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Orfy

Orfy

For the love of beer!
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What books do you find most usefull?

I have.

The Joy of home brewing, The pap miester : not read yet.

The Brewmasters Bibble, Stephen Snyder : very good, loads of recipes

The Big Book of Brewing, Dave line :seems to have lots of theories not in line with others. (For example suggesting using none food grade plastics for brewing. Dust bins) Loads of calculations and info.

I love John Palmers How To Brew.
 
The Joy of Homebrewing is a good book, although I find Palmer's book contains more useful info. Papazian tends to ramble on a bit and likes to say "Relax, have a homebrew", whereas Palmer gets to the point and is more scientific (which appeals to me). Just my opinion (I hate critics cos it is just a matter of personal opinion, so please disregard everything I said and make up your own mind!!! :mad: :D )
 
How to Brew - John Palmer
New Brewing Lager Beer - Gregory J. Noonan
Designing Great Beers - Ray Daniels

**Edited for author mishap
 
just an fyi in case anyone is looking by author - Designing Great Beers is by Ray Daniels. very good book. i second the New Brewing Lager Beer by Mr. Noonan. it's deep! i also like Brew Your Own magazine. offers something for homebrewers of all levels. good recipes, gadgets, techniques, etc.
 
Of the five books I have, Palmer's is easily the most useful. I wish I'd seen it five years ago.
 
I find myself not referencing Palmer's book very much anymore. For me these days it's quick references to charts and guidelines in Papazian's book, and then a more in-depth review of the proper section of Designing Great Beers while I concoct recipes.

-walker
 
orfy said:
What books do you find most usefull?

I have.

The Joy of home brewing, The pap miester : not read yet.

The Brewmasters Bibble, Stephen Snyder : very good, loads of recipes

The Big Book of Brewing, Dave line :seems to have lots of theories not in line with others. (For example suggesting using none food grade plastics for brewing. Dust bins) Loads of calculations and info.

I love John Palmers How To Brew.
Click to expand...

I have the Brewmasters Bible as well, and it's a great book. Lots of charts and diagrams and stuff that look really important. :)
 
brewmaster's bible is great for a quick overview of styles, and ingredients. some of the recipies are great as well... i wish it had more all grain recipies... i most use that book as a reference for the parameters of a certian stlye, the charts are great, as are knowing what certian grains and adjuncts will do to your brew.

designing great beers is an awesome, in depth historical reference, as well as an excellent guide to designing the styles appropriately. i had this book from the library and was loathe to give it back..

george and laurie fix have a few heavy scientific/technical books about brewing, lotsa equations and math nuts and bolts, a difficult read if yer a liberal arts type such as me and still don't know how to read the hydro, let alone balance a chemical equation ;), but still usefull for understanding some of the science and chemistry behind brewing. An Analysis of Brewing Techniques, and Principles of Brewing Science. i found the analysis book to be more beneficial than the other, prolly do to my lack of maths skills.
 
DeRoux's Broux said:
my wife got me the Designing Great Beers for my b-day a week ago. so far, so good!
Click to expand...
Great book if you are into the recipe designing thing.The one I seem to reference more than any other is The Brewmaster's Bible. I just wish more of the recipes were all-grain. I'd bet if I owned a copy of Palmer's, that would be the most ragged (from constantly using it) of all of them. I reference that on the web constantly. I need to buy a copy!!!!
I also have Radical Brewing (Randy Mosher), and I LOVE that book.
 
Well I started out with the "Bible". By "Bible" I am refering to Papazian "Joy of Homebrew". Looks like he has another edition out as the cover is different. 10 - 15 years ago, I mean this was the way to get into it (his first edition was what... 84). He keeps saying "Relax, have a homebrew" because in a way we thought that this was just beyond us you know. That the sciece was just too much and we had to be a chemist to possibly create something spectacular. Gotta remember, back then if you told someone you were brewing beer, they were like... "Yeah right..." Well his toned down and ... rambling... language was a means to get everyone to calm down a bit:cross: I still remmeber joking with the friend I was brewing with.... "Is the gravity good... ", "lets move the primary to some place colder", "maybe we need to repitch the yeast...", ect...

"HEY!!!! RELAX... HAVE A HOMEBREW!!!" We would plop on the couch and have a couple.

There is one book I have not seen around. The last publication was in 1995 so I'm not even sure its being printed anymore, which would be a damm shame. Certainly the older guys and gals here have it. It's called "The Brewers Companion" and is by Randy Mosher. Amazon seems to list it:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0964041006/qid=1135430844/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl14/002-3081605-3685643?n=507846&s=books&v=glance
No picture though. If you do not have this book. GET IT NOW. That is before it disappears from eternity. This is not a book of recipes. From what I have seen it is a very unique book and is heavy on charts and hows and whys. But this information is presented in a very easy going... ah... go with the flow manner that is not dense... very easy on the eyes kinda way. Very heavy on charts that you can copy to create your own documentation, which is obviously imparitive.

There looks to be a flew of other cool books out there now. When I was in the store I saw many of them. The "Designing great beers" looks good. ... umm.... thick..... umm... dense might be the word. My first impression is that others have said what he has in much an easier format and language. Looks more like a textbook to me... ah... just my 2 cents.

