Curious here...For starting out, which is preferable in your collective opinions to persue first? Does studying for one complement/ease studying for the other?
Inquiring minds want to know!
Fri, Aug 21, 2015 - 7:07am
#1
BJCP or Cicerone
They're rather different. Jeff is both, so he can provide more info. But as I understand it, BJCP is basically judging for homebrew competitions. Cicerone is geared more towards commercial serving, draft set-up, food pairings, and not so much judging.
You'll learn a lot of info from either program. They also just added an "Advanced Cicerone" level to lessen the gap between Certified and the nearly impossible to attain Master level, which is intriguing.
Something else to consider is the fact that it is probably easier to sit for the Cicerone exam. At this point, it is getting very difficult to sit for even the tasting portion of the BJCP exam (if you were to look now, you probably wouldn't get to take it until 2017). Jeff and I have been trying in vain to set up a CHAOS BJCP study course, but we can't schedule an exam right now because the Chicago market is already saturated with its few slots. Without a test in sight, having the class is somewhat pointless, unfortunately.
The distinction Kyle made above is correct, but you need the BJCP knowledge as a base before pursuing a Cicerone certification. Easily 2/3 of the Cicerobe exam is based on beer styles, the brewing process, and off flavors. I look at the Cicerone cert as icing on the cake.
The Cicerone exam is definitely more available as far as testing goes. The program is based in Chicago, so they have tests four or five times a year.
Unfortunately, unless you're willing to travel, there are no opportunities for a BJCP exam for the next couple years.
Thanks for the explanation.
So if I want to do BJCP, sounds like I have to travel somewhere to test, which is fine. Let's me find more beer :)
Bill, a friend (John Dalton) and I have scheduled a BJCP Judging Exam in Chicago for January 28, 2017. This will be the second exam John and I have organized. We will be organizing a preparation class or cohort leading up to it and you'd be welcome at that.
In order to qualify to take this exam, you need to pass the BJCP Entrance Exam, which is online. It is 200 questions which must be answered in 60 minutes, so its pretty rapid fire. Reading through the BJCP prep materials for this helps. Currently approximately a third of the folks who take the entrance exam do not pass it. Once you pass the entrance exam, you have one year to take the judging exam.
The very best way to know if this is what you want to do, the path you want to take, is to sign up to judge at a competition or two and get paired up with an experienced judge. My very first judging experience, before I took the exams and got credentialed, I was paired with a National judge and that was a fantastic learning experience.
www.singingboysbrewing.com
Jim - That sounds like a plan. That would give me decent time to study the materials, past the entrance, and then practice practice practice!