Return-Path: judge-owner at synchro.com Received: from srvr22.engin.umich.edu (root at srvr22.engin.umich.edu [141.212.2.35]) by srvr5.engin.umich.edu (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id CAA11932 for ; Fri, 14 Aug 1998 02:26:10 -0400 (EDT) Received: from synchro.com (cccox.ne.mediaone.net [24.128.144.90]) by srvr22.engin.umich.edu (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id CAA03857 for ; Fri, 14 Aug 1998 02:26:09 -0400 (EDT) From: "JudgeNet - the beer judge digest" To: "Digest Recipients" Reply-To: "JudgeNet - the beer judge digest" Subject: Digest for the period 8/13/98 - 8/14/98 Message-ID: Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 02:04:11 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Hops: 1 Table of contents ------------------------------------------------------ Premonitions... (Some Guy) re: Another suggestion to improve judging quality (jeff Sparrow) In Memorium (David Houseman) -------------------------------------------------------- From: Some Guy Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 10:56:35 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Premonitions... Jami writes: > Prior to several events I've received a questionare to mail back asking my > preferences - I thought this was an excellent way to coordinate who > would do what. Of course, these were non-sanctioned. It's not a matter of sanctioning - the recent MI State Fair competition is sanctioned, and organizer Bill Holmes sent out a questionnaire via e-mail prior to the competition - it's a matter of planning, consideration and forethought. Bravo to those who do the planning and have the consideration and forethought. This is the same competition, by the way, of which Spencer relates his experience with stylistic calibrators... See ya! Pat Babcock in SE Michigan pbabcock at oeonline.com Home Brew Digest Janitor janitor at hbd.org HBD Web Site http://hbd.org The Home Brew Page http://oeonline.com/~pbabcock/brew.html "Just a cyber-shadow of his former brewing self..." -------------------------------------------------------- From: jeff Sparrow Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 12:55:41 -0500 Subject: re: Another suggestion to improve judging quality My comments re: (yet) Another suggestion to improve judging quality >I realize that it would be a bit of a burden to let people know ahead of time which styles >they were most likely to be judging (and it would be unrealistic to think that last-minute changes would not >occur), but I truly believe it would improve the quality of the judging. >Prior to several events I've received a questionare to mail back asking my preferences - >I thought this was an excellent way to coordinate who would do what. I have seen more and more of these pre-event registration/questionaires in the past couple of years. They are a good idea but difficult to implement, at least in the greater Chicagoland/Northern Wisconsin area, due to a growing apathy amongst judges. At most competitions you see a core group who tries to judge whenever possible. You also see judges from the local group who you won't see until their club's next event. A look at the BJCP local judge list that is sent with competition materials leaves me wondering who are many of these people? A judge can't make every competition - hopefully some of us have lives away from beer. But trying to get enough judges, particularly commited before the competition, is akin to pulling teeth. I often wonder if simply fulfilling the one competition a year requirement really keeps a judge's skills current? I judged at an extremely well run competition in Berkley, CA earlier this year and was floored to find 4 judge/10 entry flights were the norm. A judge who recently had moved to the Bay Area told me that if you didn't commit up front then you may be SOL. (I suppose one thing that helped bring the people was the kick-ass party in the brewery parking lot that afternoon.) I'd be curious the reactions to my comments from my area as well as from others. Being able to pre-assign judges is a good way to make best use of available resources. (Where to assign Roger Protz on the day of a competition, on the other hand, is a problem I would welcome.) Having enough judges so as to insure they are well matched and can still taste the beers they judge is another. Why the continuing drop in interest? jeff Sparrow jeffrey.c.sparrow at monsanto.com WARNING: consumption of alcohol may lead you to believe that ex-lovers are really dying for you to telephone them at 4 in the morning. -------------------------------------------------------- From: David Houseman Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 21:06:23 -0400 (EDT) Subject: In Memorium It just came to my attention that a fellow brewer and BJCP judge that I've known since I began to brew and judge, Mark Johnston, was killed in an automobile accident on July 31, 1998. He leaves a wife and at least one child. Mark was a National judge working toward his Master rating. There hasn't been any organization identified to which to make donations. I will then at least tip a homebrew in his honor. It may not be the Big Brew, but join me if you will. Dave Houseman