In this major new homebrewing guide, author Randy Mosher (Radical Brewing, Tasting Beer) lays out what it takes to create stellar beers at home. Leveraging his wide experience as a homebrewer, lecturer at the Siebel Institute brewing school and now as a creative consultant and partner in several commercial breweries, Mosher has created a comprehensive homebrewing book that will enlighten, entertain, provoke and most of all help you brew fantastic beer.
Beginners will find the basics laid out clearly, with an emphasis on flavor at every turn. Creativity is encouraged right from the start. While most books offer a single dumbed-down starter recipe, Mastering Homebrew presents "The Amazing Shape-Shifting Recipe," which can morph into any of a hundred different beers depending on the choices made by the brewer.
Advanced brewers will find a wealth of information and ideas to increase their understanding of how ingredients and processes affect the flavors in the glass, as well as some unique tools and techniques for building complex, harmonious recipes.
After a brief coverage of brewing terminology, science basics and the characteristics of beer, the book moves on to its biggest chapter: ingredients. Particular attention is paid to the origins of flavor and the unique characteristics of malts and other brewing grains, mapping out their relationships in a malt color wheel. More than 80 varieties of hops are covered in detail, as well as being mapped by flavor affinities, making it easy to see relationships, find alternates, and build recipes. Water, sugar, fruits, spices and vegetables round out the chapter.
The book moves on to the brewing process, equipment, yeast and fermentation, bringing an up-to-date perspective to each. Next is recipe formulation from both a functional and creative point-of-view, with many tools and techniques based on Mosher's experience not only as a brewer, but as a visual artist as well. The recipes begin with classic beer styles and move on to modern craft beer interpretations, global homebrew, seasonal beers and more. Troubleshooting and resources round out the package.
Brewers at any experience level will benefit from the insightful quotes from many legendary brewers. The creative energy of international homebrewing ripples through the book with recipes from Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Scandinavia, Australia and elsewhere.
It's wide, deep, tons of fun and contains content you'll find nowhere else. Mastering Homebrew is full color, with over 400 illustrations, charts and photographs, enlivened with homebrewer-designed labels and other testaments to the profound creativity and joy shown by the global homebrewing movement.
