I’m wondering if there are folks out there that have taken the Better Beer Scores online course and subsequently passed the BJCP exam? Testimonials? I read the ones on the the Craft Beer U site but none mentioned exam success that they attribute to the course. It looks like a pretty good and convenient program.
This is gonna help me too, I was gonna post about the same thing but you beat me to it. I don’t really care about the BJCP exam right now, I’ve only been brewing for about 9 months and I want to become better at judging beer, appreciating every flavor in it, and detecting off-flavors. I don’t know anything about the course but for $200 its not really expensive. Any comments on it?
This is my $0.02, so take it for what it is worth.
I took my first BJCP Exam a very long time ago and the questions were not published. If fact you had to scour the web to find any inkling about what was going to be included. I’m not sure they were published the second time I retook the exam. Now everything is on the BJCP site to see in the BJCP Study Guide.
http://www.bjcp.org/examcenter.php
In April the exam will change to a web-based exam. Since no one outside of some exam graders has been associated with that question pool and the questions are not going to be published I’m not sure how the Better Beer Scores folks plan to handle their coursework moving forward, especially with an exam they have never seen and one which is not going to repeat the questions. The pool of questions is large and will be rotated and my understanding is the randomization will keep the exam from being repeatable for nearly 10 years.
Now the BJCP Written Proficiency Exam will mirror the current exam and BBS may help in that manner, but the examinee will already have a taste score 80 or above by that time and 10 judging points so they will be experienced. That question set for that exam will be published (as it currently is). I just cannot see anyone paying big $ for exam prep anymore. I do believe we will see many try to take the web-based entry exam with little to no prep and that would be a bad idea. It isn’t going to be easy just because it’s available on the web. The BBS guys may be able to create a study course for it since it will query similar information to the current exam, but in a different format.
As far as how to evaluate a beer properly, here is a writeup.
Detecting off-flavors and aromas takes some practice to train your palate to recognize them. The best thing you can do IMO is to find flawed samples or to doctor the beers and learn what those flavors and aromas are, what causes them, and how to identify them. After several thousand beers you’ll be a pro, and very, very happy 
Nice little write up on beer evaluation Mike.
Whats the best/cheapest way to get “doctoring” kits to add the off flavors to beers? Ive been wanting to do this for a while now.
I believe the BJCP has a kit, but it’s only available to those in the program. Check their website for details. The Siebel Institute also sells a kit, but it’s not cheap, $190. http://www.siebelinstitute.com/products-a-books/sensory-training-kits?page=shop.product_details&category_id=6&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=18
The BJCP exam study guide also has suggestions to doctor beer for certain off flavors.
Very helpful information, thanks everybody!
Anyone else glad it’s Friday? 
+1 and +100000
Mike,
I don’t see any new information since December 2011 regarding those BJCP judges who’ve reached the “Certified” level. Do they need to first take the sensory portion of the exam and hope to score above 80 before they can retake the written portion of the exam? thanks.
I’m not Mike, but it is my understanding that your current tasting score has to be 80 or higher in order to sit for the essay exam again.
That one I can answer…after April 1, a Certified judge with a taste score less than 80 would have to retake the 6 beer taste and achieve a score 80 or above in order to take the BJCP Written Proficiency Exam.
Hello Pinski,
I’m one of the three partners that make up Craft Beer U along with Charlie Gottenkieny and Jonathan Aronson. True, we do have some testimonials posted on our site and plenty of other satisfied students and alumni of Better Beer Scores. However, we have yet to receive much data from alumni regarding their success taking the actual BJCP exam due to the very limited availability exam spots (in fact, I wasn’t able to secure a spot myself locally until April 2013). Because of the scarcity of exam spots in the near future, we record all class sessions and make them available, along with other resources, to our students and alumni via our website for 1 year after their course ends for study/review purposes.
We are in contact with our alumni to report to us their exam results, but at present, very few have actually taken the exam. None have received their scores yet (to my knowledge). I will check with my partners and post back.
My opinion, albeit a bit biased, is that you are not going to get a better BJCP exam prep experience anywhere, whether you are taking the exam under the “old” way or the new. We are acutely aware of the changes in the exam procedures and have already taken steps to incorporate them into our curricula.
A side effect of Better Beer Scores is students reporting significantly increased beer evaluation skills and further depth of craft beer and brewing-related knowledge.
Give it a whirl! Plus, you get a 20% discount for being an AHA member.
Cheers and thanks,
Geoff
I conferred with my partners and checked our records. We do not have any reports of scores from students/alumni as yet. Given the average turn-around time for scoring exams, we expect to have reports coming in beginning April, 2012.
Geoff
Thanks Geoff that’s good to know and I kind of figured there might not be many sucess stories yet just due to the fact that the program is so new and it sure sounds like turnaround on the exams takes a hell of a long time.
Nice explanation Mike!
You should be considered for the Continuing Ed. Director.
Nope, no Ed Director for me. I’m not sure if they are still looking or not… ???
As far as I know, Kris England has taken it back.
As for doctored beer kits, the BJCP will sell a Siebel off-flavor kits at subsidized prices to HB clubs and to people who are running registered “BICEP” exam prep classes. Details here:
http://www.bjcp.org/cep/kits.php
For DYI off-flavor kits, this is what I’ve used in the past:
No insult meant to the Craft Beer U guys, but you can get a lot of very good test prep resources for free at the BJCP web site (including the members forums) and by searching the web. In particular, the Washington Area Homebrewers Association has some amazing resources, including links to streaming audio and video presentations of BICEP training classes.
OTOH, if you don’t have access to a good high speed internet connection or a whole lot of good brewing resources, and you don’t test well, you might benefit from their product.
Good day all,
I enrolled in the BBS course under a recent promotion and began class in January. I am also interested in how the current curriculum will translate to the new test and am anxiously waiting for the AHA to release the on-line portion so I can take that test.
I will say this, the course does a very good job delivering testing strategies, ways to study, and techniques for breaking down information such as recipes and processes. They also force you to taste and evaluate different styles of beer, and hear what other people taste and smell. I have found that to be a great asset. I’ve done some sensory analysis training in the past and there is no substitute for having a group taste the same beer and share their impressions.
I am sure you could tackle a lot of the information yourself but the BBS guys do a good job presenting the material and highlighting testing strategies. When the test changes, I am sure they will be supportive to those of us who have studied under the old syllabus.
I am only one person, but I am pretty happy with the class so far. If I had to note one complaint it would only be that at times their responsiveness to e-mailed questions and homework is a bit slow. This is really a minor complaint and may very well be isolated to just me.
Overall, Charlie and the rest of the BBS folks put on a really solid and well focused course. I am a satisfied customer after Week 10.