Rating: 
Summary: Want to make your own beer?
Review: "Homebrewing for Dummies™" clearly fills a void in the homebrewing how-to arena. Marty Nachel has very effectively communicated his extensive knowledge of the brewing process and his passion for the subject," says Tom Sweeney of America's Brewing Company. Are you tired of drinking watered-down, mass produced beer? Have you wanted to brew your own beer, but were too afraid of turning your home into a smelly mess? Would you like to make a beer that truly tempts your taste buds? If you're ready to take the plunge and join the millions of home-brewers worldwide, here's your chance!"Homebrewing for Dummies™" is your complete guide to making great beer at home-without making a mess! Whether you're already brewing or just getting started, this book has everything you need to know from basic brewing techniques to bottling instructions to entering homebrewing competitions and locating great sources for supplies. The book also contains more than 100 easy-to-follow recipes and is endorsed by the American Homebrewers Association. IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., headquartered in Foster City, Calif., is a leading global knowledge company featuring a diverse portfolio of technology, business and self-help books and computer-based learning tools, including the best-selling ...For Dummies®, ...Secrets® and Teach Yourself® and Cliffs Notes™ brands. IDG Books Worldwide has more than 700 active titles plus translations in 36 languages around the world. More information about IDG Books Worldwide is available from the company's SEC filings or by visiting its World Wide Web site. Information about our books. IDG Books Worldwide is a subsidiary of International Data Group, a leading global provider of information technology media, research, conferences and expositions.
Rating: 
Summary: This is the best beginner and intermediate guide available
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The most clear book about homebrewing
Review: After spending a lot of dolars with other homebrewing books, finally here are one that is easy to understand and clear. Not that the other authors are bad - not so ! But they aren't organized, they books are filled with good info, but are a mess, painfull to read and understand. If you're interested in making your own beer, this is the first book to get. I would recomend also the Breware and Homebrew's Garden, really helpfull to homebrewers that do not have acess to the hardware and other paraphernalia available in the US market. Another recomendation: the brazilian black beer named Malzbier (probably a copy of one stout named Maizenbeer, I dont know), a dark, strong but sweet, with not much hops (low bitterness) but plenty of flavor and good body, without much alchool. Women and child enjoy it. You can make it easily with the info in these three books. Relax, and get a homebrew!
Rating: 
Summary: Cutesy, condecending and not for the beginner
Review: Excellent book. As with all 'Dummies' titles, thin on why, but excellent what and how to. Recipes are great and graduated in terms of difficulty. If you're looking to construct recipes, Snyder is better. I'd give it five if this was a better reference.
Rating: 
Summary: Great!
Review: Excellent book. As with all 'Dummies' titles, thin on why, but excellent what and how to. Recipes are great and graduated in terms of difficulty. If you're looking to construct recipes, Snyder is better. I'd give it five if this was a better reference.
Rating:
Summary: What a GREAT book!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: What a GREAT book!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Cutesy, condecending and not for the beginner
Review: I didn't like this book at all. It follows the condescending style of being cutesy, belittling kit beer making and contradicting manufacturers' guide lines without explanation.
A good example is the "Beginning Brew Instructions". It tells me not to follow the beer kit's directions and follow the ones in the book. It says that manufacturers "disregard the need for the boiling procedures" and (incorrectly) recommend adding sugar. No explanation is given expect for the condescending token of "Just follow the brewing guidelines in chapter 11 and you'll do fine." I have however noticed on the beer manufacturers' web sites that they say not to boil the wort because it removes volatiles that give beer flavour and that the technology uses means that boiling is no longer required. Anyone silly enough to follow the authors instructions will have to fork out another $30 to buy a pot so they can boil the wort and spend an additional $10 buying 2 beers kits instead of one. Far from encouraging beginners, it confuses and makes it more expensive.
Rating:
Summary: If it isn't the best it's a very good start
Review: I'm still reading on it but it is plain to me that this is one of the best books for at least the beginning homebrewer to start out with. Seemingly everything is covered in good detail and written at a nontechnical level, some of the books I've gone over don't help the novice very much because they assume you know what you're doing. I especially like that list of internet sites near the end of the book, I'll have to check them out.
Rating:
Summary: Bravo!
Review: Marty has done an excellent job compiling the "essence" of the home brewing hobby. This volume makes an excellent desk reference (title notwithstanding ;-) for any serious home brewer. There is enough information on each aspect of the craft to carry you from rank beginner to budding expert - with recipes! Recommended read for any considering the BJCP exam as well. Well done!
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