The Beer Barons of Milwaukee mission is to provide education about beer and brewing to all interested parties. We began doing this since the beginning of our club in 1989 through informal meetings and private get-togethers.
Today we offer a wide range of courses from beginning brewing to our well regarded Sensory Analysis and Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) training courses. Most of these courses last from 2 to 4 hours and are conducted by senior members, high ranking judges, or BJCP officers.
Course attendees do not need to be a club member to participate. For a list of classes, dates and locations select one of the items from the categories below.
Grains & Malting along with Mashing & Water are now open for registration. We'll be conducting the Virtual Meeting for Grains & Malting on November 21st. Mashing & Water is scheduled for November 28th.
Additional details and registration can be found on the Beer Sensory Analysis & BJCP Training page.
Register now and get going on the materials!
Starting on November 14th, 2022 we'll be starting up our Sensory Analysis & Beer Judge Training once again
Whether you are an aspiring beer judge you’d like to strengthen your ability to evaluate and improve your own beers, or a craft beer fan, this course is for you. This series of classes consists of both technical education and sensory skill development. These sessions will prepare you to pass the BJCP entrance and tasting exams, as well as develop the skills needed for evaluating beer.
Instructors are experienced BJCP National and Master ranked judges including BJCP Exam Graders, a former BJCP Exam Director and a former BJCP Education Director.
Class Overview
Who Should Attend
When & Where
Online classes will be held on Mondays. November 14th, 21st, 28th, December 5th, 12th, 19th, and January 9th. Tasting sessions will be held on Saturday mornings December 3rd and 10th at Northern Brewer (1306 S 108th St, Milwaukee, WI 53214).
All online courses will be recorded so they can be re-reviewed or viewed if you are unable to attend. We highly encourage people to attend though so there is a healthy discussion.
Throughout the sessions, we will cover the beer styles found in the 2021 BJCP Guidelines, with a focus on ingredients, brewing technique and style history. We will be covering multiple styles per class and encourage participants to have some on hand for the online meetings. For the in person sessions we will have examples of commercial and/or homebrew of each style. We will explore various exercises to develop your palate and vocabulary, such as: beer sampling, doctored beers, ingredient teas, quizzes and homework. You will develop judging and evaluation skills by completing multiple scoresheets in each class, with reviews being provided by current BJCP judges and graders - which will help you calibrate your palate and scoring to other judges.
Learn the basic analysis process through discussion and sampling of example beers and ingredients to begin developing your palate. This class teaches the basic fundamentals needed for analysis of beer. It is recommended to take this class if you plan on taking any other courses.
An overview of grains and the malting process, flavors associate with various malts, beer styles and impact malt choice plays on finished product – Characteristics of base malts and specialty malt such as the impact of the boil on Pilsner malt, Caramel vs. Crystal malts, and when to choose a de-bittered malt.
A review of everything water: different mashing techniques, sparging (the importance of temperature and pH), water quality and modifications (assessing, adjusting and additives). We will cover water profiles of famous beer regions.
A review of everything hops: different hopping techniques, uses, and varieties.
Managing the boil, boil length, evaporation rate and kettle caramelization. Addition of adjuncts and effects that can have on finished product.
Various strains, dry vs. liquid, pitching rates, alcohol and temperature tolerance. Importance of choosing the yeast for the desired flavor profile and acceptable by-products. Fermentation techniques, the importance of temperature control, Lagers vs. Ales. Common technical flaws and its side effects.
Proper handling post fermentation. Bottle or kegging - advantages and disadvantage of each. Proper storage techniques. Off flavors associated with conditioning/packaging.