Brew Your Own Big Book of Homebrewing, Updated Edition

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Brew Your Own Big Book of Homebrewing is a re-formatted and updated 2nd edition of the classic homebrew encyclopedia (with recipes) from the editors of Brew Your Own magazine. Originally published in 2017, this edition was released 10th May 2022 by Quarto on their Harvard Common Press imprint. It's 240 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a very good, comprehensive, accessible, plainly written guide with recipes for the homebrewer. It covers everything from beginning information through equipment gathering. Using only this guide, a beginning brewer could successfully gather the necessary tools, equipment, and ingredients to make a safe, drinkable, and potable beer. The introductory sections contain a thorough overview on the process including a necessary emphasis on cleaning and sanitation. The authors do a good job of explaining safety procedures, ingredients, and the basic general procedure. Tutorial photos are abundant, in color, and clear, without hands or tools blocking the action.

The second section contains a good cross section of recipes and clones (some very famous brews to copy here) as well as enough information and instruction that adventurous readers will be encouraged to spread their wings and develop their own brews. Recipes include an introduction, ingredients in bullet lists with measurements in both imperial (American) and metric measurements, and step-by-step instructions. The book also includes a resource/links list and abbreviate bibliography for further reading.

This is a very good basic guide which has enough scope and information to satisfy both beginners and advanced zymurgists, and which will become a staple reference in the homebrewer's library. Highly recommended to hobby brewers, smallholders, general DIYers, and beer lovers. Note that this is a *beer* brewing book and does a good job of different profile beers, but doesn't include hard ciders, meads, metheglins, or anything but beer. The clone recipes include lots of ales, porters, pilsners, a few stouts, IPA, red-ales, and more or less all the beer types I could imagine. There are craft beer recipes here to keep even the most dedicated hobbyist going for a long while.

Five stars. I didn't have the first edition for comparison, but this is a comprehensive guide.