OnTap Magazine

Lucy Corne Tatenda Chivaura WHAT IS IT? An American organisation that offers globally recognised beer judging certification. Once you’ve passed the tasting exam, you can work your way up the ranks with the ultimate goal being tobecome aGrandmaster. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? The initial entrance exam costs just US$10 (R175). The tasting exam is US$40 (R690). WHO SHOULD TAKE IT? Anyone who’s interested in becoming a beer judge, a better brewer or who just wants to learn more about beer. Even if you don’t fancy actually judging, studying for the exam will undoubtedly improve your beer knowledge and your palate. It’s also fairly affordable – so what are you waiting for? WHAT DOES IT COVER? The focus is on sensory perception – being able to describe the flavours and aromas in a range of beers – and on giving valuable feedback to brewers on how their beers can be improved. Adeep knowledge of the BJCP guidelines is essential – download the app or if you’re old-school, print off a copy of the guidelines and start tasting with them to hand. Once you’ve passed the judging exam you can start accumulating judging points to help move through the ranks. To become a national level judge you will need a score of over 80 in the tasting exam, 20 judging points and will need to pass a further written exam. HOW DO YOU STUDY FOR IT? The first step is to familiarise yourself with the BJCP Style Guidelines. Get a study group together and start tasting beers against the guidelines, filling in the BJCP judging form with your observations. You don’t even need a study group – just print off a load of judging forms and practice by yourself whenever you open a beer. Other valuable resources are John Palmer’s How to Brew and the BJCP website, which has loads of info, albeit some of it fairly well hidden at times. WHAT’S THE EXAM LIKE? The online entrance exam is a tricky beast! You get an hour to answer 180 questions, which include multiple choice, true or false and “check all that apply” formats. The judging exam is a 90-minute in-person test during which you’ll receive six beers that you will have to assess and give feedback on. The examiner will tell you the style and you score the beer according to its appropriateness for that style. While the online exam is open book, the judging exam is not, so you really need a good grasp of the style guidelines to do well. INSIDER TIP Be sure to leave plenty of time between taking the online exam and the judging exam. You can’t retake the online exam within a 24-hour period and plenty of people struggle the first time. More than one person has left it until the last minute and ended up unable to take the tasting exam as they didn’t pass the entrance exam in time. FOR MORE INFORMATION Check out bjcp.org and contact your local homebrew club to find out when the next exam is taking place in SA. WHAT IS IT? A globally recognised brewer training programme based in the UK. The IBD has four levels of certification: Foundation in Brewing, General Certificate in Brewing, Diploma in Brewing and Master Brewer. HOWMUCH DOES IT COST? The Foundation in Brewing costs GB £350 (R7200), which includes study materials. The General Certificate costs GB£505 (R12,400), while the Diploma is £550 (R11,330) per module. WHO SHOULD TAKE IT? The IBD exams are technical brewing qualifications primarily aimed at those working as professional brewers, although there’s nothing stopping an avid homebrewer from tackling the syllabus. BEER JUDGE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM (BJCP) INSTITUTE OF BREWING AND DISTILLING (IBD) ontapmag.co.za | Summer 2022 | 31