What book should I get next.. Designing Great Beers?

syd138 · 07-17-2009, 01:36 PM

So I've read Papazians book.

Just finished Brew Like A Monk which was awsome. I liked it because they didn't give specific recipes, just general guidelines.

I like experimenting and trying to create my own styles.. especially Belgian Blacks, etc. Im not a big fan of sticking to strick guidelines or anything.. all I care about is that it is unique and good.

So Im thinking next I should get:

Designing Great Beers: The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles

Anyone read this? Thoughts?

Benthic · 07-17-2009, 01:41 PM

I've had a copy of Designing Great Beers for several years, and I refer to it often. In the beginning of the book he devotes time to malt bills, hop selection, yeast selection and fermentation, and beer color. Then in Part II there are chapters for various beer styles (Stout, Pale Ales, Scottish Ales, etc) where he describes a bit of the history of the style and what classic ingredients and techniques make up that style.

I found the book to be very informative. I'm just now reaching the point in my brewing ability where I'm formulating my own recipes instead of brewing from kits. I've found the book to be a great resource. Alternatively, I just got a copy of Brewing Classic Styles by Zainasheff and Palmer. I haven't read it yet, but it has reviewed well. I suspect it will offer similar advice, and I believe it covers ALL of the BJCP styles.

Brian

Irie5447 · 07-17-2009, 01:41 PM

I just ordered it last week from Amazon.com. It had super good reviews and have heard it is a great book to own.

Munsoned · 07-17-2009, 01:44 PM

+1 on DGB. I hear a LOT of great things about that book. It's next on my list...

**mattmcl** · 07-17-2009, 02:01 PM

It's a fantastic book, an absolute must-have.

**Yooper** · 07-17-2009, 02:01 PM

I use Designing Great Beers often, and keep it at my bedside table to read occasionally when I'm interested in learning new things. It's a resource that never gets old, because you can go back and read different parts. I love it!

I also have How to Brew by John Palmer, and that's also a resource I pick up and read occasionally.

I like Brewing Classic Styles to refer to the style guidelines and suggestions, but it's not a book to "read" like the others.

If I had to choose between How to Brew and Designing Great Beers, it'd be a toss up. They are both excellent, and really almost a good complement to each other. Designing Great Beers assumes that you already know about water chemistry and brewing techniques, so Ray Daniels skips over most of that. How to Brew has all of the "geekiness" in it about every brewing issue (John Palmer is a metallurgist graduated from Michigan Tech and writes like one!) so I do go back and forth between them.

**Cpt_Kirks** · 07-17-2009, 02:12 PM

"Designing Great Beers" is like the Monk book, good general guidelines, plus the history of the style in question.

The only reason I don't own it is that it is available from the library here. I keep it checked out about half the time.

**lurker18** · 07-17-2009, 02:13 PM

Go take a look through Amazon. I just picked up six or seven books from them, including Papazian's, DGB, 150 Clones, Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher, and a couple others that don't come to mind right now. Picked them all up for under $90 cdn, delivered within the week.

Beerrific · 07-17-2009, 02:14 PM

So you are not a fan of "sticking to strick guidelines or anything.. all I care about is that it is unique and good" and you are thinking of a book that is "The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles?" I think you might be a bit disappointed. DGB is a great book and is basically organized into chapters that go through the history of certain beer styles, not really any styles that I would call experimental or anything. There is some very good technical information in there too (about beer ingredients), but it is not the majority of the book.

For what you are looking for I would have to recommend you first getting your hands on How to Brew and skim through it, if you think you would benefit from the technical information in there, get it, it is a great book. Otherwise I would suggest taking a look at Brew Like a Monk (Hieronymus) or Radical Brewing (Mosher), I think these books are really going to inspire you make the unique beers you are looking for.

**Cpt_Kirks** · 07-17-2009, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beerrific

So you are not a fan of "sticking to strick guidelines or anything.. all I care about is that it is unique and good" and you are thinking of a book that is "The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles?" I think you might be a bit disappointed. DGB is a great book and is basically organized into chapters that go through the history of certain beer styles, not really any styles that I would call experimental or anything. There is some very good technical information in there too (about beer ingredients), but it is not the majority of the book.

For what you are looking for I would have to recommend you first getting your hands on How to Brew and skim through it, if you think you would benefit from the technical information in there, get it, it is a great book. Otherwise I would suggest taking a look at Brew Like a Monk (Hieronymus) or Radical Brewing (Mosher), I think these books are really going to inspire you make the unique beers you are looking for.

He already read "Brew Like a Monk".

I thing DGB is good for experimentation. Most experiments start with a standard beer style and go from there. The way he breaks down the range of ingredients into charts, based on who did what in competitions, gives good indications as to what works, and what doesn't.