I’m switching from nightshift to day and in a hotel, so can’t sleep. Thought I’d share a couple things I learned in my first experience judging.
I was welcomed in to the group and put to work just like I was always supposed to be there. My wife was a steward and had a ball. She felt right at home too. I’m even more appreciative of that. Great people in Seattle!
We used cued judging and the newish checkbox judging sheet. I’ll bet some entrants won’t be happy with that, thinking it’s lazy, but I was quickly glad for it. Especially when we were still judging at 930 Friday night.
I tried to write helpful comments though it wasn’t always easy. I found myself thinking that it’s unreasonable for brewers to rely too heavily on score sheets to teach them how to brew. Perhaps some value if they are able to interpret and make their own adjustments.
I had little idea of what to expect for quality or scores. After 8 or so Stouts, 10 or so Porters, and a dozen American Ales, (a large enough number to get a feel) I found most were fairly well made. Only three or four had serious issues. None were gag reflex undrinkable. The numbers were what struck me. I didn’t keep a tally but most were mid to high 20s. Only about 10% broke the 40 mark. I think our highest was 42. So I now think 35 and up is something to be happy with. I suppose it depends on your level of skill and experience though.
I was very leery that I’d be worth a darn as a judge. But I found that with very few exceptions my initial perception was accurate and my scores were usually within 3-4 points of the experienced/real judges. I’m looking forward to the judging exam now. It will be a reward to sit on a BOS some day.
I need to have a stack of score sheets at home and practice more. I think it’s a balance between quality feedback and speed.
I don’t know how my own entries did. Having judged now, I think I’ll be far less critical of my score sheets than if I didn’t know what it was like to sit there and actually do it. Expecting a well written score sheet from a National judge, with multiple brewing tips, is simply unreasonable. If all judges did that, it would be a 3 day event minimum. I don’t think I could do it even if you paid me. On that note, I was extremely impressed with the quality of people who volunteer for this job. Kudos!
I’d like to say thanks to everyone who helped make a very fun and educational weekend for both my wife and for me.
An interesting perspective Jim. I have neither judged nor had a beer I brewed judged. I am going to start a BJCP class in a week or so though. Whether I end up getting certified or not, it will be a good education I’m sure.
I’m glad it was a good experience for you. Thanks for the insight. Now get some sleep.
I am not a judge. But, I do appreciate the work judges put in to score beer. I use the comments on the sheets to make my beer better. Therefore, i appreciate your comments. Thanks!
I personally believe that brewers should be happy to receive any score above 29. A 30 beer is a beer that is good enough to sell. The difference between a 30 beer and a 40 beer is usually style guideline related, not beer quality related.
I tend to agree with this. Actually there are many fairly well known beers on the market that are great but don’t fit the guidelines super well.
The scoring is unique compared to the rest of the world. It seems like 30 of 50 would be low. That’s a 60%, which in the real world is a D, and one point over failure. But the point spread definition at the bottom of the page puts it in perspective. Anyway, it was a great experience
I started to disagree, but then realized that is only because I am a judge. I’m sure someone’s going to take this the wrong way, but with a few exceptions I view a 30 on one of my beers as a waste of an entry fee. My personal goal for some time has required a 36 to be satisfied. But then, people use so little of the scale perhaps I need to adjust. So, long story short, I sort of agree.
