninsula spot.

[amartin]

I can still host. How is next Thursday night for everyone? The following weekend is open for me too. Also, how do these things work? If Jeff's off flavour kit it still available, how does it work? Do we try all of the flaws in one session, or is it better broken up?

[mikeorr]

I can also host meetings, but I'm out in Sackville so might not be the most conveniently located... Sadly I won't be able to make next Thursday, it's my work holiday party.

[LeafMan66_67]

I can make next Thursday.

[CartoonCod]

If Jeff's off flavour kit it still available, how does it work? Do we try all of the flaws in one session, or is it better broken up?

The off flavour kit is just a bunch of chemicals that you can each add to a beer. By measuring how much chemical you add into a known amount of beer you can an idea of the taste thresholds of the individuals tasting it. The off flavour kit is good for two things in particular: 1) identifying certain off flavours 2) quantifying the taste threshold of off flavours. In my opinion for some off flavours (lactic acid, vinegar, oxidation, dms, diacetyl) it is worth buying commercial examples (Rolling Rock, SeaLevel, Lambic etc...) or doctering beers to get an idea of how to identify those flavours. Then you can use the flavour kit to identify the other harder to replicate off flavours. In the last BCJP tasting sessions we were given doctored beers (I think it was originally Coors light) to the known taste thresholds. I seem to remember having a hard time with it partly because I didn't know what I was looking for. By getting a bit of practice before hand you will probably get more out of the flavour kit. I would recommend having one tasting session where you use the flavour kit just because of the logistics of moving it around everywhere.

In the last BJCP tastings, we usually focused on a few styles per meeting but since you guys will probably have less meetings I guess lump them into broad categories and try to bring at least one beer from each. As a strawman, maybe categories 1 through 4 along with Rolling Rock as a DMS beer?

[amartin]

Thanks Adam.

When you mention bringing a beer from each category, do you mean category or subcategory? I guess if we have time limitations we might not be able to taste as much as we'd like, but some of the categories vary quite a bit.

Derek and Mike - how does next weekend work for you?

[amartin]

Also, do you think homebrewed versions that have already been scored well by BJCP judges would be useful for tasting? I ask because some of us have been competing lately, and there are quite a few American wheat/rye beers around right now, and with the advent calendar going on, there are a lot of beers being judged that we might be able to get our hands on if the brewers had some extra around. I think it could be a useful exercise to taste beers, and then compare them to what judges wrote on the score sheets.

[LeafMan66_67]

Unfortunately this time of year, weekends are at a premium

[amartin]

Yeah, I guess that's probably true for most people. I'm going to assume that the following two weeks are probably a write off for most people as well. Given the time restraints that we're looking at though, I think we should really push to have at least one tasting session next week, just so we're not scrambling to do it all in January. I'm not sure who is on the list here, but we'll just have to hope that people who are interested are paying attention to this forum. I can host next Thursday or Friday, and could attend (but not host) if it was Tuesday.

[LeafMan66_67]

I'm good for Tuesday (keep in mind that is Brewnoser Meeting Night) and Thursday, but weekends are out until January.

[mikeorr]

Yeah, I guess that's probably true for most people. I'm going to assume that the following two weeks are probably a write off for most people as well. Given the time restraints that we're looking at though, I think we should really push to have at least one tasting session next week, just so we're not scrambling to do it all in January. I'm not sure who is on the list here, but we'll just have to hope that people who are interested are paying attention to this forum. I can host next Thursday or Friday, and could attend (but not host) if it was Tuesday.

Yeah, probably going to be tough until after the holidays.

Weekends are good for me, though I could host next Friday....

[CartoonCod]

When you mention bringing a beer from each category, do you mean category or subcategory? I guess if we have time limitations we might not be able to taste as much as we'd like, but some of the categories vary quite a bit.

Ideally you would taste from each subcategory, but like you said there are time constraints. Even when we met last year we didn't get around to tasting all the subcategories. I would say it make intelligent decisions based on the differences in style and which ones are available. For example, on an individual basis, it would be worth trying all the subcategories of the light lagers, but as a group I'm sure one or two of them would be fine.

Also, do you think homebrewed versions that have already been scored well by BJCP judges would be useful for tasting? I ask because some of us have been competing lately, and there are quite a few American wheat/rye beers around right now, and with the advent calendar going on, there are a lot of beers being judged that we might be able to get our hands on if the brewers had some extra around. I think it could be a useful exercise to taste beers, and then compare them to what judges wrote on the score sheets.

Sure, homebrew is fine, even non-listed examples are fine. After all most BJCP judges judge homebrew. Even if a style that you guys sample is not on the mark the group can still comment on what parts are to style and what parts are not.

Another thing, there are lots of resources on the bjcp website. Be sure to check them out.

[chalmers]

The threads that GRock and GAM were spearheading were an excellent way to encourage mass tasting, but without everyone having to be together in one spot. I'd encourage you all to revive that.
I don't want to scare people, but I really hope folks have been chatting via email amongst themselves, as drinking while thinking critically, is the key to doing well. And I don't see a lot of that happening yet! Just an encouraging push from a judge who wishes he'd prepped more for his exam. Also be aware of the time limit you'll have the day of, about 15-20 min per beer, and managing to fill out the entire sheet.

[AngeSponge]

Yeah, I guess that's probably true for most people. I'm going to assume that the following two weeks are probably a write off for most people as well. Given the time restraints that we're looking at though, I think we should really push to have at least one tasting session next week, just so we're not scrambling to do it all in January. I'm not sure who is on the list here, but we'll just have to hope that people who are interested are paying attention to this forum. I can host next Thursday or Friday, and could attend (but not host) if it was Tuesday.

I can go Thursday evening after 8 sometime, but probably not Tuesday.

[GAM]

Thursdays are out for me. I can host on Wendsdays.

Sandy

[amartin]

The threads that GRock and GAM were spearheading were an excellent way to encourage mass tasting, but without everyone having to be together in one spot. I'd encourage you all to revive that.
I don't want to scare people, but I really hope folks have been chatting via email amongst themselves, as drinking while thinking critically, is the key to doing well. And I don't see a lot of that happening yet! Just an encouraging push from a judge who wishes he'd prepped more for his exam. Also be aware of the time limit you'll have the day of, about 15-20 min per beer, and managing to fill out the entire sheet.

Since many of us are trying new beers every night with the advent calendar, it would be a good idea for us to print some score sheets and mark them, and then discuss in the recipe thread. That seems to be happening anyway, and we're all pretty thick skinned.