| Customer Reviews
Avg. Customer Review:
14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
Really good but....., February 20, 2004
Reviewer: "secretworx" (Colorado USA) -
I'm a beginning brewer. This book came highly recommended
by several websites and brewing forums. So I picked
this book up.
It's a thorough book and has been updated recently as
the Introduction notes.
Overall it was a good book for a beginner but there
are some problems.
First, the beginning chapters really barrel through
the process so quickly that you're not sure what some
of the terminology means. For instance, Pitching. Which
is simply a brewer's word for dumping in the yeast.
You'll hear the term used through several chapters before
you even have a clue what it means. Another is sparging.
Which is another brewer's term for straining the spent
finishing hops and other stuff out of the beer.
As you can see I've read the entire book and I'm still
uncertain of terms and when they are applied. He finally
explains those two previously mentioned phrases and
many more in the latter half of the book but by that
time I was already confused and asking myself what the
heck do those words mean? So much so that I don't really
think the meanings set in completely for the last half
of the book. This could just be my brain hiccupping
(no pun intended) or maybe a flaw in the book. You'd
have to decide for yourself. I finally noticed the Appendix
in the back containing a glossary. *Sigh* oh well.
Second, this is probably the most annoying part of the
book for me. He has a motto that he WAY overuses in
the book. Every few paragraphs he spouts off this silly
motto.... "Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew"
Doesn't seem like much but after reading it about 200
times in the book I was tempted to black that stupid
phrase with a marker. For as many times as he had that
in the book he could have put a quick glossary at the
beginning to help us newbies to understand the terms
he uses and doesn't explain until after he goes over
the brewing process. Can you tell I despise that saying?
Now to the good points of the book.
The book is very thorough with some great recipes and
knowledge about where beers come from and what kind
is what as well as how they are made. And how to make
every single one of these brews. It's an invaluable
resource for recipes and little tips on homebrewing
and some of the pitfalls. Giving many tips and tricks
on how to avoid screwing up your first few batches.
He also gives great explanations on the types of Hops,
yeast, grains, and sugars. There are so many your head
will spin but he manages to keep you grounded with simple
knowledge and easy explanations.
This is definitely a book you'll want in your brewing
library. Just remember the first time he mentions Pitching
or any term you don't understand. Flip to the glossary
on pg.315 and educate yourself. Don't wait for him to
explain it. And you'll be fine
Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew! *shiver*
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Learn to Brew, December 7, 2003
Reviewer: A reader
This is where you start (and I started) when learning
the basics of homebrewing. It is an essential first
step and offers simple step by step guidance along with
more advanced considerations.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
A Very Well Done Update of a Classic, November 3, 2003
Reviewer: A reader
~As a typical homebrewer I enjoy reading as many books
about the art as I can find. I was a big fan of the
2nd E of this book. That book got me started. Unfortunately
it did go out of date... I am now happy to report that
C.P. has done a great job updating his book. It has
new information on extracts, hops, yeast, the works.
Yet, the basic brewing technique is relatively unchanged.
Papazian's writing is easy to read and I enjoy the laid-back
style. The tables make more sense now (some~~ minor
changes) and the recipes are also nicely revamped. I
recommend this book to anyone interested in getting
started with homebrewing.~
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