The Complete Homebrew Beer Book

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 cre-ativity, which will surely readers off to their local brewer's supply store or web site. (June)