One book to rule them all

[Ingo]

Howdy!
I'm new to the hobby and totally obsessed. Have been reading this forum, watching copious amounts of youtube videos and having lengthy conversations with chatGPT about all things beer brewing. But there's one missing link and that's a good book about beer brewing.

So if you had to recommend ONE book, what would that book be?

Cheers,
Ingo

 

[day_trippr]

The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian, was the first and most entertaining and informative book wrt my embryonic home brewing endeavors. That was followed closely by How to Brew by John Palmer - look for the latest edition (4th, iirc) as the version I read was the on-line self-published first edition (with some later edits) and quite a few things have evolved since those days

Cheers!

 

[RM-MN]

The "One Book" changes throughout your brewing as you learn more and decide to delve into more depth of knowledge. "How to Brew" is on my list as the, "One Book" but I might decide to move on to, "Yeast" as my brewing knowledge increases. YMMV

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

So if you had to recommend ONE book, what would that book be?

Wrong question.

Q: What would I recommend to correct the mistakes and fill the gaps in UT & LLM generated contents?

A Identify expert home brewers and be willing to pay for their content.

 

[redrocker652002]

I tried to read Palmer's book, but to be honest it was way over my head and way too technical for me. I learn more by posting a question here and reading the answers I get from the users here. Everyone recommended it, but for me as a new brewer, it was just way too much. Your results may vary though.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

When starting home brewing, for a broad overview from a single book, consider BYO's Big Book of Homebrewing (2nd edition, May 2022). Intermediate level brewers who started all-grain may find it helpful for "identifying and filling gaps" around brewing with DME/LME.

 

[MaxStout]

Palmer's How to Brew is perhaps the best primer for people starting out, and it's comprehensive enough to remain helpful to intermediate home brewers.

Once you advance in skills you might find that no single book becomes a one-size-fits-all solution. Depends on what direction you are going. Maybe Gordon Strong's Brewing Better Beer.

Don't limit yourself to just one book, unless you're stuck on a desert island.

 

[T Murph]

Good advice above and I too will suggest John Palmers The Complete Joy off Homebrewing as your first read. It is a detailed guide to learning the basics to mid-range brewing. The more research you do the better prepared you will be to begin your brewing experience. You are not gonna be an expert brewer when you first begin but that does not mean that your very first beer is not drinkable. Following good sanitation and temperature guidelines will help ensure your brews will be successful. Start slow and basic and progress within the structures outlined by the authors of the many resource books available today.

Good luck going forward.

 

[Broken Crow]

Looking at your other posts I see you've already made an all-grain batch and have a Brewzilla so you clearly have the basic knowledge already. I'd suggest just using the best cirriculum and mentors found here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/
If you really want a paper book, I'll second any of the suggestions made so far; I've read the Palmer, Papazian and BYO and they're enjoyable and educational, but as there are almost as many ways to brew as there are homebrewers, I come to this site to learn all the details, options and variations.

 

[kevin58]

There is no such thing as One Book. However a good starting point is without a doubt John Palmer's How To Brew 4th edition.

To learn how to craft your own recipes and how ingredients work with each other try Randy Mosher's Mastering Homebrew.

Interested in Belgian beers? Brew Like A Monk by Stan Hieronymus.

For vintage and historical beers from Britain there are many books by Ron Pattinson but his Homebrewers Guide To Vintage Beer should be your first.

 

[Ingo]

Thanks for all the answers.
I was mostly thinking what would be a wise choice for a book for a beginner. I think I'll start with "How to brew" by John Palmer. And that Vintage beer book 'cause I'm all for traditional english ales. Really love a good cask bitter.

Happy brewing

 

[Bilsch]

One book? If thats the question then without a doubt..
Technology Brewing and Malting
by Wolfgang Kunze.

Books written by homebrewers are often wrong. Better to get your information from where the degreed professionals learn.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

One book? If thats the question then without a doubt..
Technology Brewing and Malting
by Wolfgang Kunze.

Books written by homebrewers are often wrong. Better to get your information from where the degreed professionals learn.

Great book but I'd argue probably not the best for a beginner. In school, it's an immersive environment with every possible resource available to the budding scientist/practicing brewer. I know Charlie's book lit me up, and it was the natural drive for learning more that brought me to books like Kunze (or Briggs et al, Malting and Brewing Science - though I've forgotten so much).

 

[passedpawn]

For a new brewer, How to Brew is best. For recipes that are guaranteed to make you happy, Brewing Classic Styles. I'd suggest get both and focus on those for a couple of years. It's a "recipe for success"!

