Homebrew Book Suggestions

Its the holiday time and its in my best interest to give my parents specific details about holiday presents. Otherwise I'll end up with another terrible manhood removing apartment-warming present....

I'd like a few homebrewing books for which to build my knowledge and also stimulate my interest in homebrewing. I'm a beginner and just did my 1st all grain batch last weekend.

What 3 or 4 books would you suggest I ask for? What books do you still reference even years after first recieving them and which books do you go to for inspiration in recipes and equipment?

How to Brew by Palmer (also available free online, but best beginners book out there)
Complete Joy of Homebrewing (own it, has everything)
Designing Great Beers (on my list)
Brew like a Monk (Belgian style book)

I would recommend Ray Daniels' Designing Great Beers if you are at all interested in creating your own recipes. It covers everything about how to develop a grain bill, how to adjust water, and then goes in depth on some of the more traditional beer styles. I never make a recipe without consulting it.

John Palmer's - How To Brew. The first edition is posted online for free, but if you buy the new edition it has been updated. Also if your'e looking for info, check out some of the homebrew podcasts.

Stephan Snyder's The Brewmaster's Bible is a good one. Gives an explaination of numerous aspects of brewing and provides lots of different receipes

Jamil and Palmer's Brewing Classic Styles gets my vote. It's got an award winning recipe for each beer style.

Greate recipes and great starting points for designing your own.

With Brewing Classic Styles you can brew an award winning recipe everytime
With Designing Great Beers you will be able to make your own recipe on any style and actually know why you are choosing the ingredients you are choosing.
And The Complete Joy of Homebewing has it all

inspiration --> Radical Brewing by Mosher
recipe formulation --> Designing Great Beers by Daniels
reference, equipment --> How to Brew by Palmer, New Brewing Lager Beer by Noonan, Dave Miller's Homebrewing Guide

"How to Brew" by Palmer
"Complete Joy of Homebrewing" Third Edition by Charlie Papazian
"Brewing Classic Styles" by Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer

I would also add Dave Miller's Complete Hombrew Guide

If you check out Amazon, they have a great deal on Complete Joy of Homebrewing, How to Brew, and Complete for Homebrew Guide for about 35$

Amazon.com: Dave Miller's Homebrewing Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Make Great-Tasting Beer: David G. Miller: Books

If I could only have three books they would be:

How to Brew, Palmer: Covers how to brew (duh)
Designing Great Beers, Daniels: Slightly dated but tells you everything you would want to know about recipe formulation, other than tried and true illustrative recipes
Brewing Classic Styles, JZ and JC: Everything you would ever want to know about recipe formulation that isn't in Daniels' book, namely an illustrative recipe for each style.

The last book will give you a place to start, the second will get you to where you want to be and the first will tell you how to do it.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I compiled a list based on your suggestions and passed them up the line. I really hope they actually read it so I don't get a lamp like last year....

I'll second Radical Brewing if nobody else will!

Two that I haven't seen mentioned which I value quite a bit are The Brewmaster's Table by Garrett Oliver and New Brewing Lager Beer by Greg Noonan.

I have Radical Brewing, Brew Like A Monk, How to Brew, Joy of Homebrewing, Brewmaster's Bible...but if I was in your shoes and I wanted up-to-date brewing methods and recipes, I would ask for a subscription to Brew Your Own and an AHA membership that gives you Zymurgy magazine. The problem with some of these books are they are a little outdated, and some of the methods they implore have been found to be counterproductive(I'm thinking of some of the steeping grains methods). Anywho, with a magazine you get a new book monthly that usually has a style profiled.

Jamo99 said:

I'll second Radical Brewing if nobody else will!

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'll third it. It's a terrific book. I'd probably get "Designing Great Beers" first, and "Brewing Classic Styles" next, and then RB, but that's splitting hairs. Any of them, or any of the other books mentioned in this thread, would make a great present.

+1 to Shertz.

Great point. A subscription to a good brewing magazine should definitley be in there. Costs about the same as a book and really keeps you up to date on things like hop shortages and brewing events.

What one magazine would you recommend to subscribe to?

Book: Wild Brews by Jeff Sparrow

Mag: Brew Your Own

Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher is definitely the best read. for beginners, How to Brew by Palmer is the way to go.

Brew Your Own is the best magazine, hands down.

the Clone Brews and Beer Captured books are great reference tools, too.

+1 to BYO for a mag. Great articles and Ashton Lewis' column is very good.