Subject: Digest for the period 1/29/2004 - 1/30/2004 Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:01:57 -0500 Table of contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Fed up with BJCP ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Greg Beron Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004 09:14:49 -0800 (PST) Subject: Fed up with BJCP WARNING: If you're not in the mood for long rants, skip this. I've been reading the recent postings about the BJCP exam with some interest, waiting to see if anyone else has had the same experience I've had with the organization. My experience also makes me question the accuracy of the statistics posted yesterday. Maybe I'm unique in this, but so far my experience with BJCP has been so poor that I'm glad there are no annual dues - because I wouldn't be renewing. The exam was fine as far as I was concerned. While I also questioned the need to know all the styles by heart, I do recognize the need for judges to be able to demonstrate a certain minimum knowledge and that's one way of assessing it. I'm sure the reason the exam went smoothly was that BJCP had minimum involvement and the actual organization was by the Maltose Falcons. They're well organized and have a lot of experienced brewers and judges - especially Bruce Brode, who proctored the exam. And no, I'm not a Falcon. That was also pretty much the last good experience I had with BJCP. I don't know what the average wait for results is. I've heard 3 months, but that's anecdotal. How about 5 1/2 months??? That's how long we waited to find out how we did. It's also nearly as long as I waited get bar results from two states - combined! Finally, in March 2003, I sent a message to Russ Wigglesworth, explaining that I would be judging in the upcoming AHA first round and Mayfaire competitions and wanted to be able to do that as a Recognized Judge, at the least. He explained that a grader had bailed but we'd be getting results soon. He also offered to take my experience points via return e-mail so they'd be entered sooner. I was happy to do that and replied quickly, since by my count I had 4.5 points from stewarding and judging over the two previous years. Soon after, I got my results and was extremely happy to find out I'd scored comfortably within the range to be a National Judge. All I needed was enough experience points. Does anyone want to guess how many points I have now, nearly a year later? In addition to the 4.5 I should have gone in with, I've judged in 2 competitions and was database administrator for another. There would have been more but I'm a partner in our local homebrew supply store and we have to take turns judging. Did anyone guess im currently credited with 1 point - from a competition held last April? Bottom line, I'm disgusted. A year ago, I was primed to judge often so I could get to National within a few years. Now? Forget it. Last year I went down to San Diego to judge in QUAFF's America's Finest City competition and was planning to judge there again as well as going over to Las Vegas for SNAFU's Winterfest. Now I'm going to judge only in those competitions which are nearby and don't inconvenience me too much. If Pacific Gravity needs me to act as an organizer for a competition, I'll probably do it, but a year ago I was ready to volunteer at the first opportunity. Given that roughly 20% of judges achieve National status, I wonder how many might have but just gave up out of frustration. I may still make National one day, but it won't be any day soon because if the people who run an organization can't be bothered to show any real interest in it, neither can I. E-mail responsibly. Check this site before passing rumors: http://www.hoaxkill.com/ --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it! Subject: Digest for the period 1/29/2004 - 1/30/2004 Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:01:57 -0500 Table of contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Fed up with BJCP ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Greg Beron Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004 09:14:49 -0800 (PST) Subject: Fed up with BJCP WARNING: If you're not in the mood for long rants, skip this. I've been reading the recent postings about the BJCP exam with some interest, waiting to see if anyone else has had the same experience I've had with the organization. My experience also makes me question the accuracy of the statistics posted yesterday. Maybe I'm unique in this, but so far my experience with BJCP has been so poor that I'm glad there are no annual dues - because I wouldn't be renewing. The exam was fine as far as I was concerned. While I also questioned the need to know all the styles by heart, I do recognize the need for judges to be able to demonstrate a certain minimum knowledge and that's one way of assessing it. I'm sure the reason the exam went smoothly was that BJCP had minimum involvement and the actual organization was by the Maltose Falcons. They're well organized and have a lot of experienced brewers and judges - especially Bruce Brode, who proctored the exam. And no, I'm not a Falcon. That was also pretty much the last good experience I had with BJCP. I don't know what the average wait for results is. I've heard 3 months, but that's anecdotal. How about 5 1/2 months??? That's how long we waited to find out how we did. It's also nearly as long as I waited get bar results from two states - combined! Finally, in March 2003, I sent a message to Russ Wigglesworth, explaining that I would be judging in the upcoming AHA first round and Mayfaire competitions and wanted to be able to do that as a Recognized Judge, at the least. He explained that a grader had bailed but we'd be getting results soon. He also offered to take my experience points via return e-mail so they'd be entered sooner. I was happy to do that and replied quickly, since by my count I had 4.5 points from stewarding and judging over the two previous years. Soon after, I got my results and was extremely happy to find out I'd scored comfortably within the range to be a National Judge. All I needed was enough experience points. Does anyone want to guess how many points I have now, nearly a year later? In addition to the 4.5 I should have gone in with, I've judged in 2 competitions and was database administrator for another. There would have been more but I'm a partner in our local homebrew supply store and we have to take turns judging. Did anyone guess im currently credited with 1 point - from a competition held last April? Bottom line, I'm disgusted. A year ago, I was primed to judge often so I could get to National within a few years. Now? Forget it. Last year I went down to San Diego to judge in QUAFF's America's Finest City competition and was planning to judge there again as well as going over to Las Vegas for SNAFU's Winterfest. Now I'm going to judge only in those competitions which are nearby and don't inconvenience me too much. If Pacific Gravity needs me to act as an organizer for a competition, I'll probably do it, but a year ago I was ready to volunteer at the first opportunity. Given that roughly 20% of judges achieve National status, I wonder how many might have but just gave up out of frustration. I may still make National one day, but it won't be any day soon because if the people who run an organization can't be bothered to show any real interest in it, neither can I. E-mail responsibly. Check this site before passing rumors: http://www.hoaxkill.com/ --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it!