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Brad Sturgeon |
Ask Brad Sturgeon what his
day job is, and his reply of “Assistant professor of chemistry at
Monmouth College” would certainly be impressive. It would likely spawn
further questions on his area of expertise, recent advancements in
chemistry and perhaps even the college’s plans to bring business and
science together under one roof in a new center for integrated studies.
But ask Brad Sturgeon what his hobby job is, and his reply of “Beer
judge” opens a whole new can of suds.
Sturgeon’s knowledge of the popular beverage goes far beyond
understanding its basic recipe. He is an expert on the science of beer
and has been interviewed three times on Basic Brewing Radio, an iTunes
podcast that is also available at www.basicbrewingradio.com.
On his most recent appearance a few weeks ago, Sturgeon discussed “The
Science of Skunking,” explaining the hows and whys of what makes beer go
bad and what kind of glass bottle is best to protect against it.
Sturgeon has also been on the program to discuss beer measuring tools
such as hydrometers and refractometers, as well as the IBU
(International Bitterness Units) prediction formula. He clearly knows
his stuff, and he has proven it by passing a three-hour written exam
that has allowed him to be a recognized beer judge.
“The exam tested my technical knowledge of brewing methods, my
historical and current knowledge of the more than two dozen styles of
beer and more than 100 sub-styles and the sensory evaluation of three
specific beers,” he said.
One of the interesting aspects of the history of beer, said Sturgeon, is
that many people drank low-alcohol brews as a way of getting around
drinking from their regular water supply, which was often contaminated.
The brewing process made the water drinkable, and that is also a trait
shared by carbonated beverages – such as the appropriately-named Dr.
Pepper – that were popular at pharmacy soda fountains.
“It’s not that the drinks at those pharmacies were some magical elixir
that improved your health,” said Sturgeon, “it’s just that they didn’t
make you sick.”
The exam is administered by the Beer Judge Certification Program. BJCP-certified
individuals have the responsibility – or, says Sturgeon, “the privilege”
– to judge nearly 300 homebrew competitions per year throughout the U.S.
For example, Sturgeon is often invited to participate in the judging for
various levels of the National American Homebrewers Association (AHA)
competition.
“Last year, more than 5,000 homebrews were submitted to the first round
of the national AHA competition,” said Sturgeon. “Approximately 10
percent advanced to the second round.”
At a typical competition, Sturgeon said that 8-12 beers are judged each
flight. He begins by looking at a beer and judging its clarity, and he
also tests its aroma.
“I might have a beer in my possession three or four minutes before I
actually taste it,” he said of the third element of judging. The other
two elements are “mouth feel” and overall impression, and each of the
five categories are judged on a scale from 1-10.
“I try to be supportive when I’m judging, and we sometimes give the
brewers technical advice,” he said.
So what does Sturgeon drink when he can have any type of beer that he
wants? Of the more mainstream styles, Sturgeon said he prefers India
Pale Ale (IPA). Asked to choose an unheralded beverage, he picked lambic,
a Belgian style of beer brewed only in the Pajottenland region that gets
its unique qualities from the ocean blowing over it as it ferments.
“There’s a lot of good biochemistry going on in there, and some
microbiology, too,” he said.
Of course, as a national authority on homebrewing, it’s no surprise that
Sturgeon does, indeed, brew at home. His latest batch was a “Guinness
clone,” and he was pleased with the results.
“It’s a dry stout, which, by definition, is made with roasted barley,”
he said. “That gives it a smoky, ‘chocolatey’ kind of taste. I didn’t
have what they call ‘the essence of Guinness,’ which Guinness ships to
all its brewing locations, so it had a little fresher taste to it.”
Besides barley, Sturgeon said that hops, water and yeast are the other
ingredients of beer. The latter ingredient, he said, is one to which
homebrewers should pay special attention.
“Yeast health is a big issue for homebrewers,” he said. “A lot of the
off flavors that I sense in the beers I judge come from yeast health
issues. The other main thing that will ensure a better beer is
sanitation, which is making sure there are no living organisms that can
affect your beer. It’s almost impossible to achieve sterilization, which
is making it free of everything, but having it sanitized will definitely
make a difference.”
Of course, not everyone brews at home. Many beer drinkers are just
looking for the right beverage to wash down their grilled meat of choice
on a warm summer evening. For that situation, Sturgeon recommends a
wheat beer or Belgian white beer. Sam Adams, for example, makes a summer
ale, and such beers with a much lighter body are ideal when a person
wants to drink more than one without filling up.
While sitting on the deck enjoying a steak and ale, family and friends
can enjoy good conversation. That type of meeting of the minds is
something that Sturgeon is looking forward to when Monmouth’s new center
for integrated studies becomes a reality.
“Right now, there are physical barriers that exist that prevent our
business and science faculty from talking and interacting as much as we
could,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the informal conversations that
will arise from that proximity.”
Going back to water’s role in the history of beer, Sturgeon is also
looking forward to a “Green Initiatives: Water” course he will be
teaching next spring. It will fulfill a “Citizenship” requirement for
his students, who he hopes will be examining Monmouth’s water supply,
among other topics related to H2O.
“Water is truly a resource that is going to have to be dealt with,” he
said.
Care to talk to Sturgeon more about beer judging, chemistry or
integrated learning? He’d be happy to sit down and talk about those
topics over a couple of homebrews.