Oh and my wife (off the topic of alcoholic beer for a sec) seemed to fall in love with this cool Root Beer book... I have to say I think I'm getting it next time I'm in... looked really cool.

I do like them stlye specific books. Thinking to get the Wheat one since thats what I'm making now.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Papazain's new book "microbrewed adventures" is pretty good. its has funny pictures like from a "free beer to senior citizans day" in germany (talk about cultural relativism! could you imagine a "free beer to seniors day" in america? people would freak)
i also still like, even though its kind of outdated "homebrewers guide" or "everything you need to know to make great tasting beer" i think george miller is the author.
"the best of zymurgy" is good too
and Foster's "pale ale, brewing history and techniques" is a pretty thourough history of (mostly) british ales. it has some interesting facts like how as early as the 1800's british breweries would "secretly" import American hops to make thier beer.
 
BlightyBrewer said:
Papazian tends to ramble on a bit and likes to say "Relax, have a homebrew"...
Click to expand...
Egads! A Pap smear!

Daniels' book is fantastic...I think it's interesting even if you're not forumulating recipes just from a historical perspective, but it's the perfect diving board if you're leaning towards concocting your own.

I like Miller's Homebrewing Guide for AG and especially water treatment, although there's probably nothing in there you couldn't cull from other sources, or even How to Brew.

I received Beer Captured for Christmas and have done one recipe (Weihenstephaner) from it, but actually I spend a lot of time just reading through the recipes.
 
cgravier said:
its has funny pictures like from a "free beer to senior citizans day" in germany (talk about cultural relativism! could you imagine a "free beer to seniors day" in america? people would freak)
Click to expand...

Or celebrating Fathers day like it is done in Germany:

Ascension Day is considered Fathers Day in Germany. It's a Holiday at the end of April or beginning of May, and the common goal of the male population seems to be "get drunk outside". You would get together with some of your friends, boxes of beer or a keg on a kart and head for the park or the woods. The day would be finished with a cook-out or in a beer garden.

Damn, I wish I could do this here.

Kai
 
Kai said:
Or celebrating Fathers day like it is done in Germany:

... the common goal of the male population seems to be "get drunk outside" ...beer or a keg on a kart and head for the park or the woods.



Kai
Click to expand...

sounds like highschool! ill never forget running from the cops on the railroad tracks in the woods, and i look behind me and see my friend running with the keg in his arms! not a beer-ball or pony keg either, a (granted probably half empty) full size keg!
 
Funny this thread should pop up again this afternoon!

Just this morning I decided to treat myself to a post-Christmas gift.:cool: So, I went to Amazon and bought New Brewing Lager Beer by Greg Noonan and Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels. I got them both for under $30 and I opted for free shipping. Oh, and I used the 'Home Brewing Books" link at the top of the page!:D Really looking forward to reading them!
 
Rhoobarb said:
Funny this thread should pop up again this afternoon!

Just this morning I decided to treat myself to a post-Christmas gift.:cool: So, I went to Amazon and bought New Brewing Lager Beer by Greg Noonan and Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels. I got them both for under $30 and I opted for free shipping. Oh, and I used the 'Home Brewing Books" link at the top of the page!:D Really looking forward to reading them!
Click to expand...

I did the same! I bought "The Brewmaster's Bible", and "Designing Great Beers"...cost me £25 with free postage from Amazon...can't wait to put my copy of Papazian aside and read them...;)
 
i did the same. got my German Wheat Beer (part of the Classic Beer series books) for $9 bucks of amazon. got it in the mail yesterday!

those books y'all picked up a a must for any brew library. good choices.
 
billybrew said:
Dang, you guys are all making me jealous. All I've got is Beer Captured. And of course, you all!
Click to expand...

Yeah, all I have right now is an old paperback copy of Papazian's The Homebrewer's Companion (which is so-so) - not The Complete Joy - and Nachel's Homebrewing for Dummies, which was my 'bible' in the early days. Oh, and within the last couple of years, the online copy of Palmer's How To Brew. That's it!

Much as I love this place, you can't use a highlighter or carelessly spill wort on your computer!:D
 
BlightyBrewer said:
Are you a fellow "papist" Rhoobarb? ;):D
Click to expand...

I really don't reach for his book too often. Anymore, it's a mix of BYO magazine, this Forum and my old Homebrewing For Dummies book.

I just got my copies of New Brewing Lager Beer and Designing Great Beers from Amazon less than an hour ago!:D Now I'll have some reading material about brewing to read while I'm brewing tonight! Cool!:cool:
 
Ive learned a lot from Papazians "joy of hombrewing" since that was the first book i bought on the subject. i also truely enjoy "The brewmasters bible" by Snyder. its choke full of tasty info.

on books about beer in general i love Garrett Olivers "The Brewmasters table." I have absorbed so much useful info about beer from that book, it encourages me to brew better beer.
 
I learned about home brewing from a friend I worked with over 10 years ago. I had never even heard about making beer at home until he brought it up. He could tell I was interested so he brought in The Complete Joy of Home Brewing by Charlie Papazain. I took it home that night and read it cover to cover. I purchased a starter kit that week and had my first batch fermenting before the weekend was over. My copy that I got with my kit is now very tattered, stained and falling apart.
I can't tell you if Charlie's book is the best or not but I can tell you that it got me hopelessly hooked on home brewing
 

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