Seven Barrel Brewery Brewers' Handbook

Rating:
Summary: A sound, pragmatic guide to homebrewing
Review: I've been homebrewing for about 1 year (so I'm certainly not an expert) and the two guides I've used to get started and improve my skills are Charlie Papazian's "The New Complete Joy Of Homebrewing", which is undoubtedly the most popular guide on the market, and the Seven Barrel Brewery "Brewers' Handbook." Now that I'm confident and fairly experienced in my homebrewing, I find that I most frequently refer back to Papazian's guide. The New Complete Joy Of Homebrewing is not only a brewing guide; it is a delight to read and is full of fascinating hisorical information and details about just how beer works. Having said that, Papazian's book can be a bit frustating at times for the novice brewer because of it's constant emphasis that you shouln't worry. That's fine for an experienced brewer who doesn't worry because he/she knows what they're doing, but for the beginner the most reassuring thing is no-nosense directions on how to do it right the first time. It is for this reason that I believe the Brewers' Handbook is a worthwhile investment. It's emphasis is very heavy on sanitation methods and it does an excellent job of walking the first time homebrewer through their first batch of 'brew. Don't get me wrong, though: "Brewer's Handbook" is not just a guide for beginners. Rather, it contains a guide for all levels of homebrewing, including mash/all grain brewing. It even covers water treatment for different types of water and beer (which I must confess I've never bothered with). In all, I think Papazian's guide is great for giving the beginner an enthusiasm and perspective for their new hobby, as well as a reference for its excellent information on brewing various styles, but the Brewers' Handbook is certainly worth having as a fundamentally sound guide to getting started, as well as a source to turn to when you start getting serious about your homebrew.