 

[passedpawn]

Good advice above and I too will suggest John Palmers The Complete Joy off Homebrewing as your first read. It is a detailed guide to learning the basics to mid-range brewing. The more research you do the better prepared you will be to begin your brewing experience. You are not gonna be an expert brewer when you first begin but that does not mean that your very first beer is not drinkable. Following good sanitation and temperature guidelines will help ensure your brews will be successful. Start slow and basic and progress within the structures outlined by the authors of the many resource books available today.

Good luck going forward.

John Palmer is How To Brew. Complete Joy is by our founding forefather, Charlie Papazian. Both are good.

• How to Brew is comprehensive without feeling like a textbook.
• Complete Joy is incredibly enjoyable and quaint, but it really leaves so much out that most will quickly be looking for something more informative.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

For a new brewer, How to Brew is best. For recipes that are guaranteed to make you happy, Brewing Classic Styles. I'd suggest get both and focus on those for a couple of years. It's a "recipe for success"!

+1. In the style vein, I might toss in the style series as well.

 

[passedpawn]

+1. In the style vein, I might toss in the style series as well.

^^ this, but it's likely too much nuance for a new brewer that hasn't ever fermented a beer yet.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

^^ this, but it's likely too much nuance for a new brewer that hasn't ever fermented a beer yet.

Good call.

 

[IslandLizard]

Another endorsement for John Palmer's How to Brew, 4th Ed.

Since you're in Iceland, can you get your ingredients locally?
Malts, hops, and yeast, together with soft(ish) water, are all the ingredients you need to brew most beers.

 

[Ingo]

Another endorsement for John Palmer's How to Brew, 4th Ed.

Since you're in Iceland, can you get your ingredients locally?
Malts, hops, and yeast, together with soft(ish) water, are all the ingredients you need to brew most beers.

Yeah we have some brew shops. And very pure, very soft water.

Btw just ordered "How to brew" from Amazon

 

[FswBG]

I agree with @Bilsch on Technology Brewing and Malting by Kunze being THE book or even the newer Weihenstephan compendium by Narziss. However for an entry level brewing I think there are several books that would suffice as you understand your process and gain experience. A good early-intermediate book in my opinion for explaining the science without getting too heady is Brewing Better Beer by Gordon Strong.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

If "brewing science" is the "final frontier" for ones brewing interests, get a copy of Kunze.

For those who like the idea of "great beer, less work, more fun" when brewing beer at home, one can create a small (7 to 12) book/ebook library for the same price.

 

[Ingo]

I decided to go for "How to brew" as a first choice, then I had to get "Brewing classic styles" 'cause I'm all for the good ol' classics and think I'll stick to those for some time

 

[flipster]

Unfortunately I only could find it in German, but my way into homebrewing was "Gutes Bier selbst brauen" by Hubert Hanghofer, chemical engineer and beer sommelier.

It contains good explanations for theory and practice, like really how to build your own basic setup for all grain brewing. And the best thing: sometimes it's very pragmatic, like the use of (unused!!) cotton diapers as trub-filters.

Most of the recipes include a simple way (kettle mash) and a more advanced like two mash process. Even after brewing some batches it's still a good source improving different steps.

I only had a look into German beer forums, if that book didn't give me an answer.

Took me a while until I found the HBT, which adds knowledge on a whole different level, especially because there are a lot of things to learn from not doing things the "only true way of making beer" aka "the traditional German way" (be aware: may contain traces of (self) irony!!!).

 

[Slim M]

Howdy!
I'm new to the hobby and totally obsessed. Have been reading this forum, watching copious amounts of youtube videos and having lengthy conversations with chatGPT about all things beer brewing. But there's one missing link and that's a good book about beer brewing.

So if you had to recommend ONE book, what would that book be?

Cheers,
Ingo

Complete Joy of Homebrewing followed by a close second is my own log / journal that details my recipe, process, what went wrong , what went right & pretty much everything cradle to grave including the good, the bad, and the ugly. Charlie’s book got me going but my ability to look back has been very helpful.

 

[Ninoid]

Read brulosophy (experiments, recipes), search and ask on the forums and, most importantly, brew and experiment as much as possible and you will know everything very quickly. I found a lot of these books on the Internet and there is a lot of knowledge and theory, but they didn't help me like forums, and most of all I learned through practice.

 

[BrewZer]

The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian, was the first and most entertaining and informative book wrt my embryonic home brewing endeavors. That was followed closely by How to Brew by John Palmer - look for the latest edition (4th, iirc) as the version I read was the on-line self-published first edition (with some later edits) and quite a few things have evolved since those days

Cheers!

after Charlie's tome, I suggest Home Brewing for Dummies. It's got some recipes and other information I've found useful over the years.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Yeah we have some brew shops. And very pure, very soft water.

