Brewing Classic Styles

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Glynn

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I just picked up this book the other day. Definitely worth it, I highly recommend it to anyone of any level.
 
I picked it up last week from the library. Found it lacking any really useful information that couldn't be found here on the forums and didn't like that everything was extract based. A lot of these books are the same, a bunch of recipes, a few pages on the history of beer, and a few minor notes on process and technique. Nothing new or unique. A good library read, but wouldn't need this on the bookshelf for future reference.
 
I don't believe the intent of this book was to teach one to brew, but to serve as a guide for recipes that define particular styles, once one has acquired enough knowledge to brew.

Maybe my version was different, but each recipe included both extract and all-grain versions for each recipe listed.

I bought the Kindle version, so it is only taking up a few megabytes of space!

theveganbrewer said:
I picked it up last week from the library. Found it lacking any really useful information that couldn't be found here on the forums and didn't like that everything was extract based. A lot of these books are the same, a bunch of recipes, a few pages on the history of beer, and a few minor notes on process and technique. Nothing new or unique. A good library read, but wouldn't need this on the bookshelf for future reference.
 
I received it for Christmas and found it to be quite informative. Mine is copyrighted in 2007 and has all grain options for each recipe. There is a lot of information pertaining to what is expected with each style and how to achieve that. The recipes are great starting points as well; you can adjust to really make them your own.
 
The best, best book for new and experienced brewers in my opinion. I have won many ribbons brewing recipes straight out of this book and they have all been popular with my friends and family. If you're curious about a style and want to try it, it's a great starting point. I am a big fan of the Vienna Lager and Kolsch recipes in this book and brew them often. As with any recipe though, if you don't practice temperature control or pitch healthy yeast in sufficient quantities, your final product is going to be lacking.

Once you get a handle on this then the next step is to pick up a copy of "Designing Great Beers".
 
its good, but the Palmer book is definitely more useful to me. I checked out the Brewing Classic Styles book, photocopied the recipes I needed, then returned it to the library. The Palmer book is with me every brew day, and one I refer to often....quintessential!
 
Finally got a copy if this book and I love it. Understanding the differences between styles then seeing tried and true recipes for those styles has really helped me learn the effects of ingredients in the finished product. I know the trend for many new homebrewers is to launch right into creating crazy new recipes but I don't think you can really get a beer where it should be without understanding what goes into classic styles.
 
My LHBS owner recommends this book for anyone looking to step away from relying on kits. It's a great way to get a foundation on the different basic beer types and to understand the different malts before you start getting more adventurous.
 
I love this book, I've brewed about 15 recipes from it and they were all great! I love that BCS only contains tried and true recipes that have won awards. I have the Black Widow Porter and Ruabeoir Irish Red in my fermentation freezer right now. In a couple weeks the freezer will be filled with McQuakers Oatmeal stout.
 
I agree it's an awesome book. Gives you fantastic, proven recipes for pretty much every style. It's a great starting point for designing your own recipes, and when combined with "Designing Great Beers" and "Brew Like a Monk" you have all the data and info you need to put together a solid recipe.
 
This book is one of the books that the BJCP recommends that people aspiring to be judges read. It provides a bit more description of the style than the BJCP Style Guidelines and has good information on hop selection and substitution.
 
Hard to fault this book for what it is: a compendium of proven, award-winning recipes for each of the BJCP styles. When brewing a new style that I intend to brew TO STYLE I'll normally brew the BCS recipe as-is or very near it before I start tweaking. I own many brewing books and this is one of those I most often reference.
 
My favorite book on styles and for recipes. Also he gives a lot of tips on how to brew them correctly. I read it often and think its my favorite so far! Sure there are tons of recipes here - but I find the ones in this book are consistently amazing.
 
Brewing Classic Styles is.....well....a CLASSIC!! I have brewed probably half the recipes in the book and they are all great! My favorites being the West Coast Blaster, Through a Mild Darkly, Helles, and Kolsch. You should see my copy!! Stained and dog eared....just like a brewing book should be.
 
I'll echo everyone else. Great book. It's a great place to start if you are unfamiliar with a style. I use it all the time for styles that I've never brewed.
 
My favorite book. I've brewed 7 of the recipes, so far, and they've all turned out great. The American Stout won me a BOS last year!

Even if I'm brewing a different recipe, I go to BCS for tips on brewing the style. It's the first book I recommend to friends that have a couple brews under their belt.

Favorite recipes so far: American Stout, West Coast Blaster, Janet's Brown Ale.
 
Checked this one out at the local library. I thought it was a great resource for the different styles. It would have nicer if the all grain options where presented in list form rather than a paragraph, but it's not that big of a deal. I brewed the cream ale and brown ale, and they both turned out fantastic. Ordered it online a few days ago, and it should be arriving soon.
 
I think it's a great book and find it useful and updated for anyone who needs a solid recipe for a certain style that will be competition worthy. Every time I have adjusted or tweaked the recipes in the book I regretted it since the recipes are all well balanced and already "right on".
 
I enjoyed Ray Daniels "Designing Great Beers" a bit more. From a reference stand point and the fact that I would rather write my own recipes is why I think "Designing Great Beers" resonated with me a bit more.
 
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