CBI Apprentice study plan

Build a one-page reference table of at least 25 beer styles grouped by fermentation type (ale, lager, hybrid) with origin country and typical ABV range

Write a 60-word description for each of 10 core styles covering aroma, flavor, bitterness, color, and body

Explain the difference between BJCP-style sensory descriptors and commercial style names used on packaging

Identify the three main color reference scales and state the approximate SRM/EBC range for pale, amber, brown, and black beer

Map each style family from week 1 to the malt, hop, and yeast choices that produce it

List the major malt classes (base, crystal/caramel, roasted, specialty, adjunct) with the flavor and color contribution of each

Describe how hop variety choice (noble, American, New World) shifts aroma and bitterness perception in a given style

Compare ale, lager, and wild/mixed fermentation yeasts on attenuation, temperature range, and flavor output

Explain the malting process from steeping to kilning and how kiln and roast regimes create color and flavor

Calculate extract contribution and color impact for a simple grain bill using PPG and Lovibond figures

Describe water chemistry basics: mash pH target, the role of calcium, sulfate, and chloride, and how to adjust with brewing salts

Summarize hop chemistry (alpha acids, beta acids, oils) and how isomerization, whirlpool, and dry hopping differ

Outline yeast health factors: viability, vitality, pitching rate, oxygenation, and nutrient needs

Sequence the hot-side process from milling through knockout, naming the purpose and key control point at each step

Explain conversion, mash-out, lautering, and sparge principles including stuck-sparge causes and fixes

Describe the boil: hop timing effects, hot break, evaporation rate, and why wort sterilization matters

Outline cold-side fermentation management: pitch temperature, free rise, diacetyl rest, and cold crash

Identify common fermentation faults (stalled fermentation, off-flavors) and their likely causes

Describe cellar operations: tank cleaning and sanitizing sequence, transfers, carbonation methods, and conditioning time by style

Explain dissolved oxygen pickup points and the sensory consequences of oxidation in packaged beer

Compare packaging formats (keg, bottle, can) on oxygen ingress, carbonation retention, and shelf life

State correct storage conditions and explain how light, heat, and time degrade beer quality

List the main beer quality tests (gravity, pH, dissolved oxygen, CO2 volumes, microbiological checks) and what each detects

Identify the components of a draught system from coupler to faucet and state the function of each

Calculate the correct serving pressure for a given beer temperature, carbonation level, line length, and elevation

Explain balance, resistance, and the causes of foamy pours and flat pours with a fix for each

Describe line cleaning frequency, chemicals, and the rinse procedure required before reconnecting

Outline keg handling and storage rules including temperature, pressure, and rotation

List the major brewery hazards (CO2, caustic and acid chemicals, hot liquor, pressurized vessels, confined space) with the control measure for each

Describe a cleaning and sanitation program: CIP steps, concentration, temperature, contact time, and verification

Summarize the regulatory areas a brewery must track: licensing, labeling, alcohol content declaration, and recordkeeping

Explain responsible service obligations and the consequences of overserving

Outline personal protective equipment requirements by task

Re-review every weak area flagged in weeks 1-7 notes and rewrite those summaries from memory

Complete a timed 60-question mixed-domain practice set and score it honestly

Re-teach the three hardest concepts aloud or in writing without reference material

Confirm recall of key numbers: mash pH, carbonation volumes by style, serving pressure rules, and cleaning concentrations