Brooklyn Brew Shop's Beer Making Book: 52 Seasonal Recipes for Small Batches [Paperback]

Erica Shea (Author), Stephen Valand (Author), Jennifer Fiedler (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 1, 2011

Brooklyn Brew Shop’s Beer Making Book takes brewing out of the basement and into the kitchen. Erica Shea and Stephen Valand show that with a little space, a few tools, and the same ingredients breweries use, you too can make delicious craft beer right on your stovetop.

Greenmarket-inspired and seasonally brewed, these 52 recipes include Everyday IPA and Rose Cheeked & Blonde for spring; Grapefruit Honey Ale and S’More Beer for summer; Apple Crisp Ale and Peanut Butter Porter for fall; Chestnut Brown ale and Gingerbread Ale for winter; and even four gluten-free brews. You’ll also find tips for growing hops, suggestions for food pairings, and recipes for cooking with beer.

Brooklyn Brew Shop’s Beer Making Book offers a new approach to artisanal brewing and is a must-own for beer lovers, seasonally minded cooks, and anyone who gets a kick out of saying “I made this!” 

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307889203
• ISBN-13: 978-0307889201
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.6 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Occasions > Seasonal
  • #16 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Beer
  • #17 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Entertaining

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The owners of Brooklyn Brew Shop have created a must-have for beer obsessives. This simple, straightforward book addresses the basics on equipment and ingredients, and includes recipes for around 50 beers, organized by season. Cross your DIY tinkerers off your holiday list―this is their gift."
―Heather Shouse, Time Out Chicago

“Both inspiring and practical, greenmarket foragers and home brewing teachers Erica & Steve have brought their impressive wisdom to this wonderfully simple book that has me inspired to brew some of their Cardamom Ale at home.”
—Bill Covaleski, Brewmaster & President, Victory Brewing Company
 
“Erica and Stephen epitomize the DIY mentality that has captivated Brooklyn--and the rest of the country for that matter--over the past few years. After seeing them for years at the Brooklyn Flea Market teaching people how to brew in small batches, it’s awesome to see how their impact has now spread to all corners of the country.”
—Shane Welch, President, Sixpoint Brewery
 
“Since their launch of homebrew kits at the Brooklyn Flea, Erica and Stephen have been creating seasonal, easy to follow recipes and kits for the home brewer. Now with the Brooklyn Brew Shops Beer Making Book they have defined a true year-round farm-to-bottle guide for the home brewer that brings the joy of making beer to the farmers market.  Make beer/Drink beer/Enjoy!”
—Adams Dulye, Executive Chef, The Monk’s Kettle
 
“Erica and Stephen are a triple threat—master marketers, whip-smart, kitchen creative—and they're one of the Flea's sweetest success stories, having grown from a cute booth at the market to a full-blown national brand in three short years. If you can make it (beer) in Brooklyn, you can make it anywhere!”
—Eric Demby, Co-Founder, Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg
 
“This brewing book is easy to read, easy to follow and proves that it’s easy to build your own versions with your own, local ingredients.”
—Samuel Merritt, President, Civilization of Beer

"Whether you're brewing on your apartment stove, or on a propane burner in your back yard, Erica and Stephen make it easy and fun to craft and make your own beer in one or five gallon batches. With 52 different recipes, you'll be able to make your favorite style, and have endless inspiration to try something new -- every week of the year if you want to. I love this book as much as I love making beer, and I really love making beer. Cheers!"
- Wil Wheaton

About the Author

ERICA SHEA & STEPHEN VALAND are co-owners and -founders of the Brooklyn Brew Shop. They sell their beer making kits and ingredient mixes at BrooklynBrewShop.com, the Brooklyn Flea, Williams-Sonoma, Urban Outfitters, West Elm, and Whole Foods. Both they and their kits have been featured in Food & Wine, the New York Times, Real Simple, Cosmopolitan, Serious Eats, and on the Early Show, Regis & Kelly, ABC, NBC, and Fox. They live in Brooklyn.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307889203
• ISBN-13: 978-0307889201
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.6 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Occasions > Seasonal
  • #16 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Beer
  • #17 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Entertaining

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should make their own beer November 8, 2011

By Rob

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a very easy to read book that is straight forward and easy to follow. I feel ready to take on the beer making world after just reading this book. I feel more knowledgeable about the whole beer brewing process and confident that my 9 year old son and I will be able to brew some great beer in the very near future.

This "Beer Making Book" contains an introduction that walks you though all the brewing steps and instructs you on how and why certain actions are taken while brewing beer. There are 50+ recipes in this book that are separated into the four seasons; spring, summer, fall and winter. If you like the seasonal beers this makes brewing beers from any season easy.

