Question and Answer Panel with Homebrewing Experts

Join brewing author John Palmer, BeerSmith creator Brad Smith, and Grandmaster beer judge Gordon Strong, for a question and answer session, moderated by American Homebrewers Association Governing Committee chair Shawna Cormier. They answer brewing questions including beer styles, brewing techniques, ingredients, software, and equipment. As an “Ask Me Anything”-type of session, the panel cover a wide variety of topics for brewers of all skill levels.

Learning Objectives

• Answer attendees’ questions on a variety of brewing topics
• Assist new and experienced brewers in improving their brewing knowledge
• Provide a variety of perspectives on topics from the three panel members
• Enjoy a bit of entertainment and humor along the way

About the Speakers

John Palmer is the author of How To Brew: Everything You Need to Know to Brew Great Beer Every Time and the co-author of Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers. He currently serves as the Editor in Chief for the Master Brewers Association, and is a beer judge and invited speaker at beer competitions and conferences worldwide.

Brad Smith is the president and founder of BeerSmith LLC, and author of BeerSmith software. Brad has written hundreds of articles on brewing for Brew Your Own magazine, Craft Beer and Brewing, and his newsletter and blog. He has also hosted over 275 episodes of the BeerSmith podcast and has been brewing since 1987. Brad holds a PhD in computer engineering from the University of New Mexico, three master’s degrees, was a Draper fellow, and is a retired Air Force Colonel.

Gordon Strong is an award-winning homebrewer, beer judge, and author, and is the only three-time winner of the coveted Samuel Adams Ninkasi Award. He is President Emeritus and the highest-ranking judge in the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), and is the principal author of the BJCP style guidelines. Gordon is the style column editor for Brew Your Own magazine, and a frequent feature article writer. He is the author of Brewing Better Beer and Modern Homebrew Recipes. He is a judge at the Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup, and many international commercial beer competitions.

Shawna Cormier is the founder of Seattle Beer School, an education and events company created to advocate accessibility, community, and inclusion in the beer industry. She also works at Floodland Brewing in Seattle, Washington. Shawna is chair of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) Governing Committee, Brewers Association AHA Board Representative, an Advanced Cicerone, Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) certified judge, and co-host of the podcast Cheers to Beers. She also has two beautiful kiddos, Mabel and Finian, and a very supportive husband, Josh. Check out Seattle Beer School on Instagram and TikTok.