Btw just ordered "How to brew" from Amazon

Wow, cool, saw Islandlizard's comments and noticed you're from Iceland. As a member of a Shakespeare Company in Lenox, MA, during the 90's (Shakespeare & Co.), members of the Icelandic National Theatre Company stayed and trained with us for a time. Great people.

Unfortunately I only could find it in German, but my way into homebrewing was "Gutes Bier selbst brauen" by Hubert Hanghofer, chemical engineer and beer sommelier.

It contains good explanations for theory and practice, like really how to build your own basic setup for all grain brewing. And the best thing: sometimes it's very pragmatic, like the use of (unused!!) cotton diapers as trub-filters.

Most of the recipes include a simple way (kettle mash) and a more advanced like two mash process. Even after brewing some batches it's still a good source improving different steps.

I only had a look into German beer forums, if that book didn't give me an answer.

Took me a while until I found the HBT, which adds knowledge on a whole different level, especially because there are a lot of things to learn from not doing things the "only true way of making beer" aka "the traditional German way" (be aware: may contain traces of (self) irony!!!).

Cool. I saw the title you mention and I wondered if it might be this one, "Bier selbst gebraut: Mit Rezepten für 100 Sorten," which I've had on my cart for awhile but I see it's a different author (and title, obviously).

 

[mac_1103]

...and you will know everything very quickly

You will never know everything.

 

[flipster]

Cool. I saw the title you mention and I wondered if it might be this one, "Bier selbst gebraut: Mit Rezepten für 100 Sorten," which I've had on my cart for awhile but I see it's a different author (and title, obviously).

Good point, I just could have added a link the first time: Gutes Bier selbst brauen, ISBN 9783835415560
The author is also hosting the page netbeer.org, but there is not much happening for years. And it looks, as only parts of the page were translated into English.

(As I wrote in my HBT introduction post, I stumbled over this book, because I was working a print job for this publisher - a real stroke of luck!)

 

[Ninoid]

You will never know everything.

Of course, not everything, but everything you need to make a good beer.

 

[Ninoid]

Complete Joy of Homebrewing followed by a close second is my own log / journal that details my recipe, process, what went wrong , what went right & pretty much everything cradle to grave including the good, the bad, and the ugly. Charlie’s book got me going but my ability to look back has been very helpful.

Writing journal is very helpful and I endorse it as good practice.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Good point, I just could have added a link the first time: Gutes Bier selbst brauen, ISBN 9783835415560
The author is also hosting the page netbeer.org, but there is not much happening for years. And it looks, as only parts of the page were translated into English.

(As I wrote in my HBT introduction post, I stumbled over this book, because I was working a print job for this publisher - a real stroke of luck!)

Vielen Dank. Ich kann eigentlich ganz gut Deutsch lesen, das ist also toll.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Vielen Dank. Ich kann eigentlich ganz gut Deutsch lesen, das ist also toll.

Two laugh emoji's. Methinks my German reading ability is being called into question. Well, let me tell you, my brewing stainless glänzt wie ein Affen-Popo.

 

[redrocker652002]

Writing journal is very helpful and I endorse it as good practice.

I agree. I try and take good notes during the brew day and after. Sometimes too many during brew day makes the notes a bit harder to decipher the next day though

 

[flipster]

Two laugh emoji's. Methinks my German reading ability is being called into question. Well, let me tell you, my brewing stainless glänzt wie ein Affen-Popo.

I just wasn't expecting this! No questioning about your abilities - you said your wife was born in Germany and you're somehow involved in a German bread cartel, didn't you? You picked something up for sure.
But when I think about your stainless, I'd more likely compare it with Bender Rodriguez' blanken Metallarsch, than a primate owned one...

Back to the topic: A short protocol, especially thoughts on possible deviations or what did not go well, are helpful to avoid mistakes in the future.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I suggest Home Brewing for Dummies

I see it's currently 3rd edition (2022 publishing date). Good to see that there are a number of authors/publishers that see value in keeping books current.

Do you have the 3rd edition (or is it an earlier one)?

 

[Gadjobrinus]

I just wasn't expecting this! No questioning about your abilities - you said your wife was born in Germany and you're somehow involved in a German bread cartel, didn't you? You picked something up for sure.
But when I think about your stainless, I'd more likely compare it with Bender Rodriguez' blanken Metallarsch, than a primate owned one...

Back to the topic: A short protocol, especially thoughts on possible deviations or what did not go well, are helpful to avoid mistakes in the future.

I know my friend, just joking. In truth I learned the term when my friend commented:

"...glänzt wie ein Affen-Popo...'

 

[BrewZer]

I see it's currently 3rd edition (2022 publishing date). Good to see that there are a number of authors/publishers that see value in keeping books current.

Do you have the 3rd edition (or is it an earlier one)?

1st edition, 1st printing. 1997.