Cicerone revamps off flavor training kits for group tastings

It doesn’t matter if you’re New Belgium Brewing or Black Box Brewing (the latter is a tiny Cleveland craft brand), there are eventually going to be quality problems with your brewing systems and processes. It happens to everyone, so be sure to get together with your brew crew to talk about the problems you’re having and solve them as quickly as possible. Group off-flavor kits are a great way to begin that conversation. Cue the Cicerone Certification Program.

In mid-June, the famed Cicerone program begins shipping new off-flavor training products designed for groups of 12- or 24-individuals at a time.

“Hundreds of groups use our existing off-flavor course designed for groups of six tasters,” said Ray Daniels, director of the Cicerone Certification Program. “The new kits cover the same flavors with all the resources for larger groups of 12 or 24 participants at a time.”

All three of these basic Cicerone off-flavor kits train on the basic off-flavors tested on the Certified Cicerone exam — diacetyl, DMS, acetaldehyde, oxidation, infection and skunky. In response to demand for the ability to train more users at once, the Cicerone Off Flavor Kit has been expanded from the previous kit for six users to accommodate 12 and 24 tasters at a more economical price.

Included in the kit are shelf-stable, easy-to-use flavor spikes and a follow-along webinar, which covers the common descriptors for these six common off flavors, the causes of these off flavors, and the steps that can be taken to prevent such off flavors.