BJCP Study Group Basic Topics
The Study Group will focus on specific areas of interest. A brief description of each area follows.




Explaination of Focus & Goals 
Focus:
* Simple Beer Appreciation
* Advancing Brewer's knowledge on specific styles, substyles, process, issues & flaws
* Preparation for the BJCP Examination 

Goals:
* Meet third Wednesday every month thru January 2006, consecutive with exception to short holiday breaks.
* All registered persons are eligible to attend the group & are expected to appear on the designated nights.
* Classes typically run 2.5 to 3 hours depending on subject matter. We will work hard to conclude by 9:30 PM.
* Answer all your questions thoroughly & completely if possible; there are no stupid questions! 

Responsibilities:
* All students are requested to read the required material prior to each class; this will save a lot of time during review.
* All students are required to be proactive in notifying the Beer Nazi if they cannot attend a particular night in advance so we do not buy     an excessive amount of beer. This is very important as it will reduce the cost. Be kind: Let us know if you cannot make it :o)
* Venue Cost: none for study sessions. The club (CBM) is picking up the tab for beers tasted during the course. Please note that you will be responsible for 1/2 the cost of the exam ($25 first timers, $15 second timers), the club will pay the other half. Money will be due sometime late summer/fall when exam date is scheduled.
* All students are subject to conduct as specified in the CBM By-Laws. You must be at least 21 years of age to attend. 

Structure:
The BJCP Study Group is structured with the following in mind:

* We teach some History as it relates to Beer because we feel it satisfies the question of "where did beer come from" as well as "why do we have these styles". The History we present is derived from extensive reading and research; it is simple a curious hobby, and an unfulfilled mystery. Students are not required to know the history of beer to pass the exam (with exception to rare events, such as 1516 and the Reinheitsgebot, but we'll make these obvious). The history sections are for your enjoyment, and included for self-study.
* We will evaluate commercial examples of style and compare them. Part of the class involves written expression of these comparisons; this is required for the exam and it is a skill we wish to develop to advance personal knowledge and experience, and enhance the senses ability to identify specific traits, as well as build vocabulary.
* We will sample common off-flavors, discuss their possible origins, and how to correct them.
* We will discuss basic raw ingredients, how they are harvested or processed for beer, and issues relating to those processes that may affect beer.
* We will review brewing methods typical, historical, and unique, and their affects on the final product.
* We will talk about brewing equipment, tools, toys, and setups; the benefits and disadvantages.
* We will discuss sanitation, we will talk about quality, and will review packaging.
* We will have practice exams.
* We will have opportunities to judge beer in real competitions!
* And we may have a few extra-curricular activities in store for the willing.
* But most of all, we want you to have fun and enjoy the process of learning about beer! 


A Very Brief History of Beer 
We will review the History of Brewing as relating to homebrewing and craft brewing including some discussion of large commercial operations past & present. Essentially, history as known from Mesopotamia & Egypt where nomadic tribes matured & became agrarian, making beer, affecting their culture & profiting. Beer becomes intertwined with politics, religion & the economy by the middle ages with the Catholic Church controlling all aspects of brewing via monasteries. The rise of artisans & trading guilds help spawn independent brewing efforts outside the Church. Experimentation lead to many deaths, hence the first laws beginning with the Reinheitsgebot were enacted to control public safety. Sanitation becomes a major issue as water is often contaminated; it becomes common practice to drink beer as both a food & in place of water. Hops, long used by continental brewers for stability finally gains acceptance in Britain around mid-1700's. Taxation limits strength & gravity of British beers, particularly in Scotland. Settlers arriving in America are forced to drink water as critical ingredients are withheld for sailors. Enterprising Americans find new adjuncts to counter the limits on supply & taxation by the British Crown. Taverns become the focus of all business & legal activity, as well as political gatherings. The American Revolution threatens essential beer production. The isolation of yeast by Pasteur helps foster the advent of Lagers. German immigrants bring brewing practices to America & abroad, significantly threatening ale production. Refrigeration creates opportunity for mass-production of Lagers but doesn't become popular till after the Civil War. New York becomes the leader in the new United States Hop production by mid-1800's. The Rise of Temperance through this period begins to affect public opinion on consumption. By the end of the Civil War, the United States is producing 6 million barrels annually. National breweries coalesce as smaller breweries are gobbled up & taverns become "tied-houses". Anheuser-Busch sells more than 1 million barrels annual by 1901. The American Temperance Movement wins in 1919: Prohibition kills more than 200 domestic breweries, but homebrewing gains in popularity while the top 10% corporate breweries struggle to diversify into other markets: Coors to Ceramics, A-B to malt products, Schlitz to candy & chocolate, Miller to cereals. FDR repeals Prohibition in 1932 & raises the limit of alcohol in beer to 3.2%. However with WWII, women becoming part of the American workforce, & shortage of grains, adjuncts such as corn & rice become a common feature for the American Lager grain bill. Gone is the rich history of American Brewing until 1975 when Fritz Maytag introduces Anchor Steam Beer which initiates the American Microbrew Revolution, the rise of contract brewing, & the modern homebrew era.

