Beer Clone books?

It's time to start making my Christmas list...and I need some help. Any recommendations for Beer Clone Recipe books? Or homebrewing books in general?

Thanks!

The book - Amazon.com: Clone Brews: Homebrew Recipes for 150 Commercial Beers: Tess Szamatulski, Mark Szamatulski: Books

A pod cast with the authors - http://cdn4.libsyn.com/basicbrewing...48&nva=20081114153548&t=0d0f279b59b591dee481f

You may want to also check on the BYO clone beer issue.

I'll second the recommendation for Clone Brews and add that if you only have one homebrewing book it should be "Designing Great Beers" by Ray Daniels. While this is not a book of clones, it is essential when you start developing your own recipes, which I have no doubt you will at some point.

RC0032 said:

The book - Amazon.com: Clone Brews: Homebrew Recipes for 150 Commercial Beers: Tess Szamatulski, Mark Szamatulski: Books

A pod cast with the authors - http://cdn4.libsyn.com/basicbrewing...48&nva=20081114153548&t=0d0f279b59b591dee481f

Click to expand...

I recieved this book as a gift and I frikkin love it. I brewed the Sam Smith Winter Welcome clone a week ago....& I plan on brewing the John Courage Imperial Stout next so that I can pitch it on to this yeast cake. (WYEAST 1084 Irish Ale)

'Brew Your Own British Real Ale' by Graham Wheeler and Roger Protz is my go-to book for recipes. It's kind of old, 1994 IIRC but all the recipes I've followed exactly came out really good. Besides clones of a lot of British beers from Fuller's, Young's, Eldrige Pope, etc; It has some good info and cool stuff like Bass's Bottling Instructions from 1880 that as they say in the book, "You would not go far wrong by following..."

TheJadedDog said:

I'll second the recommendation for Clone Brews and add that if you only have one homebrewing book it should be "Designing Great Beers" by Ray Daniels. While this is not a book of clones, it is essential when you start developing your own recipes, which I have no doubt you will at some point.

Click to expand...

I second this, "Designing Great Beers" is an awesome book. I think once you get it, you may find that you are more interested in designing your own recipes or tweak some clones to your liking. The book also just gives some really cool history about different styles.

"Beer Captured", the second of the books by the Szamatulski's is awesome, too.

Brewed many of their recipes.

I've bought/been given quite a few homebrew books.

The three must haves (in order from most necessary) IMO are:

How To Brew - Palmer
Brewing Classic Styles - Palmer and Jamil Zanishehehefefffee
Designing Great Beers - Daniels

+1. Yup, those are the ones to have.

denimglen said:

I've bought/been given quite a few homebrew books.

The three must haves (in order from most necessary) IMO are:

How To Brew - Palmer
Brewing Classic Styles - Palmer and Jamil Zanishehehefefffee
Designing Great Beers - Daniels

Click to expand...

Second the Classic Styles book, while not direct clones, the style recipes he has are the best of the best in each catagory. Almost everyone who won a medal at NHC and other comps have said they got their recipe from that book. I make my own recipes, but I ALWAYS start out with Jamil's and go from there. (Actually, I don't usually deviate from his recipes at all.)

Reiteriating a post of a couple of months ago. In the Basic Brewing interview they say that Clone Brews recipes were dumbed down a little bit by the editor/publisher. And that it was more a geographicly orientated book so was very heavy on light lagers. They said Beer Captured was more true to their vision.

Search for the other thread. The basic consenses was that Clone Brews are good recipes but you may have to tweak the process.

Rudeboy

PS Nobody answered my hijack question last time so I'll ask it again. (or maybe I should quit asking thread hijack questions) In almost evey single light lager recipe in Clone Brews they have ~ 250g of Light German Crystal 2.5 L. I have never seen this and can't find it on any online retailer. The lowest crystal I see is 10 L. Anyone now what they're talking about?

Rudeboy said:

...PS Nobody answered my hijack question last time so I'll ask it again. (or maybe I should quit asking thread hijack questions) In almost evey single light lager recipe in Clone Brews they have ~ 250g of Light German Crystal 2.5 L. I have never seen this and can't find it on any online retailer. The lowest crystal I see is 10 L. Anyone now what they're talking about?

Click to expand...

Carapils/Dextrine Malt maybe? I think it's around that L rating and would be fitting in a light lager.

denimglen said:

Carapils/Dextrine Malt maybe? I think it's around that L rating and would be fitting in a light lager.

Click to expand...

Ya, that's what I thought but they have recipes that have Carapils/Dextrine in them and 2.5 L German Light Crystal. Which would lead me to believe they are seperate.

Rudeboy