Suggested Reading

I picked up the book, The Witches Brew, a few years ago. I was considering home brewing but hadnt started yet. Now that I've got a little bit of experience and a lot more reading in, I understand it a lot more and thought others might enjoy it if you can find it nearby or online. Quite a few recipes for beers, meads, wines and other things, with a little bit of info on spiritual traditions where these beverages were used.



Tom Oxley

First of all, you should definitely read the two books that almost every homebrewer has read: "How to Brew" by John Palmer (click for link to free book online) and "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" by Charlie Papazian.

These books are a bit dated on information but they have soooo much info and know-how it's ridiculous. After reading those two just be sure to read anything you can find from books, brewing journal articles online, magazines like BYO, and homebrewtalk and other forums. And users on here are happy to answer any questions you have. A lot of times it ends up being that somebody is unsure because they received older info or an old-timer scared him with the old brewing myths (i.e. dry yeast = bad... which is very much not true.)

Thanks. I'll watch for that book on my weekly trip to Half Price Books and download the freebie. Picked up one a few weeks ago that I can't recall the name of. They have a pretty good selection there anyway, so knowing what to look for will help. Gives me something outside of the military history area to look at.

Tom

Designing Great Beers: The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles by Ray Daniels.

I'd say it is a must read if you plan on getting serious about formulating your own recipes or even just trying to get the most out of the ones find around.