For more detailed information please select the topic below:

European History     British-Scottish History     American History     Lambics     Mead & Cider


BJCP 
We will discuss the origins of the Beer Judge Certification Program & more specifically Judging Levels, Experience Points, Competition Points, Definitions, and Rank & Promotions. This information WILL BE on the exam. For more information refer to the BJCP Membership Guide.

For exam takers, we will provide information on do's and don'ts. One thing that we cannot teach but is highly important for the exam is good Penmanship; sloppy writing will count against a test taker.


Intro to Ingredients
Malt:
Basic ingredient for beer making. Cereal grain selectively harvested over time to produce the highest yields and/or profiles and partially or wholly converted via saccharification through enzymatic power or mechanical action (heat) whereby complex hard starches are converted to soft soluble starches and/or sugars. Malt is then crushed to an optimum specification that allows dissolution in water whereby further saccharification or marriage with other ingredients by enzymatic or mechanical means to produce a sweet liquor that can be readily fermentable. Malts contribute to aroma, appearance, flavor, and mouthfeel. From malt comes alcohol via the fermentation process. They are the backbone of all beers, and a required ingredient.

Hops:
Prime spice used to counter the sweetness of malt, and the major stabilizer for the fermented product. Hops are a hardy perennial vine-like vegetable and distantly related to Nettles & Cannabis. Only the hop flower, called the cone, is viable for brewing beer. These cones contain small lupulin glands that contain the acids and secrete resins & essential oils brewers need to impart bittering, flavoring, & aromatic qualities to beer. Hops are processed for the flowers and may be packaged whole, or mechanized into plugs and pellets for long-term storage and later use. Hops are a required ingredient (with rare exceptions).

Water:
Beer is made up of roughly 98% water, the quality of which imparts significantly upon the final product. History of beer-making owes greatly to the quality, or lack of water as an instigator towards the use of beer as a popular victual. The mineralization of water is important for both the mashing process, the utilization of hops, and stylistic determination. Water is also used in the sterilization process. It is very much a required ingredient!

Yeast:
All beer is made with Yeast and at times in partnership with bacteria. These organisms were formally discovered the late 1860's by Louis Pasteur. Brewer's Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) is considered to be a type of fungus. It reproduces asexually by budding, splitting off little daughter cells. Yeast are unusual in that they can live and grow both with (aerobic) or without oxygen (anaerobic). Their primary function is respiration (reproduction), fermentation (consumption), & sedimentation (flocculation). Attenuation is the ability of the yeast to clarify the beer (though the role is not exclusive; reference finings & mechanical processes e.g. decoction). Yeast typically consumes deliverables of mashing process, primarily maltose & sucrose, and to lesser degrees (depending on strain) other sugars, and expels CO2 and alcohol with other chemical components that are necessary for the overall profile of the beer These in turn affect the perception of the beer in aroma, appearance, flavor, and mouthfeel. Yeast and at times in partnership with bacteria, are a requirement for beer.

Adjuncts:
An adjunct is typically termed as an extender or enhancer to the basic grain bill, though not exclusively. The most common grain adjuncts used in brewing are Wheat, Corn, & Rice. These cereals contribute greatly towards the flavor profile in unique ways, and owe their history as ingredients more so. Wheat has been used in brewing since ancient times, and is common in Lambics and of course Wheat Beers of German & American fame. Corn was also used by the ancients, but it was the adoption by the American Settlers of the new colonies, and further instilled by the harsh taxation by the British Crown that melded corn as a uniquely American contribution to brewing. Rice as an adjunct was first used by Dutch brewers in the Far East and later adopted by American brewers, notably Budweiser. Millet, sorghum, and a host of other starchy adjuncts each owe their histories to ancient practices, some of which still exist today. Syrups, sugars, honey, fruits, vegetables, spices, & specialty grains are also considered adjuncts as they either are a direct starchy replacement, an alcohol booster, or a flavor enhancer. Adjuncts are only required for certain styles, unless of course you're short on malt!

For more detailed information please select the topic below:

Malt     Hops     Yeast     Water     Adjuncts


Process
We will discuss the process of brewing, from sanitation, to mashing, boiling, cooling, fermentation, packaging, & storage. We will also talk about decoction: Myth or Miracle :o)

For more detailed information please select the topic below:

Brewing     Decoction     Sanitation


Styles 
We will review all 28 styles of beer, mead & cider. We will discuss their origins, influences, & profiles. We will taste many! The goal is to examine 5 to 8 stylistic examples of beer each week. For more information, refer to the Beer Style Guidelines .


Off-Flavors 
There are 14 types of off-flavors that may affect the profile of a beer. We will examine these nasty off-flavors, how they are manifested, & how to correct them (if possible). The goal is to experience 2 off-flavors each week. For a description of off-flavors, check out our Off-Flavors Guide. Also, we will be using the Beer Score Sheet for evaluations.


Judging
Of the 28 styles of beer, mead & cider, we will evaluate a majority of the 98 substyles of beer inclusive of mead & cider. As part of the Judging process, we will learn to identify signature components that are part of the substyle, as well as identify possible off-flavors & remedies. We will practice written critique as part of Judging, & all evaluations will be timed with the goal of quick & concise expression of opinion. As the group advances through the course there will be less time allowed to compete evaluations: this discipline will pay for itself on the Exam. The goal is to evaluate 1 to 2 styles of beer each week. Please use our Online BJCP Style Guide for further study.