Should judges converse during a flight that has already concluded?

Conversations among judges after a flight has concluded are generally discouraged to maintain focus and prevent distractions. When judges discuss their impressions and scores post-evaluation, it can introduce bias and influence each other's thoughts about the beers being judged. The integrity of the judging process relies on each judge providing an independent assessment based on their own observations and palate. For this reason, avoiding distraction ensures that judges can accurately recall their impressions of the beers without being swayed by external opinions or discussions. This practice supports a fair and thorough evaluation process, which is critical in competitions where objectivity is paramount to maintaining the quality and standards of the judging outcome.