Before I bought this book I had bought the brewing kit by the same company, Brooklyn Brew Shop. My son and I made the recipe that came with the kit and in a few days we will be bottling our first batch; can't wait to use one of the many recipes in this book for our next batch.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun book for the experienced brewer as well November 25, 2011

By Chris Mcnally

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been Brewing The Classic Styles for a couple of years now. I think the JZ & JP book is essential for any home brewer, full of sound advice and solid recipes. But this book, the Beer Making Book, is inspiring me with more interesting, creative, and fun recipes.

The creative and radical recipes are what make this book so great. There are a few standards, but mostly not. For example, there is a gluten free beer made (unbelievably) from carrots. A bourbon Dubbel made with Bourbon soaked oak chips, a cherry beer make with cherries and cherry wood smoked malt. A Gose with instructions for a 3 day sour mash. There are four gluten free beer recipes in this book, and for one of them, you malt your own buckwheat. They have easy to follow instructions for germinating then drying and crushing it. I know these recipes have been tested and so I feel safe trying them out even if it sounds outrageous. For me, this is like Randy Moser's Radical Brewing, but with well described recipes. Many of the recipes use seasonal ingredients.

The book contains all-grain recipes for making both one and five gallon batches. Five gallons is a traditional home brew batch size, and one gallon is really small, since you will only yield about 8 bottles. The benefit of the one gallon batch size is that you do not have to buy a large pot, you may already own one. When I first started brewing I purchased a one gallon kit from the Brooklyn Brewshop (authors of the book) and brewed my first really good beer using it and their very clear instructions. It was the one gallon "Well Made Tripel" kit.... Since then I've I stopped using kits and only make larger batches, but there are so many fun recipes in here that I might just pick up a mini fermentor and try them as one gallon batches. It seems like it would be easy to make a small batch on a weeknight after work and a way to try many recipes with less time commitment.

There is quite a bit of easy to read instructions for the beginner. Their writing is good, clear, and entertaining. I think this book is fun for the novice or experienced brewer. Read more ›

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars this book will save your back January 19, 2012

By Karen Faivre

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am totally enthralled with this book. I am a petite woman and I do not want to make 5 gallon batches of beer on my deck or in my garage. It is hard and dangerous hauling around 6 gallon glass jugs of beer. I do love making small batches of beer in my kitchen on my stove. I am tired of making mediocre EXTRACT beers. This book is what I've been waiting for. All recipes are 1 gallon ALL-GRAIN. The majority of the recipes use a couple different hops and easy to find grains. Each recipe gives you the choice of dry or liquid yeast. A lot of the recipes use fresh fruit, and/or spices, and are primed with honey or maple syrup. As soon as I got this book I made the Everyday IPA. It is now bottled and will be ready to drink in a week or two.

There are a good two dozen or more beers I want to brew. The book is separated into seasonal sections. The Everyday IPA is a Spring beer. Other got-to-make beers are: the Grapefruit Honey Ale (Summer), Cranberry Wheat (Fall) and Chocolate Maple Porter (Winter). Other interesting recipes are the Apple Crisp Ale, Prohibition Ale (which uses raisins to prime the beer), Cardamom Ale, Grapes & Grain Ale, Pumpkin Dubble, Chestnut Brown Ale, Winter Wheat Ale, Dates & Honey Ale and the New Year Beer.

Each recipe has suggested food pairings. At the end of each seasonal chapter there are food recipes using beer from the book such as Beer Mustard, Lavender Shortbread with Honey-Beer Glaze, BBQ Beer Barbecue Sauce, Beer-Brined Pickles, and even Spent-Grain Dog Biscuits! There is an index, sources and glossary in the back.

Beware newbies - the book is sketchy on how to brew and gives you just the briefest of instructions. But there's plenty of places online for all that how-to information (google How to Brew by John Palmer) and many, many books.... Each recipe has a 5 gallon conversion for brewers who enjoy making larger batches. I am so thrilled to have a nice little book with lots of interesting recipes, all figured out for 1 gallon batches. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars More than I expected December 8, 2011

By madmaddiesdaddy

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am extremely pleased with the book..It is sometimes aggravating to have to convert a recipe to the one gallon system, but the book has the recipes right there now...I am able to use equipment that I already have (Brooklyn Brew kits)and just add new recipes to the rotation...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beeer Making Book December 17, 2011

By chiaart

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Great recipes for all grain beer in small batches. Have been making beer but hate all the large equipment in my small house. Also love small batches for more variety and its easier to do an all grain beer this way.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!!! Beer me November 8, 2011

By Mark P. Wetherell

Format:Paperback

I also got a gallon brew kit from Brooklyn and brewed a batch of Summer Wheat. Found out a week or so later that their book would be available on 11/2. Pre-ordered the book right away and got it last week. What a fun, easy and informative book on brewing beer. I made the Apple Crisp Ale over the weekend and I can't stop staring at the fermetation bubbles. Can't wait to try some more of these recipes! Thank BBS!