Extreme Brewing: An Enthusiast's Guide to Brewing Craft Beer at Home (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: light liquid malt extract, extreme brewing, bottling bucket, Dogfish Head, White Labs, Bryan Selders (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Extreme Brewing is a recipe-driven resource for aspiring home brewers who are interested in recreating these specialty beers at home, but don't have the time to learn the in-depth science and lore behind home-brewing. As such, all recipes are malt-syrup based (the simplest brewing method) with variations for partial-grain brewing. While recipes are included for classic beer styles -- ales and lagers -- Extreme Brewing has a unique emphasis on hybrid styles that use fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices to create unique flavor combinations. Once their brew is complete, readers can turn to section three, The Rewards of Your Labor, to receive guidance on presentation, including corking, bottle selection and labeling as well as detailed information on food pairings, including recipes for beer infused dishes and fun ideas for themed dinners that tallow the reader to share their creations with family and friends.

"The Italian word for chutzpah is audacia, but it might as well be 'Sam A. Calagione.'" -- Forbes

About the Author

Sam Calagione is the founder and owner of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, DE, the nation's fastest growing independent brewery, and Dogfish Head Brewery and Eats in Rehoboth Beach, DE. His innovative style has earned him a reputation as one of America's most adventurous entrepreneurs and brewers. The Small Business Association has named him Businessman of the Year. He is the author of Brewing Up a Business: Adventures in Entrepreneurship from the Founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Wiley, 2005.) He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, People, Forbes, Bon Appetit, and many other magazines and newspapers. He lives in Lewes, DE.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Quarry Books (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592532934
• ISBN-13: 978-1592532933
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #90,181 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #60 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Beer
  #63 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Bioengineering > Biotechnology
  #91 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Agricultural Sciences > Food Sciences

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars All flash and no substance, November 4, 2006

By	Michael Johnson (Livonia, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just received this book yesterday and was disappointed by the content. Sam recruited some of the biggest and hottest names in craft brewing to contribute. Garrett Oliver, Michael Jackson, Vinnie from Russian River, and many more either contirbute a recipe or essay. However, most of these contributions are minimal and not as in depth as their personal publications. Issues such as brewing with spices and wood aging are discussed but in too little detail to really learn much.

The beginning of the book covers brewing for the very beginner. Other books cover this much better. I think a beginning non-technical brewer would do better with the Joy of Homebrewing while more studious brewers should get John Palmer's book. Food and beer pairing is covered but Garrett Oliver's book is better.

As for the extreme brewing aspects I would rather spend my money on Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher. It allows for your independent experiments and is much more educational.

The book is also set up to sell homebrew kits designed to parallel the book. Look elsewhere for your brewing education. I was left with the thought of "Where's the Beef?" with this one.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A great brewer, a disappointing book, January 16, 2007

By	D. Edenson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Firstly, let me say that I respect Sam's achievements in brewing and applaud his creativity. I'm looking forward to more "extreme" offerings from Dogfish Head in the future. Unfortunately, my regard for this book does not match that of the author. It's really a bit of a mess. In trying to appeal to beginner and experienced brewer alike, I think it fails to satisfy either. The title would lead the consumer to believe that this is a guide for brewers (enthusiasts) to kick their brewing knowledge and techniques up a notch. However, the first sections of the book are an uninspired description of the extract brewing process, barely detailed enough for a beginning brewer. The book then describes how and when to use extreme brewing ingredients (non-traditional sugars, spices, herbs, etc). This is by far the most interesting part of the book, but is more applicable to an experienced brewer. The book then concludes with an extract/partial mash recipe section leaving us all-grain brewers hanging out in the breeze. Next time Sam, pick an audience and stick to it throughout the book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Novice Recipe Book, November 29, 2006

By	Dunk (SoCal) - See all my reviews

Let me start by saying I like Sam's beers and he seemed like a good guy when I met him a while back.

When I heard about the book I was quite interested as I had recently read Radical Brewing (which is a fairly in depth examination of ingredients and techniques).

Extreme Brewing is a great book for a novice brewer who want some basic extract / partial mash recipes for what are currently viewed as some "extreme" craft brewes from Dogfish Head, Avery, Russian River, etc. The brewers and beers in the book are some of the best but there is no real depth of information for anyone who has been brewing for any length of time. I'm not an expert, but this book really had nothing new to offer in terms of brewing ingredients / techniques.

If you want some recipes for extract versions of some big beers, go for it. If you want to really explore brewing on a creative level - pass.