A very informative book. However, the information presented was not organized in an easy-to-skim format. It does present lots of useful information and I would recommend it for anyone interested in homebrewing.

While this books starts with the basics for beginners, it also covers advanced topics, and in my opinion the best all-around homebrew guide.

Miller's explinations of the mashing process is one of the best I've seen, and even non-chemist readers will understand what's happening in the mash tun. He also clearly explains what happens during the fermentation process, as well as covering the types of yeasts and how they work. Most homebrewers don't need to understand brewing science to mix yeast with wort, but Miller makes it easy to understand the big picture, helping turn recipe mixers into homebrewers.

On that note, this book is NOT filled with hundreds of pages of monkey see monkey do recipes. Miller teaches readers how to brew, and then gives recipe guidelines for popular styles (giving parameters, but leaving the brewing up to the homebrewer).

I think this book is best read from beginning to end, but it's also an excellent reference with charts and tables.

Regarding brew books in general, all homebrewers should have one of Charlie Papazian's books, since he's the pioneer that started it all. However, I find Dave Miller's book the best up-to-date guide on homebrewing.

I very much enjoyed this book. It was the one book I read before I started homebrewing. One reviewer said that this book has "too much information at once" for the beginner. I would agree if you try to implement the entire book first time out.

The thing I really liked about this book is that if you were so inclined you could read just the first three chapters and brew your first bacth. The early chapters describe the brewing process in its simplest form and can enable the most novice brewer to make some darn good beer.

It's the remaining chapters which dive into the details of the topics outlined at the beginning of the book. If your intimidated about homebrewing I suggest you buy this book, read only the first three chapters, brew a batch and then start reading the rest. With one batch under your belt the subsequent chapters will read much easier and be more helpful.

Books on homebrewing aren't as common as they were in the late 90s, sadly, but there's still enough good basic literature available in bookstores to get someone to a pretty high level of proficiency. The traditional introduction for most American homebrewers has been Charlie Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Third Edition (Harperresource Book), which is a time-tested and generally pretty good introduction on the subject. But Papazian has issues -- his hyperenthusiasm and loopy whimsicality often seem more appropriate to a book on beer lore than an introductory text to what is, after all, quite a technical hobby. Enter this book.



Dave Miller is also a respected author in the brewing instruction field, and is known for producing works that are more technical and less informal than Papazian's work. This book definitely falls into that category, by and large being a combination of basic instructional technique and enough brewing science to help the novice understand many of the chemical changes in the brewing process, making troubleshooting easier for both novice and expert. If you want a book that will tell you almost everything and can't afford much more than that one book, this is an excellent choice; in fact, there's even enough information on professional brewing techniques that as a simple explanation of what goes on in a brewery, it's actually a pretty good choice for a beer nerd who doesn't actually want to try making their own.



That's kind of a problem, though -- it really is a nerd's book. I don't think that's a liability per se, as everyone has a different approach to learning. But it's more of a reference than a tutorial, so if your learning style requires more structure, it may not be the choice. It is also rather dry, using tremendous amounts of brewing, chemistry, and biology jargon, and could really use more pictures (especially of fermenter designs). But it's good to have around as an adjunct to Papazian, and if you're a fairly nonstructured learner, it's a good replacement if you find Papazian to be too informal, corny, or just unapproachably weird.

Books on homebrewing aren't as common as they were in the late 90s, sadly, but there's still enough good basic literature available in bookstores to get someone to a pretty high level of proficiency. The traditional introduction for most American homebrewers has been Charlie Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Third Edition (Harperresource Book), which is a time-tested and generally pretty good introduction on the subject. But Papazian has issues -- his hyperenthusiasm and loopy whimsicality often seem more appropriate to a book on beer lore than an introductory text to what is, after all, quite a technical hobby. Enter this book.

Dave Miller is also a respected author in the brewing instruction field, and is known for producing works that are more technical and less informal than Papazian's work. This book definitely falls into that category, by and large being a combination of basic instructional technique and enough brewing science to help the novice understand many of the chemical changes in the brewing process, making troubleshooting easier for both novice and expert. If you want a book that will tell you almost everything and can't afford much more than that one book, this is an excellent choice; in fact, there's even enough information on professional brewing techniques that as a simple explanation of what goes on in a brewery, it's actually a pretty good choice for a beer nerd who doesn't actually want to try making their own.

That's kind of a problem, though -- it really is a nerd's book. I don't think that's a liability per se, as everyone has a different approach to learning. But it's more of a reference than a tutorial, so if your learning style requires more structure, it may not be the choice. It is also rather dry, using tremendous amounts of brewing, chemistry, and biology jargon, and could really use more pictures (especially of fermenter designs). But it's good to have around as an adjunct to Papazian, and if you're a fairly nonstructured learner, it's a good replacement if you find Papazian to be too informal, corny, or just unapproachably weird.

Knowledgeably and expertly written by the winner of a lifetime achievement award from the American Homebrewers Association, Dave Miller's Homebrewing Guide is an all-encompassing and up-to-date 358-page instructional and reference guide to brewing great-tasting beer in the privacy of one's home. Covering malts, water and water treatment, mash methods, hops, necessary equipment -- including kettles and wort coolers, methodical directions, practical and safety tips, and more, Dave Miller's Homebrewing Guide is a "must-have" for anyone seeking to brew their own beer at home whether as an simple pastime or as an approach to acquiring a professional microbrewery expertise.