HomeBrewTalk.com Book

I think I might have already started a thread on this but couldn't find it.

I was checking out WinePress today, largest wine making forum, and noticed a really cool concept they are working on.

http://www.winepress.us/forums/index.php?showforum=127

I also saw this done at Overgrow.com, once the largest forum on the net but now closed.

Essentially it's a community written and revised book.

Anyone else know of any other forums doing something like this?

I know, what happened to the recipe DB and shirts, I'm working on them but just a cool concept I came across.

That seems like a cool idea.

I wonder if the best approach for this might be a Wiki that our register members could make changes to?

TxBrew said:

I think I might have already started a thread on this but couldn't find it.

I was checking out WinePress today, largest wine making forum, and noticed a really cool concept they are working on.

http://www.winepress.us/forums/index.php?showforum=127

I also saw this done at Overgrow.com, once the largest forum on the net but now closed.

Essentially it's a community written and revised book.

Anyone else know of any other forums doing something like this?

I know, what happened to the recipe DB and shirts, I'm working on them but just a cool concept I came across.

Click to expand...

I think a Wiki would be nice to have but I'm an avid reader and just like the idea of a community written published book. Might be tough though to do. Overgrow never got theirs done and WinePress has been working on theirs for a long time.

While I think it's a great idea, and would be a lot of fun, I'm reminded of how difficult it is to simply put together a group recipe/brew session.

Most brewers (esp. here) are smart, resourceful people, but are not organized enough, IMO. I don't mean that as an insult.....we is what we is.

I like the idea, but like was said above, I don't know how organized it will be putting it together. What kind of book are you suggesting: Beginning/How To, Methods/Technique, Equipment, Recipes, all of the above???

I think you should get the wiki and recipe database done first, then that will give us a lot of content ready done.

Wiki would be awesome; I was posting the other day about how we could put together an improved FAQ simply using existing threads, but if we did it as a wiki project - even better.

Brewsmith said:

What kind of book are you suggesting: Beginning/How To, Methods/Technique, Equipment, Recipes, all of the above???

Click to expand...

What about a book of punch lines. That thread is doing pretty well. Also whos making HBT shirts? I'll take one. Drop me a PM or I'll keep watching this thread, what ever works.

This sounds like a great idea to me. FWIW I teach composition courses at the college level, I had to write a dissertation to take my Ph.D., and I have published a number of articles in my career.

In other words, I think that I might be able to help out with this project, and I would love to do it.

Here's one thing, to play Devil's Advocate for a second:

From the winepress site:

QUOTE
"WHY WRITE ANOTHER BOOK ON WINEMAKING?"
Unfortunately, the "best" home winemaking book, in terms of the one book that everybody would recommend, hasn't been written yet. None of them have hit the ball out of the park. Most of them could be considered "pretty good." None are great. Jack Keller's website is great.

There is an obvious hole in the market for a book like this. Time to fill it before someone else does!

Click to expand...

Is this really the case for homebrewing? "How To Brew" is pretty complete as-is, isn't it? What are we going to be adding as a community that John Palmer hasn't already covered? Or, the combination of Palmer and Papazian; Papazian as the philisophical treatise, Palmer as the technical manual (as someone described them recently).

Is there REALLY a need for another how-to-homebrew book?

There are already lots of great photos here that could be used if folks agreed to it.

That's what I was thinking. The members of this site cover just about every method of production from stove top extract to steam-heated RIMS brewing. And all of the info on how to build it all. Plus, there are enough good recipes around here to easily fill a book. We probably don't need to cover the how to's so much as the "What do I need?" or "How can I use this for brewing?" questions

We could also have a chance to bring things that are newer to the home brewing world. Batch sparging is not very well covered in any books that I have read. Kegging is another subject not covered very well, IMHO. An easy how to book could be nice as well as how to make your own equipment.

orfy said:

I think you should get the wiki and recipe database done first, then that will give us a lot of content ready done.

Click to expand...

I second that. I rather have a good Wiki than a mediocre book.

Kai

the_bird said:

Here's one thing, to play Devil's Advocate for a second:
From the winepress site:
Is this really the case for homebrewing? "How To Brew" is pretty complete as-is, isn't it? What are we going to be adding as a community that John Palmer hasn't already covered? Or, the combination of Palmer and Papazian; Papazian as the philisophical treatise, Palmer as the technical manual (as someone described them recently).

Is there REALLY a need for another how-to-homebrew book?

Click to expand...

You may have hit it close to out of the park, but almost only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and atom bombs....

No, no need IMHO.... Why?

www.homebrewtalk.com

And the greenboard and all the rest... the info is there, it's ready to be taken, all someone has to do it be comitted enuf to look it up. Just look at the influx of new people who have been hitting the site since Christmas. And everyone who looks it up throughout the year. An actual "book" would be a waste of $. The majority of people are researching things like homebrewing on the web. Hell, that's how I got back into it.

Believe me, I'm not bashing books, I just question the need for it at this point...

Wiki would be a good idea, tho, as long as it points to HBT....

My .02

Ize