Saratoga Thoroughbrews

Judging

J1. In one page or less, describe the purpose of the Beer Judge Certification Program and outline the requirements for the judging levels and their requirements.

Styles

S1. Identify, describe and then provide a statement detailing the differences and similarities between three top-fermentingbeer styles with original gravities greater than 1.070. Give at least one classic commercial example of each style.

S2. Identify, describe and then provide a statement detailing the differences and similarities between three distinctly different German bottom-fermentedbeer styles. Note that color or strength differences do not count as different beer styles. Give at least one classic commercial example of each style.

S3. Identify, describe, and then provide a statement detailing the differences and similarities between three distinctly different beer styles that contain wheat as a primary ingredient. Note that color or strength differences do not count as different styles. Give at least one classic commercial example of each style.

S4. Identify, describe and then provide a statement detailing the differences and similarities between three distinct Belgian beer styles. Give at least one classic commercial example of each style.

S5. Describe each of the following sub-styles and then provide a statement detailing the differences and similarities between the sub-styles. Give at least one classic commercial example of each sub-style.

The three sub-styles are selected from large list that looks something like:

a) Ordinary Bitter	b) Best Bitter	c) Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
a) Maibock	b) Traditional Bock	c) Doppelbock
a) Old Ale	b) English Barleywine	c) Strong Scotch Ale
a) Robust Porter	b) Dry Stout	c) English Pale Ale
a) Scottish 60/-	b) Scottish 70/-	c) Strong Scotch Ale
a) American Stout	b) Dry Stout	c) Foreign Extra Stout
a) Dortmunder Export	b) Munich Helles	c) German Pilsner
a) Mild	b) American Brown	c) Northern English Brown
a) German Pils	b) Bohemian Pilsner	c) Standard American Lager
a) Robust Porter	b) Sweet Stout	c) Foreign Extra Stout
a) American Pale Ale	b) American Amber Ale	c) California Common Beer
a) Cream Ale	b) Kölsch	c) Munich Helles
a) Scottish 70/-	b) Scottish 80/-	c) Strong Scotch Ale
a) Traditional Bock	b) Maibock	c) Eisbock
a) Scottish 60/-	b) Scottish 80/-	c) Strong Scotch Ale
a) Mild	b) American Brown Ale	c) Southern English Brown
a) Oktoberfest	b) Altbier	c) Best Bitter
a) American Pale Ale	b) American Brown Ale	c) California Common Beer
a) American Stout	b) Dry Stout	c) Sweet Stout
a) Brown Porter	b) Munich Dunkel	c) Northern English Brown
a) Old Ale	b) American Barleywine	c) Strong Scotch Ale
a) Doppelbock	b) Maibock	c) Eisbock
a) Traditional Bock	b) Doppelbock	c) Eisbock
a) Mild	b) Scottish 60/-	c) Ordinary Bitter
a) Brown Porter	b) Munich Dunkel	c) Southern English Brown
a) American Stout	b) Foreign Extra Stout	c) Oatmeal Stout
a) Bière de Garde	b) California Common	c) North German Altbier
a) Belgian Blond Ale	b) Belgian Dubbel	c) Belgian Tripel
a) Dry Stout	b) Foreign Extra Stout	c) Sweet Stout
a) Flanders Red Ale	b) Berliner Weisse	c) Straight Lambic
a) Baltic Porter	b) Imperial Stout	c) Belgian Dark Strong Ale
a) Weizen	b) American Wheat	c) Straight Lambic
a) English IPA	b) American IPA	c) Imperial IPA
a) German Pilsner	b) Bohemian Pilsner	c) Classic American Pilsner
a) Weizen	b) Roggenbier	c) American Wheat or Rye
a) Brown Porter	b) Munich Dunkel	c) Schwarzbier
a) American Stout	b) Dry Stout	c) Oatmeal Stout
a) Irish Red Ale	b) Oktoberfest	c) North German Altbier
a) Weizen	b) American Pale Ale	c) Straight Lambic
a) Belgian Tripel	b) Belgian Blond Ale	c) Belgian Strong Golden Ale
a) Irish Red Ale	b) Oktoberfest	c) California Common Beer

S6. Identify, describe and give at least one classic commercial example of a major beer style commonly associated with (three cities will be given):

a) Düsseldorf	b) Berlin	c) Einbeck
d) Köln (Cologne)	e) Edinburgh	f) Bamberg
g) Burton-on-Trent	h) Newcastle	i) Senne Valley
j) Dublin	k) San Francisco	l) Vienna

Troubleshooting

T1. Describe and discuss the following beer characteristics. What causes them and how are they avoided and controlled? Are they ever appropriate and if so, in what beer styles? (three will be given)

a) cloudiness	b) buttery	c) low head retention
d) astringency	e) phenolic	f) light body
g) fruitiness	h) sourness	i) cooked corn
j) bitterness	k) cardboard	l) sherry-like
m) acetaldehyde	n) alcoholic

T2. Explain how the brewer gets the following characteristics in his/her beer:

a) good head retention
b) clarity in a beer
c) a proper diacetyl level for style

T3. What are body and mouthfeel? Explain how the brewer controls body and mouthfeel in his/her beer.

Ingredients

T4. Discuss hops, describing their characteristics, how these characteristics are extracted, and the beer styles with which the different varieties are normally associated.

T5. Explain the malting process, identifying and describing the different types of malts by their color and the flavor they impart to the beer. Give the styles with which they are associated.

T6. Describe the role of yeast in beer production and the positive and negative effects on the finished product of oxygen introduction during the various stages of fermentation.

