Books on Brewing History

This month's Beer Advocate Magazine mentions Beer Geeks (a good conotation to the people on this site). I consider myself a Beer Geek, finatical about brewing and desiring all the knowledge I can sink my teeth into about brewing and this thing called beer.

For Christmas my wife got me (by request) the book Origin & History of Beer & Brewing. Written in 1911 by John P Arnold published by the Alumni Association of the Wahl-Henius Institute as an attempt to bridge civilation to creation of beer and evolution through time up to the 20th century.

If you can get over the early style writing technique used, and somewhat of a translation issue (original written in german), Arnold delightfully explains where and how beer came about from his and his colleague's research efforts. What is good about this book is that he stipulates that by no means this books purpose is to concretely solidify the Origin and History of Beer, however, he iterates that from his findings this is the closest depiction at that time.

A really great read - and a really facinating history - if you desire to find out how our ancient brothers brewed beer.

I recommend this read for all you beer geeks like me.

Anyone else have a recommendation on beer history?

- WW

If you are interested in reading about the history and evolution of many different styles of beer (as well as a lot about designing beers), I would recommend Ray Daniel's excellent book "Designing Great Beers". He covers mostly ales, but provides some really fascinating historical context for each one. Based on what you said above, I suspect you would enjoy this book.

Thanks for the heads up. I will check it out. BTW - nice pics of salmon. I too am an avid Fly fisherman. NE Jersey has some excellent fisheries, however, nothing can compare to the north for trout species.

- WW

I meant salmon as well.

- WW

WOOOOAA!!!

Am I reading this right?? Have I found two fellow brewing fly fisherman?? Great to know I am not alone and great to know you. How many more of us are out there?

A book I am working on right now is Ambitious Brew. Its a history of the brewing industry in the USA. The author slips my mine right now but you can find it easily on Amazon.com.

Thanks.

Dr Malt

FlyGuy said:

If you are interested in reading about the history and evolution of many different styles of beer (as well as a lot about designing beers), I would recommend Ray Daniel's excellent book "Designing Great Beers". He covers mostly ales, but provides some really fascinating historical context for each one. Based on what you said above, I suspect you would enjoy this book.

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Is that the one that focuses mainly on all grain? Or do you think extracters would get something out of it?

I had to jump in just because of the mention of fly fishing.

God Emporer BillyBrew said:

Is that the one that focuses mainly on all grain? Or do you think extracters would get something out of it?

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Yes, you are right. But I found it very helpful. It is actually what piqued my curiosity about all-grain brewing.

I think the book is general enough, however, to help understand the design of any beer (AG, PM, extract-only, etc.). For example, understand the major components of beers (pale malts vs. specialty malts), hop types and rates, etc.

I actually didn't appreciate the book until I read it a couple of times. It *IS* pretty dry, but tons of useful information, including some excellent sections on the composition of 'winning' homebrew recipes (extract and AG). Good read all around.

So the the fly fishermen are coming out of the woodwork, eh? Yep, I am hooked, so to speak. Learned to fly fish out in Eastern Ontario, and got the bug big when I lived in Fort Collins, Colorado. And now that I am in southern Alberta, I am in the trout-fishing mecca! Some steelhead and salmnon fishing would be nice, though -- not much of that here -- I bet you guys out east have some great places to fish!

I'm jealous of both you Alberta guys AND you guys out east. The best trout fishery here (which isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination - and also my home water) is the Grand River Tailwater. I love it and fish it almost every morning during the season. But I am so dying to get out west! I love fishing for steelhead coming up the rivers from Lake Ontario as well but having ice building up around my knees isn't my favourite experience in fishing.

Soon Soon Soon! Less than 4 week till the big day. For now I bide my time tying nymphs and drinking homebrew. I guess I am a nyph-n-brewiac. Can't wait to be standing knee deep in the river catching a nice rainbow with a home made fly on the end of the line whilst sipping a fresh homebrew!

Now nothing gets better than that!

- WW

A post covering two things that I'd like to get into but won't have time until my kids get older.

I'm just going to have to stick with my spinning rig and extract for now.

I know there is more to fly fishing than this, but I've rarely failed to outfish fly fishermen when I show up with my spinning rig and Mepps.

wilsonwj said:

Soon Soon Soon! Less than 4 week till the big day. For now I bide my time tying nymphs and drinking homebrew. I guess I am a nyph-n-brewiac. Can't wait to be standing knee deep in the river catching a nice rainbow with a home made fly on the end of the line whilst sipping a fresh homebrew!

