Yes, I know it is a pretentious title. But at least it is incomplete .

I like to judge beer. I have brewed and judged for awhile, and have a feel for both processes. Here is some basic information and thoughts on the judging process, though the BJCP is the place to go to get such references as a comprehensive guide to styles of beer or a study guide should you wish to become a judge.

Here are pointers to the various sections of my ramblings, so you can skip the parts you aren't interested in :

What Is Judging Beer, Anyway?

It isn't simply saying "I like/don't like it". After all, as a judge, you are trying to give feedback to the brewer so he or she can improve the beer.

Why Judge Beer?

To help out fellow brewers and to see first hand how the brewing community is getting better every year.

Sensory Input

This is what is different about each person--how sensitive they are to different flavors and aromas. However, learning about the types of sensations is important--how the tongue works, how the nose works, etc.

For instance, you can sense four tastes with your tongue:

Someday I will include a nice picture of this.

Describing Your Perceptions

You should use the right terms. Otherwise no one knows what you are talking about.

Adherence to Style

For a complete reference to Beer Styles, check out the 1997 BJCP Style Guidelines. Another version (HTML instead of PDF) of the 1997 BJCP Style Guidelines, plus a < HREF="http://triton.cms.udel.edu/~oliver/firststate/docs/styletable.html"> summary table with color, IBU, and Original Gravity ranges. Thanks to First State Brewers.

Otherwise, I mainly think of the styles as a way to describe and quantify your beer. This helps the consumer who now has some idea what type of beer it is, and it is a good brewing exercise to see if you can get the results you intended.

For instance, if you are talking about Italian marinara sauce, you must agree that it requires tomatoes. You almost certainly agree it requires garlic. There may be some leeway about oregano. And so on. Everyone's recipe is likely to be somewhat different, yet there are certain required items in common, and a whole lot more that are generally expected. Putting together everything could be considered a style guideline for Italian marinara sauce.

On the other hand, maybe I feel like making "spaghetti sauce" and skipping the garlic, adding orange peel and cinnamon. OK, maybe it won't taste as good, but there's no police to stop me.

Sometimes a brewer (home or otherwise) wants to make a classic style of beer as 99% of the consumers expect it to be. And sometimes a brewer wants to make something unusual. I have done both.

Miscellaneous

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