T7. Describe the stages of yeast development and give five considerations in selecting the appropriate yeast strain for a given beer style.

T8. Discuss the importance of water characteristics in the brewing process and how water has played a role in the development of world beer styles.

The Brewing Process

T9. Discuss the following brewing techniques. How do they affect the beer?

a) kräusening
b) adding gypsum
c) fining

T10. What is meant by the terms hot break and cold break? What is happening and why are they important in brewing and the quality of the finished beer?

T11. Describe and explain the role of diastatic and proteolytic enzymes in the brewing process and how they affect the characteristics of the finished beer.

T12. What are five primary purposes for boiling wort? How does a brewer achieve these objectives?

T13. Explain what happens during the mashing process. Describe three different mashing techniques and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

T14. Provide a complete ALL-GRAIN recipe for a <STYLE>, listing ingredients and their quantities, procedure, and carbonation. Give volume, as well as original and final gravities. Explain how the recipe fits the style’s characteristics for aroma, flavor, appearance, mouthfeel, and other significant aspects of the style.

Styles may include:

a) Belgian Tripel	b) Oktoberfest	c) Classic American Pilsner
d) Doppelbock	e) American IPA	f) Bohemian Pilsner
g) Robust Porter	h) Weizen	i) German Pilsner
j) Dry Stout	k) English Pale Ale

Examples of Complete Answers

Q: Describe and differentiate Abbey and Trappist beers. Give commercial examples of each.

A: The primary difference between Abbey and Trappist beers is that the latter is an appellation which restricts its production to the seven Trappist monasteries in the Low Countries. They are Chimay, Orval, Achel, Rochefort, Westmalle and Westvleteren in Belgium and Schaapskooi in the Netherlands. Abbey beers on the other hand, are either brewed at non-Trappist monasteries or by commercial breweries to which abbies have licensed their names. Commercial examples of these include Affligem, Leffe and Grimbergen.

Both Abbey and Trappist breweries are best known for the dubbel and tripel styles. The former is a tawny beer with an OG in the 1.060-75 range, 6-7.5% alcohol, and enough bitterness to balance, approximately 15-25 IBUs. The color is generally deep ruby to brown and derived from both Belgian specialty malts and caramelized candi sugar. The flavor is dominated by a full-bodied malty sweetness reminiscent of plums, raisins and black currents. Ester levels are generally subdued by Belgian standards, but some examples do have moderate bubble-gum or banana esters. Tripels, on the other hand, are much paler in color at 3-5 SRM, but have higher OG (1.075-85) and alcohol levels (7.5-9 %). The malts used are almost entirely pilsner, with light candi sugar used to increase the alcohol content and prevent the beer from being too cloying. Hop rates are higher at 25-38 IBUs, with some noble hop flavor and aroma acceptable. The ester levels are often more assertive in this style, though the increased alcohol content should be subtle. Westmalle Dubbel and Tripel are classic examples of these styles.

Some Trappist breweries also produce beers which would better fit into the strong ale category due to high ester levels or unusual brewing procedures. In the latter category are Chimay (Premiere, Cinq Cents and Grand Reserve) and Rochefort (6, 8 and 10) brews, which have very distinctive signatures from the yeast. One of the most unusual beers in Belgium is made by Orval, the only (readily available) beer brewed by that monastery. It has a moderate gravity in the 1.055-60 range, is dry hopped with Styrian Goldings and undergoes a secondary fermentation with a mixture of five yeast strains that includes Brettanomyces. As the beer ages, the flavors become more complex, picking up leathery/oaky and even phenolic notes from the yeast.

T11. Describe and explain the role of diastatic and proteolytic enzymes in the brewing process and how they affect the characteristics of the finished beer.

Answer:

The two main categories of enzymes in malted grains are proteases and amylases. The protease enzymes are most active between mash temperatures of 123F and 128F and they breakdown proteins and protein byproducts. Amylase enzymes are active between mash temperatures of 140F and 162F. Amylase enzymes degrade starch into fermentable byproducts (sugars) and unfermentable byproducts (dextrins). The two diastatic enzymes use in mashing are alpha-amylase and beta-amylase enzymes. Beta-amylase enzymes are active between 140F-149F, acts only at the ends of the "sugar chains". It snips off two sugars at a time to produce highly fermentable sugars (maltose) in the wort. Alpha-amylase enzymes act non-specifically, breaking big sugar chains into smaller chains. The Alpha-amylase produces some fermentable sugars but produces many dextrins.

In the brewing process, there are four critical parameters for saccharification. The parameters are: time, temperature, pH, and mash thickness. Manipulation of each of these parameters means having total control of the wort you produce. For example, mashing with short time periods in the protease temperature range can help the clarity of the beer, while longer times can negatively affect head retention. Long time periods in the Beta-amylase temperature range will result in highly fermentable and highly attenuated wort. Mashing in the Alpha-amylase temperature range produces more dextrins that will contribute to the mouth feel and body of the beer. A pH between 5.2 and 5.6, is required for enzymes to promote rapid starch to sugar conversion. A thick mash, with “water to grist ratio” (quarts of water per pound grain) between 0.8 and 1.25, will keep the enzymes active for longer times at long time and temperature combinations. A thinner mash facilitates over all enzyme activity at the expense of a short activation time.

By controlling the relative balance between sugars and dextrin's in your wort, the brewer can control the alcohol level and the body of the finished beer. Finding the perfect balances of the mash properties gives the brewer control over what your beer will be.