Day 3 went well. I basically talked about beer for 2.5 hours, which is always fun. We finished up the main discussion of the brewing process during the first half of class, and although I skipped over some detailed slides, I think they got the main ideas. If I get more lecture time later, I can revisit a few sections.
At the half way point, we started into a discussion of beer styles. I used the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) as a reference to discuss what makes a style and how you can experience a beer in terms of style. Last night, I went out and bought three six packs to showcase three styles. When I got to class this morning, one of the students actually said he'd brought a six pack, too.
So, for the latter half of class, we discussed four styles of beer and some of their close relatives. First, we talked about American Wheats and did so while enjoying Leinenkugel's Summer Wheat, donated by a student. For each of the beers, we discussed the characteristics and 'vital stats' of the style, and cited characteristic examples. Not a bad way to spend the late morning...
As for the other styles that I brought: the second beer was Victory Golden Monkey as a Belgian Tripel; the third style was an American IPA and I was lucky enough to find a six pack of Stone IPA - an excellent beer; and finally, the fourth style was a stout (probably more of a sweet stout) exemplified by Bell's Kalamazoo Stout. The students seemed to enjoy all of the samples and I think it was an eye opener for the majority to experience some beers more complex than Guinness or Old Milwaukee.
Tomorrow, I get a break from lecturing so that Tom can start into the Responsible Alcohol Management Program or RAMP.
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