Charlie Papazian

The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Fourth Edition contains lots of good information about the brewing process and use of different sugars, ingredients such as berries, coriander, chocolate and when to add them.

There is also a useful description of different hops, basic guidelines of quantities of malts and hops to use for various styles of beer and a significant number of recipes. Unexpectedly there are also a number of different Mead recipes. There is even a section on growing hops.

The coverage of Brew In A Bag (BIAB) was quite light and I didn't see any coverage on how to scale a recipe (maybe I missed it).… (altro)

Like many beginning homebrewers, Papazian's "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" helped introduce me to making my own beer. So when I saw his latest book at my local bookstore, I felt it deserved a look. In this volume, he brings his readers on a tour of the microbreweries and early beer festivals that helped create the commercial craft-brewing landscape that a youngster like me (27) can take for granted at times. The added bonus is that for each one of his anecdotes or reminiscences he includes a homebrew recipe (in both all-grain and malt extract versions). Often these recipes are recreations of early versions of classics like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Redhook Ale (I can't wait to brew the recipe for the original, more flavorful Killian's). Other recipes push the envelope like a "Belgian" stout or Pumpernickel Rye Stout.

Much like Garrett Oliver's "Brewmaster's Table" or Michael Jackson's "Beer Companion", this book offers a spirited look into the delicious world of craft beer. Not a comprehensive history, but a fun romp through American craftbrewing past and present (as well as some recent international beer adventures). I highly enjoyed this book.
… (altro)