Best book(s) on beer styles?

[mainefiddler]

I've been enjoying craft brews for a while now, but I am still a relative amateur when it comes to discerning different types of beer. As I am delving into the world of home brewing, I really would like to expand my knowledge on different beer styles. Looking at books on Amazon, there is a dizzying array to choose from. What book(s) would you recommend a beginner wanting to broaden their beer knowledge?

 

[singybrue]

Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil Zainasheff is my go-to

 

[pursuit0fhoppiness]

Personally I think Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher is the best option, and The Complete Beer Course by Bernstein and Beerology by Mirella Amato (a Master Cicerone from Ontario!) are solid too for learning about styles of beer. Homebrewing wise, How To Brew by Palmer is the BIBLE and The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Papazian is great too. Happy reading!

 

[Lefou]

Book suggestions? I have a few. You may even be able to find them for free at a good local library - I did.

Chris Colby's new one.
His blog is excellent, BTW, I read that, too. Outstanding info on different styles, water and basic adjustments to style, and a lot more.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1624143148/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Brew Like a Monk: Trappist and Belgian Styles by Stan Hieronymous

Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels (older, but great info)

The Brewmaster's Bible by Stephen Snyder (older, and I bought this as soon as it came out)

One more.... The Complete Joy of Homebrewing (4th Ed) by Charlie Papazian

 

[Auger]

If you're interested in learning about global styles of beer and brewing and the history behind them, Michael Jackson's New World Guide to Beer is a great resource. It's more about local style and history than the actual brewing process of specific styles.

 

[mainefiddler]

Thanks for the suggestions so far! I actually already have both books by Palmer and Papazian; both have been great so far! I'm not so much looking for recipes but a reference for defining different styles. However, I wont discount any book that does have recipes.

 

[Auger]

Thanks for the suggestions so far! I actually already have both books by Palmer and Papazian; both have been great so far! I'm not so much looking for recipes but a reference for defining different styles. However, I wont discount any book that does have recipes.

If you really want to get into the weeds with technical references and style definitions, there's always the BJCP Syle Guidelines.

https://bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf

 

[TX_Brewing]

Hands down brewing classic styles as it gives you recipes for every style. It is one thing to read about a style, it is a whole other to brew/drink a style.

For the basics hard to beat palmers book or the complete joy of home brewing.

 

[passedpawn]

Jamil's BCS, as others said. It's basically a recipe book, but if you're looking for benchmark recipes for the styles (as they existed previously, the new guidelines are farked), this is the book. Ray Daniels Designing Great Beers treats the subject differently, but in a nice way with graphs which are interesting once you understand them. I'd get both.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

If you want to learn about the styles, and not about brewing them, I recommend The Beer Bible

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761168117/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Loaded with tons of styles, history, flavors. I got it for Xmas a couple years ago and it's a great resource just to have around, even though it's not about homebrewing.

 

[passedpawn]

I've been enjoying craft brews for a while now, but I am still a relative amateur when it comes to discerning different types of beer. As I am delving into the world of home brewing, I really would like to expand my knowledge on different beer styles. Looking at books on Amazon, there is a dizzying array to choose from. What book(s) would you recommend a beginner wanting to broaden their beer knowledge?

haha, I just read your post with comprehension, which didn't apply to my previous post.

If you want to read about the qualities that make up each style, check out this attached file. It covers the styles as they are typically described in most of the books, and here at HBT. I recommend the first, but I'm a little old school, so maybe peruse both.

2008 BJCP Style Guidelines

Note that the styles changed ini 2015, and you can see that at the following site:

https://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

Brewing classic styles. I love this book.

 

[Lefou]

Once you figure out styles, then the next step is understanding the basic ingredients and methods behind the style. The real fun begins when you start understanding how all those different ingredients and methods interact.

 

[mainefiddler]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! The judging guidelines look like they would be very helpful in understanding the standards for each beer type. Given the number of recommendations, I've added Brewing Classic Styles to my wishlist.

 

[seabrew8]

Guns, Germs, and Steel.

 

[Lefou]

Guns, Germs, and Steel.

Interesting book, but I'll take it a step further
Ballistics, microbiology, and metallurgy.
... with beer and other beverages being a fine product of harnessing the benefits of the second science.

