Customer Reviews

Brew Classic European Beers at Home

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An extensive and excellent collection of recipes extrapolated from the information supplied by the breweries, not fantasy like some other clone books. Most major (and many less well known) German, Belgian, Austrian, British and Czech beers are here. The instructions are clear and concise, and are reprinted from his book "Homebrewing: A CAMRA Guide". There is a very good section on souring beers to replicate Berliner Wheats, Lambics and other soured ales. Recipes are given in metric, UK and US units. All recipes are for grain brewers, but Wheeler provides extract alternatives where possible. A must have.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, as the author not only presents a great many recipes, but also includes a very good discussion of brewing techniques (after saying that to do so would be redundant!) I found his discussion of mashing techniques to be one of the more organized I have read in a homebrewers manual. He is also upbeat about the possibility of culturing yeasts from such Belgian beers as Orval and Chimay--this has definitely encouraged me to try to do so. Read this if you like "clone brews" and are willing to tackle the necessary mashing schedules for lagers, especially pilsners.

This book was brought to my attention by my local homebrew store. It has lots of good recipes for brand name beers - some that you even buy in the U.S. It has the recipe for one of my favorites - Paulaner Salavator. Nearly all recipes are for grain brewing but a there are some (maybe 1/3) that give sketchy info on brewing with malt extracts.