Return-Path: judge-owner at synchro.com Received: from srvr22.engin.umich.edu (root at srvr22.engin.umich.edu [141.212.2.35]) by srvr5.engin.umich.edu (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id CAA11932 for ; Fri, 14 Aug 1998 02:26:10 -0400 (EDT) Received: from synchro.com (cccox.ne.mediaone.net [24.128.144.90]) by srvr22.engin.umich.edu (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id CAA03857 for ; Fri, 14 Aug 1998 02:26:09 -0400 (EDT) From: "JudgeNet - the beer judge digest" To: "Digest Recipients" Reply-To: "JudgeNet - the beer judge digest" Subject: Digest for the period 8/13/98 - 8/14/98 Message-ID: Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 02:04:11 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Hops: 1 Table of contents ------------------------------------------------------ Premonitions... (Some Guy) re: Another suggestion to improve judging quality (jeff Sparrow) In Memorium (David Houseman) -------------------------------------------------------- From: Some Guy Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 10:56:35 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Premonitions... Jami writes: > Prior to several events I've received a questionare to mail back asking my > preferences - I thought this was an excellent way to coordinate who > would do what. Of course, these were non-sanctioned. It's not a matter of sanctioning - the recent MI State Fair competition is sanctioned, and organizer Bill Holmes sent out a questionnaire via e-mail prior to the competition - it's a matter of planning, consideration and forethought. Bravo to those who do the planning and have the consideration and forethought. This is the same competition, by the way, of which Spencer relates his experience with stylistic calibrators... See ya! Pat Babcock in SE Michigan pbabcock at oeonline.com Home Brew Digest Janitor janitor at hbd.org HBD Web Site http://hbd.org The Home Brew Page http://oeonline.com/~pbabcock/brew.html "Just a cyber-shadow of his former brewing self..." -------------------------------------------------------- From: jeff Sparrow Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 12:55:41 -0500 Subject: re: Another suggestion to improve judging quality My comments re: (yet) Another suggestion to improve judging quality >I realize that it would be a bit of a burden to let people know ahead of time which styles >they were most likely to be judging (and it would be unrealistic to think that last-minute changes would not >occur), but I truly believe it would improve the quality of the judging. >Prior to several events I've received a questionare to mail back asking my preferences - >I thought this was an excellent way to coordinate who would do what. I have seen more and more of these pre-event registration/questionaires in the past couple of years. They are a good idea but difficult to implement, at least in the greater Chicagoland/Northern Wisconsin area, due to a growing apathy amongst judges. At most competitions you see a core group who tries to judge whenever possible. You also see judges from the local group who you won't see until their club's next event. A look at the BJCP local judge list that is sent with competition materials leaves me wondering who are many of these people? A judge can't make every competition - hopefully some of us have lives away from beer. But trying to get enough judges, particularly commited before the competition, is akin to pulling teeth. I often wonder if simply fulfilling the one competition a year requirement really keeps a judge's skills current? I judged at an extremely well run competition in Berkley, CA earlier this year and was floored to find 4 judge/10 entry flights were the norm. A judge who recently had moved to the Bay Area told me that if you didn't commit up front then you may be SOL. (I suppose one thing that helped bring the people was the kick-ass party in the brewery parking lot that afternoon.) I'd be curious the reactions to my comments from my area as well as from others. Being able to pre-assign judges is a good way to make best use of available resources. (Where to assign Roger Protz on the day of a competition, on the other hand, is a problem I would welcome.) Having enough judges so as to insure they are well matched and can still taste the beers they judge is another. Why the continuing drop in interest? jeff Sparrow jeffrey.c.sparrow at monsanto.com WARNING: consumption of alcohol may lead you to believe that ex-lovers are really dying for you to telephone them at 4 in the morning. -------------------------------------------------------- From: David Houseman Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 21:06:23 -0400 (EDT) Subject: In Memorium It just came to my attention that a fellow brewer and BJCP judge that I've known since I began to brew and judge, Mark Johnston, was killed in an automobile accident on July 31, 1998. He leaves a wife and at least one child. Mark was a National judge working toward his Master rating. There hasn't been any organization identified to which to make donations. I will then at least tip a homebrew in his honor. It may not be the Big Brew, but join me if you will. Dave Houseman