 

[seabrew8]

Ballistics, microbiology, and metallurgy.

Gotta love technology.

Too bad north american people are in general stupid people. This generation have no concept of time.

 

[Lefou]

Jamil's BCS, as others said. It's basically a recipe book, but if you're looking for benchmark recipes for the styles (as they existed previously, the new guidelines are farked), this is the book. Ray Daniels Designing Great Beers treats the subject differently, but in a nice way with graphs which are interesting once you understand them. I'd get both.

Yeah, I kinda noticed how the BJCP definitions have been altered. I build my beers within BJCP guidelines, but even then, there's a lot of creative leeway.

 

[seabrew8]

Beer. Is good.

 

[Lefou]

Beer. Is good.

No doubt. So are books.
When I first started brewing, I spent a lot of time reading anything I could find, online or in a library. One of the best parts was finding out how brewing evolved and how it influenced the cultural aspects of societies that promoted beer, wine, and distilling.
I've come to the conclusion the societies that frown on the positive aspects of this art are, in my opinion, culturally and philosophically retarded in some form. Progress is hard to argue against.

 

[greyghost]

If you want to learn about the styles, and not about brewing them, I recommend The Beer Bible

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761168117/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Loaded with tons of styles, history, flavors. I got it for Xmas a couple years ago and it's a great resource just to have around, even though it's not about homebrewing.

I whole heartily agree. Love this book.

 

[Lefou]

I got Alworth's book for free at the the library.
One of the best contemporary books around with nice sidebar comments and loads of pictures.

 

[violinguy]

If you really want to get into the weeds with technical references and style definitions, there's always the BJCP Syle Guidelines.

https://bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf

I just skimmed over this and I learned more in 10 minutes (about recipes and guidelines) than in any book. I have Palmer and love it. My reservation with Brewing Classic Styles is, its recipes are almost all extract which I understand is common for novice brewers, but us AG or BIAB people have to do additional calculations. You know, like, math.

 

[passedpawn]

I just skimmed over this and I learned more in 10 minutes (about recipes and guidelines) than in any book. I have Palmer and love it. My reservation with Brewing Classic Styles is, its recipes are almost all extract which I understand is common for novice brewers, but us AG or BIAB people have to do additional calculations. You know, like, math.

BCS has both extract and all grain recipes. The notes always include instructions to make with grain.

 

[seabrew8]

No doubt. So are books.
When I first started brewing, I spent a lot of time reading anything I could find, online or in a library. One of the best parts was finding out how brewing evolved and how it influenced the cultural aspects of societies that promoted beer, wine, and distilling.
I've come to the conclusion the societies that frown on the positive aspects of this art are, in my opinion, culturally and philosophically retarded in some form. Progress is hard to argue against.

History is cool.

Yeah in some places they used beer has to proof the yeast will live so they can drink it too without dying from the water.

 

[RustyHorn]

I just skimmed over this and I learned more in 10 minutes (about recipes and guidelines) than in any book. I have Palmer and love it. My reservation with Brewing Classic Styles is, its recipes are almost all extract which I understand is common for novice brewers, but us AG or BIAB people have to do additional calculations. You know, like, math.

The problem with the BJCP guidelines is that they are very recent and ignore hundreds of years of brewing history. They are competition guidelines, not accurate historical records.

 

[Auger]

The problem with the BJCP guidelines is that they are very recent and ignore hundreds of years of brewing history. They are competition guidelines, not accurate historical records.

I wouldn't say "ignore", as each style definition has a section that discusses the historical origins of the style. That's sort of the opposite of "ignore".

 

[RustyHorn]

I wouldn't say "ignore", as each style definition has a section that discusses the historical origins of the style. That's sort of the opposite of "ignore".

But in those discussions, they don't explain the full picture. Take Barley Wine. There is no mention that English Barley Wines vary a lot more in strength and IBU. They do that so that they can have a cut off point between English and American Barley Wines when in actual fact, English Barley Wines have and can be as strong and with a higher IBU. If we used the BJCP guidelines as a historical reference, we'd actually believe that there is such a thing as an American Barleywine. You can put American hops into a Barley Wine, but it's still a Barley Wine. It just means that it's a Barley Wine with American hops. A Barley Wine is a Barley Wine is a Barley Wine