Understanding the BJCP Style Guidelines: A Comprehensive Overview
The BJCP guidelines describe beer styles for homebrew competitions. Here is how they’re organized, how judges score, and how to use them for recipes.
In this post
The short answer: the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) style guidelines describe beer styles for homebrew competitions: aroma, appearance, flavour, mouthfeel, history, ingredients and “vital statistics” such as OG, FG, IBU, colour (SRM) and ABV ranges. The current edition is 2021. Judges score each entry out of 50 against the style description.
| Scoresheet section | Points |
|---|---|
| Aroma | 12 |
| Appearance | 3 |
| Flavour | 20 |
| Mouthfeel | 5 |
| Overall impression | 10 |
| Total | 50 |
What the BJCP is
The Beer Judge Certification Program is a non-profit founded in 1985 by the American Homebrewers Association and the Home Wine and Beer Trade Association to test, certify and rank beer judges. Its style guidelines are the reference most homebrew competitions judge against. The current 2021 Beer Style Guidelines replaced the 2015 edition; mead and cider have separate guidelines of their own. All of them are free at bjcp.org.
How the guidelines are organized
There are 34 numbered categories, each split into lettered styles: 5B is Kölsch, 15B Irish Stout, 21A American IPA, 21C Hazy IPA. Categories group beers that taste alike, by colour, strength and region, not by history or by ale versus lager. That’s why Kölsch, an ale, sits in category 5 next to German pils. The last categories (fruit, spice, smoked, wood, specialty and others) are for a base style plus something extra, and you have to say what you added.
Every style entry follows the same layout:
| Section | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Overall Impression | The style in a few sentences. Read this first. |
| Aroma, Appearance, Flavour, Mouthfeel | What judges look for, in the order they score it |
| Comments | Notes, variations and common misunderstandings |
| History | Where the style came from |
| Characteristic Ingredients | What it’s usually brewed from |
| Style Comparison | How it differs from its nearest neighbours |
| Vital Statistics | OG, IBU, FG, SRM and ABV ranges |
| Commercial Examples | Beers to taste for reference |
Specialty styles add Entry Instructions: what you must tell the judges when you enter.
Reading the vital statistics
| Statistic | What it means | Kölsch (5B) |
|---|---|---|
| OG | Original gravity: sugar before fermentation, so strength | 1.044–1.050 |
| FG | Final gravity: what’s left, so body and sweetness | 1.007–1.011 |
| IBU | Bitterness | 18–30 |
| SRM | Colour; higher is darker | 3.5–5 |
| ABV | Alcohol by volume | 4.4–5.2% |
Judges don’t measure your beer; they taste it. The numbers show where typical examples sit, not hard limits. A beer slightly outside a range can score well if it tastes right, and one inside every range can still miss.
How judging works
Entries are judged blind, usually by two or three judges per beer. Each judge fills in a scoresheet out of 50, and the judges agree on a consensus score. The top beers in each category are compared side by side for the medals, and the winners go on to Best of Show.
| Score | Rating | Roughly means |
|---|---|---|
| 45–50 | Outstanding | A world-class example of the style |
| 38–44 | Excellent | Nails the style; needs only small tweaks |
| 30–37 | Very good | In style, with minor flaws |
| 21–29 | Good | Misses on style or has minor flaws |
| 14–20 | Fair | Off-flavours or big style problems |
| 0–13 | Problematic | Major off-flavours dominate |
To earn a BJCP judge rank, you pass an online entrance exam and then a tasting exam where you score real beers. Ranks run from Recognized and Certified up to National, Master and Grand Master, based on exam scores and judging experience. Many competitions also welcome unranked judges and stewards, which is the best way to start.
Using the guidelines to design a recipe
- Pick a style and read the Overall Impression and Style Comparison.
- Aim for the middle of the vital statistics. OG sets your grain bill, IBU your bittering hops, SRM how much dark malt.
- Build the grain bill, hops and yeast from Characteristic Ingredients.
- Read Comments and History for process hints, like the long cold conditioning of a Kölsch.
- Brew it, then taste it against the Aroma, Flavour and Mouthfeel sections. Better still, have friends score it on a BJCP scoresheet.
Or start from one of our all-grain recipes and use the Brew Day Planner for water volumes and strike temperature on your system.
Entering a competition
- Enter the style your beer tastes like, not the one you meant to brew.
- For specialty categories, give the base style and what you added.
- Send your freshest bottles. Hoppy beers fade fast.
- Follow the competition’s rules on bottle size, number and labels. Most want plain bottles with no markings.
- Read your scoresheets. The comments are worth more than the score.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current BJCP style guide?
The 2021 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines, which replaced the 2015 edition.
What’s the difference between BJCP and Brewers Association guidelines?
The Brewers Association publishes its own style guidelines, updated every year, for commercial competitions like the Great American Beer Festival. The BJCP guidelines are the standard for homebrew competitions.
Do I have to brew to style?
No. The guidelines matter for competitions and give brewers a shared vocabulary. Outside a competition, brew what you like to drink.
Do I need to be certified to judge?
No. Many competitions use unranked judges alongside BJCP judges. Stewarding at a competition is a good way to learn.
Related guides
IBU explained, ABV vs ABW, what is Kölsch, types of stout and how to brew a pilsner.