I am looking for 2 new books to read related to specific beer things...

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Elysium

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I have read The Joy of Homebrewing and found it informative, but rather out-dated.
Then I read Yeast which is an amazing book.
Now I am reading Hops, but it is so freaking technical....I have to skip unit constantly.

Now I am planning to buy 2 new books....
1, one on how to create good recipes.....I have found this "Designing Great Beers",....but some people say it talks about outdated stuff and it is not really straighforward...is this true?

2, another book I need should be on industrial brewing....basically explaining how breweries are set up, what do professional brewers do...etc. I have found mainly text books students use to study such things at school....but they are really really expensive.
Any ideas if there are cheap, good books out there to buy?

Thanks a lot in advance.
 
I'm sure I won't be the only one to recommend "How to Brew" by John Palmer. As it is a must read. I also read "Brewing Classic Styles" by Jamil repeatedly.
 
gromitdj said:
I'm sure I won't be the only one to recommend "How to Brew" by John Palmer. As it is a must read. I also read "Brewing Classic Styles" by Jamil repeatedly.
Click to expand...
I continuously look at things from How to Brew...but obviously I use the online, free version.
Brewing Classic Style is something I have never heard of. What do you like about that book and why would you recommend it?

Thanks for the reply.
 
In the print version of how to brew there is additional as well as updated information. I would recommend the print version.

In BCS, I actually enjoy reading all the different descriptions of each style and the recipes for each and comparing them.There is some really useful brewing information at the front of the book as well as appendices at the back, such as the Hops chart, yeast and starter information. CO2 volumes, etc.

More than anything though, I just read the recipes to get an idea of what I would like to brew.
 
'Designing Great Beers' is a very useful book. It gives a compilation of ingredients and techniques used to brew specific styles that others have used , rather than a 'to make x beer do y' instruction manual.

A book you might find interesting for your needs is 'Brewing' by Michael Lewis and Tom Young. It is a textbook, but might be cheaper than others you have come across.

I don't own this so can't really comment, but the series 'Practical Handbook for the Specialty Brewer' from the Brewers Association looks interesting. (but I'm a book nerd!)

Good luck!
 
While they are dated (most were written in the early to mid 1990s), the Classic Beer Styles titles are well worth reading. I especially would recommend Pale Ale and Continental Pilsener, though all of them are quite good. They give you some remarkable insight into the history and development of the different styles, as well as good advice on how to brew them, both as a hobbyist and professionally. While the series as whole would be quite expensive, the individual titles are fairly cheap.

Man, this reminds me that I still have to pick up a copy of Brew Like a Monk. Belgian styles are a favorite of mine, and this is supposed to be one of the bet books on the subject available. Another book which I do have is Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers, which gives a really unusual perspective on the subject.

[Principles of Brewing Science and Brewing Lager Beer are both classics in the field.
 
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I can't comment on the industrial brewing.

But, Designing Great Beers is an excellent book. My only complaint is that it doesn't cover all styles. It is still very informative, as it breaks down styles pretty well, and a plus for have good quick reference charts to help you with recipes. I also highly recommend Brewing Classic Styles. While this one primarily is just a recipe book, it does have some useful info on each style.

These two books are great together. They really helped me start building recipes with confidence.

P.S. I wouldn't call Designing Great Beers outdated, it's information is still relevant.
 
I'd also recommend "IPA" by Mitch Steele. I provides an excellent background o brewing history as well as the why's of each step. He provides some excellent recipes for classic beers at the end as well.
Another book with a great historical perspective on the craft brew movement in the US is "the Audacity of Hops" sorry I can't recall the author(s).
 
Schol-R-LEA said:
While they are dated (most were written in the early to mid 1990s), the Classic Beer Styles titles are well worth reading. I especially would recommend Pale Ale and Continental Pilsener, though all of them are quite good. They give you some remarkable insight into the history and development of the different styles, as well as good advice on how to brew them, both as a hobbyist and professionally. While the series as whole would be quite expensive, the individual titles are fairly cheap.

Man, this reminds me that I still have to pick up a copy of Brew Like a Monk. Belgian styles are a favorite of mine, and this is supposed to be one of the bet books on the subject available. Another book which I do have is Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers, which gives a really unusual perspective on the subject.

[Principles of Brewing Science and Brewing Lager Beer are both classics in the field.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice.
Which one of the technical books do you find better? The brewing lager or the principles of brewing?
 
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