Home Brew

[adventureswiththepig]

Can anyone recommend a goodguide (online or physical) to brewing your own beer? I want to get some pale ale on the go.

[Cedaronics]

Try here:

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/index.php

[Massimo Maddaloni]

Around here most people start with
- Papazian "Complete joy of Homebrewing". It's a good starter but not a Bible as it's advertized. I am talking the old book and I know that there is a new edition out.

To clone popular beers
- Szamatulski's "Beer captured". Excellent recipes from around the world.

To design your very own recipes
- Daniels' "Designinig great beers ..." Strongly skewed toward AHA judges' taste .

To brew off the beaten path
- Jackson's "Radical homebrewing ..." Historical perspectives, really interesting

To brew WAY off the beaten path
- Buhner's "Sacred and herbal healing beers ..." You may want to check with a toxicologist before brewing some recipes ... if you know what I mean.

Massimo

[captain wassname]

Google Jims Beerkit
Its a really good site with instructions for building your equipment and brewing techniques.
Graham Wheelers Brew your own british real ale Is a decent run through the brewing process and has a pile of recipes.
Best of luck.

Jim

[mitchamus]

I can recommend the DVD's from basicbrewing.com

They also do a great pod/vod cast too.

HTH

Mitch.

[Rambling Sid Rumpo]

I agree totally with Captain Wassname.

[Gordon]

Dave Line's The Big Book Of Brewing, and Brewing Beers Like Those You Buy ( second one is a recipe book using the techniques in the first book )

[Rambling Sid Rumpo]

Do you want to brew from a kit, extract or all-grain as the breweries do?

If you've never brewed before, I'd suggest kits. That way you can make beer with the minimum of outlay and equipment and you can make kits while you get any kit you need for extract or all-grain brewing. The beer will be good and cheap.
With extract brewing you'll need the equipment you need for kits, plus a boiler or large stock pot and a chiller. The beer will be very good, but can more expensive than kits.
All-grain requires all the equipment you need for extract brewing, plus a mash tun which is easy enough to make. You can make beer to your taste exactly and it's possible to make beer that's better than any you can buy in a pub. The more you brew, the cheaper it gets.

Dave Line's The Big Book Of Brewing is very good, but the quality of ingredients has improved since it was written and so may not produce beer exactly as intended. That said, I've only read it once. Graham Wheeler's Brew Your Own British Real Ale is bang up to date and I found it much easier to read. Both Dave and Graham are very well respected in home brewing circles.

Stay away from any books on beer by CJJ Berry. While he knew lots about wine, his knowledge of beer was apparently close to zero.