Written by one of the world's leading authorities and hailed by American Brewer as "brilliant" and "by a wide margin the best reference now available," Beer offers an amusing and informative account of the art and science of brewing, examining the history of brewing and how the brewing process has evolved through the ages. The third edition features more information concerning the history of beer especially in the United States; British, Japanese, and Egyptian beer; beer in the context of health and nutrition; and the various styles of beer. Author Charles Bamforth has also added detailed sidebars on prohibition, Sierra Nevada, life as a maltster, hopgrowing in the Northwestern U.S., and how cans and bottle are made. Finally, the book includes new sections on beer in relation to food, contrasting attitudes towards beer in Europe and America, how beer is marketed, distributed, and retailed in the US, and modern ways of dealing with yeast.
Beer:Tap into the Art and Science of Brewing
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"This excellent book...is a good read for anyone interested in the science of beer or its consumption."--Chemistry World
"Bamforth is an engaging writer and truly knows his brewing. If you're a home brewer, a commercial brewer or a beer fan who wants a comprehensive book on brewing, look no further."--The Oregonian
Reviews of the 2nd Edition:
"Brilliant! There has been an unfilled market for this type of book. . . . Happily, this book . . .is by a wide margin the best reference now available . . . The book is very well written. It has a light, almost breezy style that is mixed with a subtle yet attractively understated British wit. It is above all a great read that is hard to put down. The strongest part of this book is the discussion of the brewing process. . . . In summary, Beer: Tap into the Art and Science of Brewing is a brilliant achievement that nontechnical people will find accessible and quite valuable. It is also highly recommended for technical people because it does show how the art and science of brewing can be communicated effectively to a wider audience." -- American Brewer
"The authoritative, clear and easily understood description of a complex, technical, and sometimes mysterious subject is the book's greatest value."--Choice
About the Author
Charles Bamforth is Chair of the Department of Food Science & Technology and Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting & Brewing Sciences at the University of California, Davis
Books by same author Bamforth, Charles. Scientific Principles of Malting and Brewing Amer. Assn. of Cereal Chemists, 2006. $79.95. 256 pp. Bamforth, Charles. Beer: Health and Nutrition, Charles W. Bamforth, Wiley-Blackwell: 2004. $158.99. 200 pp. Bamforth, Charles. Beer: Tap Into the Art and Science of Brewing 2e. New York: OUP, 2003. $27.95. 256 pp. LTD: 5,047 Bamforth, Charles. Standards of Brewing. Brewers Publications, 2002. $39.95. 250 pp.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 47 people found the following review helpful
By J. List
Format:Hardcover
I read this book, cover to cover in a couple afternoons. Even then it took me that long only because I had to do some other things. I thought this was a very well-written book, and fairly informative. It was nice to have all of this information in one handy little volume, although this is by no means a reference work.
My Likes: This book reads like a museum exhibit at a brewery. I like museums and I like brewerys. The author lets you see some of the more in-depth processes that are not done directly at the brewery, tells you about how the brewery does things and gives you a general feel for how the industry works.
My dislikes: The Author glosses over a lot of stuff. Some things are dealt with in great detail (like the malting process) while some other things are generally passed over (like brewing and sparging). Granted, this may have been because the author did not want the reader to become bored and inundated with things that you can find in just about any home brewing book on the market.
Buy this book IF:
- You are very interested in the business of brewing.
- You are a beer expert and need to own every book about beer.
- You are a homebrewer intellectual who likes to know everything about what you are doing.
Do not buy this book if:
- You are looking for a detailed description of the chemical reactions and biological workings of beer.
- You already own a brewery (or microbrewery)
- You are looking for a book that will help you make better beer.
My Likes: This book reads like a museum exhibit at a brewery. I like museums and I like brewerys. The author lets you see some of the more in-depth processes that are not done directly at the brewery, tells you about how the brewery does things and gives you a general feel for how the industry works.
My dislikes: The Author glosses over a lot of stuff. Some things are dealt with in great detail (like the malting process) while some other things are generally passed over (like brewing and sparging). Granted, this may have been because the author did not want the reader to become bored and inundated with things that you can find in just about any home brewing book on the market.
Buy this book IF:
- You are very interested in the business of brewing.
- You are a beer expert and need to own every book about beer.
- You are a homebrewer intellectual who likes to know everything about what you are doing.
Do not buy this book if:
- You are looking for a detailed description of the chemical reactions and biological workings of beer.
- You already own a brewery (or microbrewery)
- You are looking for a book that will help you make better beer.
8 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
The author first introduces the history and evolution of brewing, explaining some of the hows and whys of beer-making. The scientific content of the book is very accurate and complete and is presented in a non-intimidating fashion. Finally, the sections on how the finished product is prepared, packaged and marketed gives a good understanding of what goes into it all before it arrives at the bar.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Professor Bamforth teaches an awesome beer and brewing class at UCD. Sadly his book is not as great and entertaining as his lecture. If you are an aspiring brewmaster, find a more in-depth book on beer. If you want to learn how to brew your own beer, find something on the internet. If you want to familiarize yourself with how beer is made and classified, along with impressing your friends at the bars, try this book out - its not that expensive and full of introductory material. The book is a little dated, most of the information about international brewing companies is quite outdated. Still, the general process of making beer hasn't drastically changed much over the past few centuries.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Book
I bought this book because I took the course taught by the author of the book, Professor Charles Bamforth aka "Good Evening Charles. Read more
Published 5 months ago by J.Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book is great!
The book came on time and it is amazing. I recommend it to any lover of beer or brewing science.
Published 8 months ago by Edy
3.0 out of 5 stars
Beer: Tap into the art
This book is definitely biased toward more "traditional" methods of brewing as the author is older and from England where the noble hops seem to reign and everything he says does... Read more
Published on November 5, 2009 by Derrick J. Roffman
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beer Brewing Review
Easy to follow. Straightforward. Can hear the Professor's voice in my head while reading it. Very interesting and not a 'normal, boring old textbook'.
Published on October 12, 2009 by K. Coyne
5.0 out of 5 stars
BEER, needs no other introduction.
A very detailed primer with a wealth of information. IF this is a text book for a course I want to go back to college, especially if I can sample the course material as I study. Read more
Published on February 15, 2009 by Leonard J. Pollara
1.0 out of 5 stars
Just another basic brewing book
It covers the basics ok and that is it, very low brow. If you are a beginner brewer than use this book!
Published on August 9, 2007 by Doug A. Moller
5.0 out of 5 stars
interesting and fun
What can I say I like good beer and I like good books about beer and this is one of them.
From chit chat over anecdotes to some indepth info about beer, its history, the... Read more
Published on March 6, 2001 by Geert Anthonis
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brewing Science/Industry Overviews for Brewing Enthusiasts
This Brewing Science/History work is full-bodied, of wonderful color, of high clarity, and More Filling. Read more
Published on October 18, 1998
5.0 out of 5 stars
A witty book on beer!
Who could imagine a witty book on beer? The author has done an impressive job on the history of beer as a business, a culture, and a hobby for millions of men and women around the... Read more
Published on April 2, 1998
