Tips for a first time beer judge?

[Javaslinger]

Local BJCP contest and I'll be participating as a judge for the first time. They'll have me paired up with an experienced judge of course. I've been given all the literature and read it closely, but I'm hoping for some tips from some experienced judges out there. I'd like to do they best job I can and provide as useful feedback as I can come up with.

Seems like a good beer judge vocabulary is a big part of it!

 

[brewshki]

Local BJCP contest and I'll be participating as a judge for the first time. They'll have me paired up with an experienced judge of course. I've been given all the literature and read it closely, but I'm hoping for some tips from some experienced judges out there. I'd like to do they best job I can and provide as useful feedback as I can come up with.

Seems like a good beer judge vocabulary is a big part of it!

Advice from not a judge, but a recent participant: please give as much info/description as possible. I just got three score sheets for a beer and one was great and informative and one gave me absolutely nothing after he detected a flavor he didn't like.

 

[dmtaylor]

Write down only what you taste. Do NOT write down what the other judge tastes unless you are certain you taste the same thing. If not sure, do not write it. Also, do not be afraid to argue a little with your experienced judge. You might detect something that they do not and that is O.K.!

 

[shoreman]

Are you also a bjcp judge? I am a bjcp judge and a couple tips:

1 be objective, make sure you approach the beer with no preconceived notions b/c you might be judging stouts - doesn’t matter if you like stouts or not.

2. Have an educated conversation with the other judge about the style.

3. Most important, have some fun!!

 

[aprichman]

Get ready to taste a bunch of gross beers.

 

[dmtaylor]

Get ready to taste a bunch of gross beers.

On the contrary, I find that overall average quality of homebrews has improved significantly over the past 10 years or so. Probably 90% or more of the homebrews I have tasted in the last couple of years have scored 28 or higher, with most in the low to upper 30s. Most are pretty darn good honestly -- not commonly stellar, but pretty good. In the old days there was a whole lot more of "oh my gosh why did they bother to enter this fecal matter!?!" It's not like that much anymore.

 

[aprichman]

On the contrary, I find that overall average quality of homebrews has improved significantly over the past 10 years or so. Probably 90% or more of the homebrews I have tasted in the last couple of years have scored 28 or higher, with most in the low to upper 30s. Most are pretty darn good honestly -- not commonly stellar, but pretty good. In the old days there was a whole lot more of "oh my gosh why did they bother to enter this fecal matter!?!" It's not like that much anymore.

They're good in the same sense that a six year olds picture is "good". 75% of the beers I have tried that go to competition have considerable flaws and/or off flavors.

 

[dmtaylor]

They're good in the same sense that a six year olds picture is "good". 75% of the beers I have tried that go to competition have considerable flaws and/or off flavors.

Okay, so most beers aren't scoring in the 40s. I'll give you that. But I also would not call them "gross". I just wouldn't pay $6/pint to drink them.