Brewing Elements Series

[KernelCrush]

OK, most people who were going to have likely read Yeast Water Hops Malt.  My thought is Yeast was the only one that actually had concrete steps in it for a homebrewer to improve his process with new information.  A few things I picked up from Water, but for the most part the final 3 books didn't have much you couldn't find or hadn't already read elsewhere, or else they were another history lesson and/or geared more towards commercial brewers.  Homebrewers buy a lot more books, I think the publishers focus was in the wrong direction.  Pro Brewers would have better resources.

My rankings are (with gaps for usefulness). Anyone agree/disagree?

Yeast







Water


Hops



Malt

[jtoots]

I've read so many "meh" reviews of those books, I'm not exactly itching to read them.  Good to know Yeast would be the first one to pick up, thanks.

[grathan]

I agree. Yeast was interesting, but probably biased being written by a guy who sells yeast. By that I mean he makes it sound so special, but then you brew a beer with a wyeast packet that is 2 years old that froze/thawed dozens of times and it makes good beer even without oxygenation.

The Water and Hops were pretty bad. Actually I think the Water was so bad I got upset reading it and didn't bother with Malt and have given up on homebrewing books. I bought the sour book and I might buy the aging beers book, but I think I am gonna stick with technical papers, internet articles, and occasional BYO mag. I think the problem with books is they are either science geeks with very little in common with a home-brewer or a successful home-brewer who got popular from from being in the right place at the right time and struggle to make a whole book about it.

[KernelCrush]

Yes I thought yeast was by leaps & bounds the best. I think everyone should read that one. The rest save your money.  I kept on buying them hoping one of them would approach yeast.  Wrong.  Maybe that was their plan.

Gotta keep trying though.

I'm halfway thru Mosher Mastering Homebrew.  All beginner stuff so far, hoping it gets better.  He mentions this book as a modern day HTB.  Palmer said in an interview he's working on a revision of HTB but didn't give a timeline.

[Mofo]

Got a copy of 'Yeast' yesterday. Part one alone is worth the cover price. Thanks for the post!

[KernelCrush]

It gets a lot better. Good knowledge to have especially when learning to brewing by forums.  You'll say wow how did they get so misguided (to your self). 

[Helen]

In it something is also I think, what is it excellent idea.

[Roadrocket]

I've read Hops and Yeast. Yeast is definately the better of the two. I didn't know there was one called Malt.