Considering the celebrity status of both authors, the homebrewing community knew that this book was going to be big long before it hit bookstore shelves. As expected, Jamil and John delivered up a treasure trove of information that should be in every homebrewer's library. It is not, however, intended for the novice brewer. The authors assume that you have knowledge of basic extract brewing techniques, and it would be best to have a working knowledge of all grain brewing as well before you attempt your own versions of these award-winning recipes. I do feel that the book's title is a bit misleading: it would have been better to call it "Brewing and Appreciating Classic Styles." Anyone wanting to be a beer judge or at the very least a proper beer snob should read this book. The style notes that precede each recipe are invaluable in helping the reader to understand the nuances of all the BJCP style categories.
Even if you take away the entire collection of award winning recipes alluded to in the book's title, I would still feel like I got my money's worth out of it. The first four chapters cover some brewing basics, and do an outstanding job of it. Many of the pitfalls of making merely good beer are exposed, leaving the reader with a better understanding of how to make great beer. As if all that valuable information was not worth your money, they threw in four appendices and a glossary. All of this is written in a very accessible style with a minimum of technical jargon. Appendix A, "Pitching Yeast Rates and Starters" is one of the best treatments of the topic that I have ever seen for those of us that did not major in microbiology.
Then we get down to the meat of the book, the recipes. Each recipe is carefully crafted to result in a beer that is both of excellent quality and fits the BJCP style guidelines for the style it represents. The authors do not leave you with just a grain bill and a list of hops and boil times. The process for each recipe is carefully covered, and the subtle nuances of brewing each style are covered in sufficient detail to result in easy duplication. Another unique aspect of these recipes is that they are extract based, with all grain options given as well. No matter how unsophisticated your brewery, you can brew excellent examples of every style.
Just to show that Jamil and John did not pay me to write what would otherwise be a gushing review, I must find some fault. My only complaint is that each recipe is designed for a seven-gallon boil. This is standard stuff for all grain brewers, but beyond the limit of many extract brewers who use an old 5-gallon enamel canning kettle for brewing. The author's do, however, consider the plight of the volumetrically challenged brewer by giving easy to follow instructions on how to downscale the recipes for a 3-gallon boil that you can do on the kitchen stove with grandma's canning kettle.
Simply put, this is probably the most important homebrewing book to come out since John's How to Brew. So if you do not own a copy of How to Brew, get that first and learn your basic brewing skills. Once you have the fundamentals down, it is time to get a copy of Brewing Classic Styles and expand your brewing horizons.
Doc@thezymurgyguide.com
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From the Publisher
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| How to Brew | Designing Great Beers | Brewing Classic Styles | Simple Homebrewing | Modern Homebrew Recipes | For the Love of Hops | |
| Home-brewing Classics | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beer Recipes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Good for Beginners | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Advanced Brewers | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
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| Starting Your Own Brewery | Yeast (Brewing Elements Series) | Quality Management | Quality Labs for Small Brewers | Small Brewery Finance | Water | |
| Professional Brewing Education | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brewing Elements Series | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Good for Managers | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Brewing and Lab Staffs | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Top reviews from other countries
Cliente Amazon
Excelente guia para iniciantes no home brew
Reviewed in Brazil on March 3, 2021
Rigel G
Libro con excelentes recetas para hacer cerveza
Reviewed in Mexico on September 11, 2019Rocher
De bonnes bases pour copier des recettes ou développer les siennes
Reviewed in France on May 4, 2020