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HItransplant

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Ok, I need recommendations on which nook to get next. I have joy of homebrewing and designing great beers.

Here's what I'm looking at:

1. Yeast
2. Brewing classic styles
3. Extreme brewing

Whattyall think?

Also open to suggestions, but remember...the object here is to narrow my choices.

Cheers
 
It isn't particularly in depth about yeast, but Radical Brewing is a great book that looks into classic styles as well as giving some ideas for ways to do crazy beers.
 
HItransplant said:
Ok, I need recommendations on which nook to get next. I have joy of homebrewing and designing great beers.

Here's what I'm looking at:

1. Yeast
2. Brewing classic styles
3. Extreme brewing

Whattyall think?

Also open to suggestions, but remember...the object here is to narrow my choices.

Cheers

Anyone else?
 
I'd go with Brewing Classic Styles. It doesn't go terribly indepth into any one style, but you get a good rundown of every style. I usually take the recipe that he has in for whatever style as my base, then tweak it based upon my efficiency and what I'm specifically looking for.
 
for Intro level material I would recommended
How to Brew - Palmer
The Complete Joy of Homebrewing - Papazian

Once Done with those books these will help you understand the brewing process on a deeper level.
Designing Great Beers - Daniels
Yeast - Zainasheff/White

Books I have in my brewing library that I have really enjoyed and learned from
Radical Brewing - Mosher
Brew like a monk - Hieronymus
Brewing with Wheat - Hieronymus

Good recipe books
Brewing classic styles Zainasheff/Palmer
Clone Brews - Szamatulski
Beer Captured - Szamatulski
 
Which did you find most useful? Designing Great Beers or Complete Joy? They're worlds apart, really, and that answer will help guide where you should go next.
 
I have read most of the books listed in the thread so far.
Of the three listed in the OP I'd get Yeast. Very informative and a good read.

After that I'd probably go with Radical Brewing.


I haven't read Brewing with Wheat yet, I might have to pick that up.
 
1. Yeast - very good book on yeast and fermentation.

2. Brewing classic styles - very good, but similar to Designing Great Beers.

3. Extreme brewing - looked at this at the store. Was not impressed. Kind of a skinny, fancy, beginners book.

I would say "Yeast" or "Radical Brewing".

:mug:
 
So funny,I was about to post the same post. I started with Joy of Homebrewing about 4 months ago. I learned a lot from it, it was an easy and fascinating read, but now with about 8 batches under my belt from the book I feel like I'm ready to move on. I'm too lazy to really get into the all-grain recipes, and I'm not ready yet to start making my own (although I do tweak recipes) but other than that I'm pretty adventurous and I am getting a better idea of what I like. I want to get more different styles under my belt, have some beer adventures (like the time I threw some dried apricot into my ginger honey beer...YUM) and start working towards making up my own. I'm thinking Radical Brewing is on my radar, but I wonder if I should start with another more "basic" one first, like Yeast or Designing Great Beers.
 
I have read most of the books listed in the thread so far.
Of the three listed in the OP I'd get Yeast. Very informative and a good read.

After that I'd probably go with Radical Brewing.


I haven't read Brewing with Wheat yet, I might have to pick that up.

Brewing With Wheat is a good overview on wheat beers in general. Good read.
 
So funny,I was about to post the same post. I started with Joy of Homebrewing about 4 months ago. I learned a lot from it, it was an easy and fascinating read, but now with about 8 batches under my belt from the book I feel like I'm ready to move on. I'm too lazy to really get into the all-grain recipes, and I'm not ready yet to start making my own (although I do tweak recipes) but other than that I'm pretty adventurous and I am getting a better idea of what I like. I want to get more different styles under my belt, have some beer adventures (like the time I threw some dried apricot into my ginger honey beer...YUM) and start working towards making up my own. I'm thinking Radical Brewing is on my radar, but I wonder if I should start with another more "basic" one first, like Yeast or Designing Great Beers.

Radical Brewing is a hoot to read, but you probably need to get Designing Great Beers before it or Yeast.

Sometimes, I think I have too many beer books...
 
