Anyone recommend "Homebrewing for Dummies?"

My local library has it, thinking about checking it out. Seems to be well written and I liked the format a lot. Input?

Combine that with How To Brew found at http://www.howtobrew.com/ and you'll have a good resource.

Homebrewing for Dummies is the book I started with. Received it as a gift about a year ago. I still do reference it. Good information from beginner to more than intermediate. I would recommend it.

I personally think Palmer's How to Brew is, in the end, a more complete book. That being said, I would probably recommend Homebrewing for Dummies as a first brewing book to most people instead. Really straight forward, all the basics you need to get going. It has small sections on mead, cider and kegging. Very well done IMO.

I do tend to ignore the author's insistence that beers go into secondary.

+1 was good book... dont stop there, read all you can get ur hands on

thrstyunderwater said:

My local library has it, thinking about checking it out. Seems to be well written and I liked the format a lot. Input?

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I have a copy of it, its got a good collection of info regarding grain. It also has special section for hops and yeast. Its got good info. Having more than once source is always good. It has plenty of recipes too.

It is a decent book, Palmer's book is awesome and so is Greg Noonan's book New Brewing Lager Beer. Its not just for lagers.

Livendadream said:

It is a decent book, Palmer's book is awesome and so is Greg Noonan's book New Brewing Lager Beer. Its not just for lagers.

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I have the New Brewing Lager Beer. I would say that's a bit advanced over "Homebrewing for Dummies" and even Palmer's "How to Brew". If I were going to build a library, which I have, it would be: "How to Brew" after a few brews "Designing Great Beers", then "Brewing Classic Styles", then if I was inclined to brew in season or wanted more recipes "A Year of Beer", then I would go with New Brewing Lager Beer. I have all of them plus some wine books and what I feel is the outdated "Complete Joys of Homebrewing" (I may have an old edition; I am not sure) I felt that to be a bit of a wast but I only gave a dollar for it. Then of course if you get into cloning books there are several more, but that's six months worth of work right there if you brew along at a break neck pace.

I just started reading palmers how to brew book and so far its a easy read and so far its nicely put together...

I have it, it's a good book in my opinion. One thing to be aware of is that there are quite a few recipies so the book isn't really as long of a read as it appears.

Mike

I have it too, and I never use it. Wish I hadn't spent money on it.

Maybe its just me but I didn't like the format of it at all. I'll stick with Palmer and the HBT 'collective' for my needs.

It is in my library along with "how to brew" and "radical brewing" love them all

Hands down best book for a first read and intro into homebrewing. Not as great as Palmer but as a newbie much more Intertaining to read.

I have homebrewing for dummies and how to brew. I think how to brew is definately a better book with a lot more detailed (and easier to understand) information. But if its free from the library I don't see why you wouldn't want to borrow it. I too have always like the layout of the dummy books.

I don't think there's any BAD information in HFD. I own it; I wouldn't recommend buying it, but it's good info. Can they get How To Brew, though (maybe via an inter-library loan system?)