Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 11:19:21 -0500
Message-Id: <199701291619.LAA01906 at synchro.com>
From: owner-judge-digest at synchro.com
To: judge-digest at synchro.com
Subject:   judge-digest V1 #1373
Reply-To: judge at synchro.com
Errors-To: owner-judge-digest at synchro.com
Precedence: bulk


judge-digest             Wednesday, 29 January 1997     Volume 01 : Number 1373

 ============================================================================
       J u d g e N e t   -   t h e   b e e r   j u d g e   d i g e s t
 ============================================================================

 Moderator:        Chuck Cox          <chuck at synchro.com>
 Archivist:        Spencer Thomas     <spencer at umich.edu>
 Publisher:        SynchroSystems     <info at synchro.com>

 Submissions:      judge at synchro.com
 Administration:   judge-request at synchro.com
 Archive:          http://realbeer.com/spencer/judge
 BJCP info:        geninfo at bjcp.synchro.com

 ============================================================================
 contents:

 Re: Alt
 Updated BJCP exam schedule
 Extremes

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: GSMITHBEER at aol.com
Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 12:21:20 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Alt

Mr.Spencer misses the enter point about the "Vagaries" of any
judging...(including home brew by the way.) Can't even tell you how many best
of shows I've watched pick a barley wine (or imperial stout - no matter,
always a big beer) as the winner, then when you sample it you find it's an
undrinkable cough syrup.....

Maybe we should also boycott homebrew competitions ;-) and\or weed them
out....death to the infidels!!!!!!   ;-)

Sorry folks, it doesn't matter who's competition it is...you'll always find
an example.....  us poor humans are always subjest to errors.     :-)

------------------------------

From: Scott Bickham <bickham at dave.nrl.navy.mil>
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 10:25:07 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Updated BJCP exam schedule

There are two important revisions.  The Ft. Collins exam, originally
scheduled for February, will be postponed to April to reduce the
chance of inclement weather.  Also, it looks like the Montreal
exam will also be postponed until there is more interest.  Other than
that, things are progressing at a steady pace, with 4-5 exams planned
for each of the next four months.  Here is the current schedule:

	
Date	Location 	        Contact Person 	   Phone Number
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
2/1	Harpers Ferry, WV	Scott Bickham      (410) 290-7721
2/7	Charlotte, NC           John Mitchell      (704) 864-3450
2/8  	Brighton, MI		Bill Pfeiffer      (810) 229-0727
2/15    Fairbanks, AK           Roger Penrod       (907) 479-8795
2/23	Kansas City		Alberta Rager	   (913) 962-2501

3/1	Pittsburgh		Ralph Colaizzi	   (412) 331-5645
3/8	Dallas, TX		Steve Russell      (972) 308-0176
3/15	Sacramento, CA		Martin Lodahl      (916) 823-0202
3/22	Irving, TX		A.L. Kinchen	   (972) 241-4986

4/4     Binghamton, NY          Peter Garofalo     (315) 428-0952
4/5	Boise, ID		Loren Carter       (208) 385-3473
4/6     Baytown, TX             Andy Thomas        (713) 493-3356

5/3	Orlando, FL		Mac Monroe	   (407) 253-2534
5/10    Birmingham, AL          Ginger Wotring
5/10    Naperville, IL          Tom Fitzpatrick
6/7	Fresno, CA		Jim Lopes         (209) 227-7994

10/97   Bellevue, WA		Mark Henry	   (206) 882-9929

                    In the works
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
3/97    Omaha, NE		Frank Sobetski    (402) 593-9171
4/97    Ft. Collins, CO		Larry Pyeatt
4/97	Rochester, NY		Todd Colin
4/97	Boston, MA		Dan Hall
5/97	Regina, Sask.		Bev Robertson	  (306) 359-7276
5/97	New Albany, IN		Dibbs Harting
6/97    Minneapolis             Jim Ellingson

------------------------------

From: folsom at ix.netcom.com (Alan Folsom)
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 09:03:37 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Extremes

A phenomenon I've noticed lately with judging is that a beer rarely 
scores well if it does not push the extremes of whatever defines that 
style.  For example, an American Pale Ale had better scream hops and be 
extremely bitter, no matter what the range of bitterness says in our 
style guidelines, if it is going to place well.  To score with an IPA, 
it's even worse.  I know people who brew to the IPA guidelines, but 
enter the beer as an APA or English Pale Ale, in order to have a chance 
in a contest.

The American Brown Ale category is another example.  Although the style 
guidelines list a wide range of bitterness and hop character,  If the 
hops aren't overpowering, it just won't score well, regardless of the 
other characteristics of the beer.  I've brewed American Browns that 
have won, and American Browns which haven't.  I know which I prefer, 
and they aren't necessarily the ones that win contests.

On the other end of the scale is the oatmeal stout I had in a contest 
last weekend.  The judge's comment was that it was too thin for style, 
however the starting gravity was 1.060, and it finished at 1.029.  I 
suppose I could not ferment it at all, which might give it more body!

I am concerned that with are scoring we are incouraging caricatures of 
the actual beer styles.  I know that in a largish flight of beer it is 
the extremes which stand out, but I think we need to recognize this 
affect and try to avoid it.  I try to be alert to and correct this 
tendency when I judge, but it seems to be pervasive.

Has anyone else noticed this?  Am I completely off the wall? (This 
topic only)

Al Folsom

------------------------------

End of judge-digest V1 #1373
****************************

 Send subscription cancellations & changes to judge-request at synchro.com.
 Messages sent to the wrong address will be ignored.