Pilgarlic said:
Which did you find most useful? Designing Great Beers or Complete Joy? They're worlds apart, really, and that answer will help guide where you should go next.

Designing great beers has been my overwhelming favorite....I prefer how to brew over joy of homebrewing
 
I'm worried yeast won't be technical enough and radical brewing will be too much fun and not enough business.

Can someone who has read these comment?
 
Take a look at the late Gregory Noonan's "New Brewing Lager Beers". If you liked "Designing Great Beers", this one will give you plenty to chew on.
 
Radical brewing by randy mosher, without a doubt. Best beer book i own.

Its got a little bit of everything.

I have the yeast book and im not a fan of it. I thought it would have more info on flavor profiles.
 
doctorRobert said:
Radical brewing by randy mosher, without a doubt. Best beer book i own.

Its got a little bit of everything.

Agreed. All the books I own are up in my office gathering dust, except Mosher's Radical Brewing. That's my bible and it stays in the brew garage for quick reference. I get a little experimental, so it's nice to have those fruit and spice charts handy.

Sent from my DROIDX using Home Brew Talk
 
I refer to Palmer's How To Brew and Designing Great Beers 'all' the time.

I enjoyed reading Libations of the 18th Century.

Yeast was going to be my next purchase.
 
Pilgarlic said:
Take a look at the late Gregory Noonan's "New Brewing Lager Beers". If you liked "Designing Great Beers", this one will give you plenty to chew on.

I'm only doing ales right now...still recommend it?
 
I absolutely still recommend it. I have only done one lager. His coverage of all facets is as applicable to ales as to lagers, with the exception of his including one of the most comprehensive treatments of decoction mashing. You will find more information here than you are likely to absorb.
 
Can't speak to the others in the op, but I have Extreme Brewing. It is okay. A beginners book for sure, but I have found a few pieces of inspiration in it.
 
I also liked the yeast book. I have read and re- read several of the sections a few times. I haven't read through the make your own yeast lab section yet as I am not quite ready for that.

I haven't read the Mosher book yet, but think I will do that next.

I have new lager brewing checked out from the library now. It is very technical. I'll probably buy it one day and refer to various sections as needed.
 
Great suggestions here, fellas.... I just got the Lagering book and Designing Great Beers. Needless to say, I have a lot of reading ahead.

Thanks!
 
DubbelDach said:
Great suggestions here, fellas.... I just got the Lagering book and Designing Great Beers. Needless to say, I have a lot of reading ahead.

Thanks!

Designing great beers is awesome.

I also saw a brief review for a book in zymurgy..."brewing better beer," by gordon strong. Looks interesting.

I ended up buying radical brewing...tried talking my other half into 2 books (to get super saver shipping)...but that didn't fly. I'll prob get yeast next...or maybe that better beer book.

Thanks for the help all
 
Thanks for all the info guys! this thread influenced me to buy designing great beers. i have yet to read ANY books, so im sure this will provide loads of info
 
Biggest Endorsement of Radical Brewing is by John Palmer, yes that John Palmer: from amazon:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/0937381837/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


By John Palmer (Monrovia, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Radical Brewing: Recipes, Tales and World-Altering Meditations in a Glass (Paperback)
I have a new favorite brewing book - Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher. I must admit that I was put off by the title at first. "Radical Brewing? I don't want to brew weird stuff, I want to brew good stuff..." But after I had a chance to browse thru a copy, I realized there was nothing weird about it. It is radical like Copernicus was radical. It is full of really interesting information that I had not known or barely heard of before. This is a spectrum of brewing, brews, and brewers.

How to describe it??
Broadly, it is like Designing Great Beers in that it presents the ingredients of brewing, the methods for using them and how various beer styles were developed by using those ingredients.
The difference could be described in this way though: If DGB were described as a university course in the main lecture hall on brewing, then Radical Brewing is sitting down with the Prof one-on-one, while he regales with his experiences and pours you samples as he talks. And, if you know Randy, then this description of his book is self-explanatory. It really is a book that you will pick up and read for the fun of it. There are lots of interesting recipes, and his discussion makes you want to try them.
A great book to further your homebrewing education.

John Palmer
author of "How To Brew"
www.howtobrew.com
 
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