During the past month, about 28 club members responded positively to the call for a beer sensory training class to begin in January. That outstanding response is, unfortunately, more than the Siebel Institute's sensory training kit can accommodate. Plus, I plan to limit class size to no more than 15 people to allow for better interaction in class. That means that I will try to order another kit as soon as I can in 2013 and schedule a second class. My guess is that a second kit will not be available until later in the year, maybe the end of summer or the fall. I will sort through the responses of members who indicated an interest in this class. Preference will be given to members based upon:
A distinct preference has been indicated by most people who have responded, to have the classes on the weekend. Each class will begin with a study of one or two BJCP beer styles (approximately 60-90 minutes), followed by a tasting of six (6) doctored/flawed beer samples and a discussion of each. Water and crackers/snacks will also be provided. Once the class members are determined, members will be asked if they have any strong preferences for the styles we study. Members will also have the opportunity to volunteer to research and present a beer style to the rest of the class...to discuss its history and origins, particular processes and ingredients, and how the representative samples we taste match the BJCP Style Guidelines. Based on the experience Neil and I had in a similar BJCP exam preparation class two years ago, I wholeheartedly believe that the experience of researching and presenting a beer style to the class is a hugely valuable thing to do. Presenting a topic to a group of people can be stressful to people who are not used to public speaking. But, class participants who volunteer to do this will become immersed in their chosen beer style and become genuine experts on the subject. Hopefully, participants who commit to this schedule will be able to attend all four classes...I will figure the cost accordingly, and everyone who commits will be asked to pay in advance for all four weeks so that all of the commercial beers we will taste can be planned and purchased. Thanks to everyone for the strong response to this unique educational opportunity. More to follow... Steve |
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