Charlie Papazian is a nuclear engineer by education, but has found his way to icon status for home brewing in America. His book, The Joy of Home Brewing, was published in 1984, only five years after home brewing was made legal in the United States. It was revised in 1991 and made The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing. Since its inception, many have used Papazian's book for instruction, recipes, ingredient descriptions, and beer-style information.
A simple start for the beginner
Papazian starts with the basics for the beginner. In 27 pages, he provides information about the basic beer ingredients and 10 steps to the simplest way of making beer, which is using malt extract kits.
The next sections describe the ingredients in detail for the intermediate home brewer. The different kinds of barley preparations (2-row/6-row, black patent, roasted, chocolate, etc), the different kinds of hops, and the different forms of sugar (cane, molasses, maple, honey) and all the interesting spices and flavorings you can add, like ginger, coffee, and even garlic, to name a few. These sections also include the various sanitizers that are available on the market.
Next we have an in-depth look at the various styles of beers from around the world, from Belgian to Germany to Britain. There is a comprehensive chart of the most commonly found types of beer, what ingredients and how much to use for each type of beer.
A comprehensive guide to all-grain brewing
In the last section, Papazian moves on to the traditional brewing method that has been used since beer was invented: all-grain. He reviews the process of mashing and sparging and the equipment you will need, the science of mashing, calculating bitterness, and charts showing volumes of water you will need based on the amount of grain you are using. The end of this section is filled with all-grain recipes that Papazian has made, so you know they have got to be good!
The appendices of this book are also quite useful. They include instructions on kegging your beer, alcohol's effects on the human body, how to make honey meade and sour mashes, growing your own hops, troubleshooting a bad beer you have made, judging your beer, and a chart to adjust your specific gravity.
The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing is an informative guide to home brewing. Papazian is a trusted source with years of experience, who continues brewing to this day. He has published several more books since this one, and through it all, he advises us to "RELAX, DON'T WORRY, HAVE A HOME BREW".
Source:
- The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing, Charlie Papazian, Avon books, 1991.
Ara Bedrossian - He has a Masters in Public Health from the UT College of Medicine and has been contracted by the state of Ohio to improve public health ...
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