Beer Education

I educate myself about beer each and every day. That probably sounds silly to a lot of you, but there's a lot different ways I do it to keep things interesting. I usually learn through reading beer books (Randy Mosher's Tasting Beer, BJCP Draught Beer Quality Manual, John J. Palmer How to Brew), reading beer blogs (Utah Beer, Mike's Brew Review), watching youtube videos about different breweries, watching TV shows about beer, and most importantly, tasting beer! And by tasting beer, I mean paying attention to it and taking notes. I also try to keep track of questions people ask me that I might not know the answer to so I can do some research later. 

Another cool educational tool I came across is Beer U by World Class Beer. They have different narrated modules (power point presentations) on beer topics ranging from the most basic information, to the history and nitty gritty details of specific styles. At the end of each module, you are given a short exam to test your knowledge. I like to watch them while I eat (or drink beer!). Best of all, it's completely free. I recommend registering your email address so you can track your progress. There's a few pronunciations I disagree with, and the test questions are sometimes very silly. But the modules are rich with information, and presented in a way that is easy to comprehend. Check it out!

Some people ask me why I've chosen to learn all of this, and what I plan to do with it. My first answer is that I'm doing it because I love it, which is the best reason to learn anything. And my second answer is because I want to become a Certified Cicerone. Most of the tools and activities I choose to use for my education are suggested either on their website, or on their syllabus. I was able to tackle draught systems and home brewing over the past few months, and my next (and possibly hardest) task is memorizing all of the vital statistics (IBUs, SRM, OG, FG, and ABV) for each of the 60+ beer styles I could be tested on. After I have a good grasp on that, I'll need to either buy an off-flavor kit, or go to a seminar so I can understand how off-flavors affect beer. 

After I become a Certified Cicerone, I don't really have any idea what I'd like to do with it. I love teaching, so that's a possibility. I'll probably try to get some more certifications, and pass the BJCP Exam to become a beer judge, but that's way down the line. 

At some point, I'm going to make a step-by-step video of my tasting process. I was a little confused about what exactly I was tasting/smelling etc. when I first started. It took some time to figure out what worked best for me, so I thought I might share my method. Look for that sometime down the road! =)

And this is totally irrelevant, but I went hiking today and had the most beautiful view. I'll just leave this here for ya...