Now nothing gets better than that!

- WW

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I admit I WAS a dry-fly-aholic. I couldn't get enough of that strike on the surface. I used emergers a lot also just to get under the surface but you still get that awesome boil when they take it. A couple years ago I started seriously nymphing and I have to admit my average fish size went way up (actual size too, not just what I tell people). Though I caught a lot of stone fish as well.

Thanks for reminding me about tying, I spend all my time doing beer-related stuff now I forgot how bare I left my boxes after last season.

How do you keep your flies fresh. Mine get so dingy that I find myself tying new ones every 3rd or 4th trip out. Some are due to the abuse they take from fish, while some just due to material - I guess.

I don't mind. Especially when I find how the creatures change over weeks and colors change too. Fly fishing is like style brewing. That is what is so cool about it. The fact that a 4.5# rainbow bends my 7' Looooooomis to my knees is also a treat.

- WW

God Emporer BillyBrew said:

A post covering two things that I'd like to get into but won't have time until my kids get older.

I'm just going to have to stick with my spinning rig and extract for now.

I know there is more to fly fishing than this, but I've rarely failed to outfish fly fishermen when I show up with my spinning rig and Mepps.

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Yep -- I get out-fished by spin fishermen all the time. I just like fly fishing because is just feels different -- better somehow. You somehow have more of an attachment to the entire process, particularly if you get into the finesse and rhythm of the casting.

I also enjoy tying my own flies -- something that adds immense reward when you catch a fish! Plus, nothing goes better with fly tying than sipping on some homebrew!

I think I also see a pattern to my hobbies. They really become more of an obsession. Both with fly fishing and home brewing, I am always thinking "If I only added this ONE thing to my system, boy would I improve my...." <substitute 'fishing success' or 'brewing success' here>. But it NEVER just ends at that one thing. And there is enough complexity in both fly fishing and home brewing, that of course, the process will NEVER end, and I am always challenging myself to improve. I just love it!

They are so similar in fact. The outcome for all is different - every fly you tie, every fish you catch and every brew you make. You are inventing new creations in all aspects of these things.

Awesome Awesome Awesome.

- WW

FlyGuy said:

Yep -- I get out-fished by spin fishermen all the time. I just like fly fishing because is just feels different -- better somehow. You somehow have more of an attachment to the entire process, particularly if you get into the finesse and rhythm of the casting.

I also enjoy tying my own flies -- something that adds immense reward when you catch a fish! Plus, nothing goes better with fly tying than sipping on some homebrew!

I think I also see a pattern to my hobbies. They really become more of an obsession. Both with fly fishing and home brewing, I am always thinking "If I only added this ONE thing to my system, boy would I improve my...." <substitute 'fishing success' or 'brewing success' here>. But it NEVER just ends at that one thing. And there is enough complexity in both fly fishing and home brewing, that of course, the process will NEVER end, and I am always challenging myself to improve. I just love it!

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I find getting outfished depends on the situation. When I'm fishing a hatch with the right dryfly that I tied myself, nobody with a spinning rod could possibly come close. A fish a cast is hard to beat.

I'm not a purist by any stretch though. I have no problems at all pulling out my baitcast and going after pike with lures. I love to fish. My first choice is almost always flyfishing on a river though, I love being able to walk for KM's and fish every little run or riffle or pool. Figuring out what the fish is eating and knowing that I have my own imitation in my vest ready to go (cursing when I realize that box is in the car). Oh man, now I want to go fishing right now.

You're so right about 'just one more thing'. That's why I have 9 flyrods, various metal and plastic chucking gear, a table COVERED with tying materials and now a brew-closet FILLED with beer stuff. Gotta love it.

Yeah, I'd still like to get into it someday when time allows. I almost had myself talked into building my own spinning rod a couple of weeks ago, but talked myself out of it because of the time issue. Ah, that bright day when I start having spare time again...

Did anyone notice when the google ad at the bottom switched from being beer-related to fly fishing related?

My favorite book on beer history is "Beer in America: The Early Years - 1587-1840" by Gregg Smith. Gregg is a homebrewer and historian (I think I read that this was his doctoral thesis). Anyway this is probably the most readable history book you will ever find. The book is not about how beer was made but more about why and about it's importance in American history. Most history texts sanitize the mention of beer out of the books for various reasons. However, this results in a lot of things not making a lot of sense. Put beer back into the equation and history becomes much more clear. My teenaged daughter was having trouble with history class until she read this book. Now it all clicks for her.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company