Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Unlike other brew-your-own-beer books, this title from award-winning homebrewer George Hummel offers little in the way of wordy preambles or "you can do it" pep talks. After a short rundown of the equipment and the basic steps, Hummel methodically walks readers through over 200 recipes, starting with relatively simple and approachable beers like an American Amber and an India Pale Ale, before moving on to more complex fare such as American Barley Wine, a pre-Prohibition lager. All the classics are here, as well as more esoteric recipes for a Cranberry Wheat, a Smoked Pumpkin Ale, Chipotle Amber, and a Thai Lemongrass with Galanga. Hummel even offers recipes for 7 gluten-free variations on Pale Ale, lager and others, enabling tipplers with Celiac disease or other dietary restrictions to enjoy a cold brew as well. Salient tips, such as using spring instead of distilled water, repeated instructions on how to dechlorinate tap water, charts on hops and their applications, as well as some troubleshooting advice help ensure consistent results. Brewers accustomed to relying on ready-made kits may find this from-scratch approach intimidating, but Hummel's thorough and clear instructions inspire confidence and creativity, which will surely readers off to their local brewer's supply store or web site. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
For the beginning home brewer, this book is a good place to start. Like Stephen Snyder's The Brewmaster's Bible, this guide arranges the recipes by beer style, though Snyder plunges deeper into the history of beer styles than home brewer, Mid-Atlantic Brewing News columnist, and Philadelphia brewing supplies shop owner Hummel, who only briefly notes the origins of each beer along with its recipe. In the first chapter, Hummel introduces the ingredients, equipment, and basic setup for home brewing. He also discusses common home brew problems to watch out for, but the main focus of his book is the recipes. Two hundred recipes give readers a wide range of brews to make (not only beer but also cider, mead, and soda). VERDICT The step-by-step, easy-to-follow recipes are perfect for those starting out in the craft of home brewing. Highly recommended.-Ginny Wolter Toledo-Lucas Cty. P.L. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
