Home brewing books

RAtkison

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Hey guys, brewing my first all grain batch this weekend and already looking forward to my next. Curious as to what books fellow brewers recommend for reading on home brewing? Would like to really understand the science behind everything, understand different variations and combinations of brewing, etc. Thanks!
 
Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher

He's got a few other good ones too
 
How to brew (John Palmer) and Brewing Classic Styles which he also co-wrote. Both 'go to' books in my brew room.
 
Don't forget Charlie Papazian's Basic Home Brewing. He starts from the beginning and explains the basic science of brewing. Then there are lots of other books out there that get more technical with each aspect. Amazon search for them.
 
There is a book on yeast too I think it's just called "yeast" that's on my list of books to read
 
Complete Joy of Homebrewing is my favorite and the book that got me started in homebrewing about 22 years ago. However, once you get past the basic and intermediate levels, you'd probably be better off with something that incorporates more modern techniques. Not saying Charlie's are bad, but he doesn't cover BIAB or batch sparging, and to me he makes all-grain seem more complicated than it has to be. Still, it's a classic and has a laid-back, witty attitude that's very infectious. Highly recommended.
Other than that, you can't go wrong with Palmer's book, plus an older edition is available for free online. Dave Miller's "Brew Like a Pro" is a good one. "Homebrewing for Dummies" by Marty Nachel is actually pretty good too. "The Brewer's Apprentice" by Greg Koch of Stone is a fun read. Ray Daniels' "Designing Great Beers"...I could go on and on. (I like to read homebrewing books, as you might have guessed.)
 
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One piece of advice: Don't worry about understanding every single aspect of the brewing process before you start. You'll end up overthinking it, and next thing you know you'll be one of those guys on HBT discussing how you're gradually putting together a $5000 RIMS system so you can "get started the right way."

Edit: I see you're an engineer. My piece of advice goes double for you. :D
 
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Off on a little tangent here, but one of my favorite brewing books is "The Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer" by Ron Pattinson. The author's knowledge of British brewing history is staggering (he's written A LOT about this kind of thing), but he presents it in a fun way. The book also covers some obscure German beers. I highly recommend it if you like the idea of brewing a close replica of a 200 year old beer. Pattinson even dispels some popular myths about historic beers and brewing. The cover and binding are even cool!
 

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