Customer Reviews

Homebrewing for Dummies

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I am brand new to the world of homebrewing. Actually I was kind of bored and was looking for a hobby. Having been a bartender in my younger days (I'm 38), I always loved beer. So I figured "Why not make it"? So I browsed the bookshelves and came across a few books. I picked up another book by Chuck Papazian that was supposedly the "Bible" of homebrewing. After leafing thru it I thought it was a waste of time and alot of hype (see my review). Then I found this book. I have always been a fan of the Dummies Series and own about ten Dummies books altogether. This book is continues the tradition of a solid, informative read. It is written in a very light, conversational tone that makes the novice feel like they can make beer that competes with the big boys. It goes into the equipment you need, the ingredients and various gadgets and such that might make your brewing experience a little bit easier and definitely more fun. You don't have to read it in a linear fashion, you can jump around from section to section and then refer back to things that catch your eye. When the novice gets a little more adventurous you may want to try one of the many recipes listed in the center of the book. The bottom line is for the money this is one of the best books that I have ever seen on the subject. And, after participating in a few newsgroup discussions on the topic, (and these guys KNOW their beer), even the newsgroup members recommend this book. THAT says alot.

When I first walked into my local homebrew store and purchased a starter kit, I grabbed one of Charlie Papazian's books. "Oh no you don't" stated the brew master, "You want the Homebrewing for Dummies book!" While I was at first insulted by his intimation that I am a 'dummy', I soon realized why he recommended that book. Needless to say, due to using this book my first batch of Pale Ale came out alot better than it could have if I had used a more 'advanced' book!
While I now own every Charlie Papazian, Miller, Snyder, etc. book that's on the market, and refer to them frequently, I still utilize this book more than any other. It is set up in a way that you do not need to read it straight through, so you can use it as a ready reference manual. Helpful charts, needed tables and graphs, and tons of step-by-step instructionals help even the most advanced brewer make a better homebrew!

So sit down, relax, have have a homebrew, and read this book!
(Check out our Homebrew Club ONLINE at: www.dskonline.net/b3)

This is the perfect book for someone wanting to learn about home brewing or brewing, but doesn't want to actually DO any brewing. Nachel puts together a high volume of information but only touches on most subjects. The biggest detriment to this book is the rather scant explanations on the actual brewing process and how it works/should work. Pictures or illustrations would help if words aren't available. The lack of illustrations forces this book back from amazing into adequate. You will need more research after this book to find helpful specifics for brewing ... Papazian's 'Joy of Homebrewing' does little to expand on this book, as both are close to identical in contents. Both books go into the intermediate brewing stage (using some extracts instead of full grain mash) in high detail, but then skimp on information for the full grain brewer. I'd rather have seen full grain explained in extreme detail, but that is my preference. I am looking for some version of a brewer's bible that has it all and goes beyond base, beginner texts with glimpses at advanced methods.

After having spent many hours "pouring" through The New Joy of Homebrewing, it's a pleasure to find the Dummies guide. The Dummies guide is better organized, has better recipes and is more current than Papazian's seminal journal on the art of brewing for beginners. Excellent illustrations and clear instructions. This is a must have for homebrewers who are at the beginner and intermediate levels.

Whether you are a novice, intermediate, or advanced homebrewer, you should purchase this book. It is well written, and I refer to it more than all my other homebrewing books combined. This book is by far the best homebrewing book on the market.

This book has been my #1 reference for getting up and running. For the beginner to the intermediate brewer this is a great reference. I noticed one guy panned this book, but if you'll notice, he was the only one. I had no problems with it. But now that I have been up and running for some time now I need a more technical reference for mashing and even partial mashing. That said, you cannot go wrong with this book.

This book addresses all aspects of homebrewing that the beginning homebrewer might encounter. It details the equipment that is needed for the novice homebrewer through the advanced needs of a brewmaster. Many recipes are provided as well as Internet links. A step by step guide on how to brew a batch of beer is given for the beginner, intermediate and advanced homebrewer. This is particularily nice.

This is a great book for beginners as you would expect. But I found it to be a good source for little odds and ends that the experienced brewer may need to brush up on. Well written and well organized, I find myself using more than any of my other how-to-brew books.

This is a comprehensive guide to brewing which finally collects large amounts of miscellaneous information under one cover. I used to have to search for hours through many magazines and books to locate sundry information, but no longer. The text will be of greatest value to beginning and intermediate brewers. Although Nachel does discuss some advanced brewing methods, the book's primary value to the advanced brewer are the tables of information collected in one work. Of particular note, Homebrewing for Dummies has an excellent section on kegging.

If you're a budding homebrewer or an experienced home brewer who could use a few tips and troubleshooting techniques, then Homebrewing for Dummies is a book worth buying. This book is a complete guide to homebrewing at different levels and it serves as a highly useful reference for those who wish to brew their own beer for the first time or who would like to find some ways to make their homebrew easier to make, better tasting, or more eco- friendly. This book covers everything that is important to the homebrewer, from purchasing equipment to buying the ingredients to bottling and evaluating the finished product.

Brewing beer isn't easy and many homebrewing hobbies have been ended prematurely due to a recipe turned bad or by general frustration with getting everything right. This is where Homebrewing for Dummies can help. This book was written to assist homebrewers at all levels in the fine art of making beer. It steps the homebrewer through all of the important steps, starting with the equipment inventory and ending with the bottling process. Along the way, the book shares some secrets for homebrewing success, pointing out the importance of cleaning and sanitizing, temperature control, and other factors that directly influence the final product.

What I like best about Homebrewing for Dummies is its penchant for thoroughness. Many other books exist on this subject, but few cover so many different aspects of brewing as Homebrewing for Dummies. Those who are unfamiliar with homebrewing will probably be shocked to learn that this book is more than 400 pages in length. Many people mistakenly believe that making beer is a simple process than can quickly be described in one- hundred or fewer pages and many authors have, indeed, attempted to compose quick guides to homebrewing that are a fraction of the length of this guide. But to cover every aspect of homebrewing, a much longer guide is needed. Homebrewing for Dummies wants to make sure that you, the homebrewing enthusiast, have all the necessary facts and information at your fingertips to make sure your homebrewing batch turns out just right and once you get involved in a hobby like homebrewing and realize what it entails, you will agree that a much longer book is necessary to do the justice to the craft.

Since this book is part of the For Dummies line of books, it is written in a format similar to the others in this popular series. Thus, it includes bulleted text, unique icons to indicate special points, highlights, boldface headings, etc. This type of format makes the book more readable and better organized. It is also humorous at times. The author wants the homebrewer to take his/her hobby seriously, but he also wants to make sure the brewer enjoys himself/herself in the process. So, he includes touches of humor from time to time throughout the book. The humor isn't excessive by any means. It is just right and is well timed, offering a nice change of pace as you read, helping to lighten up the mood as you learn more and more about the world's greatest beverage.

Overall, Homebrewing for Dummies is an excellent book about brewing beer. It covers the subject of homebrewing thoroughly and effectively, is flawlessly written, and is entertaining to read. It's an outstanding resource for the homebrewing hobbyist and a book I recommend to anyone with an interest in this subject.