Product Description

This is the classic book for any really enthusiastic and ambitious home brewer...the person who wants to brew high quality "true" beers using real hops and grains, rather than by using more easily-handled kits and powdered or liquid malt extracts. The author explains to beginners and experts alike a simple method of "mashing" for producing the finest flavoured beers, ales, stouts and lagers from all-grain ingredients, just like the professionals do. It is simply the most advanced and comprehensive book on the subject for the amateur. - The language of the brewer - Brewing quality beer - Commercial brewing - Equipment - Your first brew - Easy recipes - Systems of mashing and sparging - Real ingredients - Buying malt - Brewing process - Problems - Advanced recipes - The best book on "mashing" ever published! First published by Argus Books in 1985, this classic home brewing manual has been out of print in the UK for over a decade. During that period, enthusiasts and home brew shops have been importing the US edition in order to keep its essential wisdom alive within the hobby.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34015 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 254 pages

Customer Reviews

No excuses not to have this book.
I found this book very helpful as it contains a wealth of information on the subject of home brewing with all-grain ingredients, it is simply jam packed full of information on the subject and describes the processes and techniques in language that the amateur can understand - not to say that it is only for amateurs. This book represents value for money and can save you a lot of wasted time and effort.

A great start
This book should be on every home brewers shelf. Starting from a basic first brew, this book lays out the mashing process in simple terms. The personal views, trials and tribulations of the author in his own brewing experimentation are expressed, as well as more accepted and familiar brewing methods.
While this book will get you up and brewing, it also contains more of the interesting theoretical information behind malts, sugars and hops, enabling you to personalise your beer making and experiment on your own.
Watch out for wild hops and hairdriers.

Comprehensive but patchy, and a bit dated

I really enjoyed this book, and it really got me into home brewing, so I'm very glad to have read it.

It's pretty comprehensive, and includes everything you need to start on the path of brewing from grain, beginning with fairly straightforward techniques, but giving more technical detail as you work through the book.

It's less overwhelming than some of the content of other books available, and I like the author's writing style.

So why only 3 stars?

The book is really quite dated now (written in the 70's I believe), and concentrates mainly on English real ale style beers. Also, there are lots of other books out there now that are clearer, have more detail, and cover greater ranges of styles.

It's decent value for money, very useful in it's own right, but I would suggest paying the extra to get a more comprehensive book like John Palmer's
How to Brew: Everything You Need to Know to Brew Beer Right for the First Time.