All About Beer Magazine - Volume 36, Issue 2
May 1, 2015 By

Craft Beer for the Homebrewer

Making Craft Beer at Home

The idea of making beer has two different meanings, as demonstrated by these different books. The first, Making Craft Beer at Home (Shire, Paperback, $12.95, 112 pp), is, in fact, about becoming a knowledgeable and successful homebrewer, while the second, Craft Beer For the Homebrewer (Voyageur Press, Paperback, $24.99, 160 pp), shows how to make more than 30 well-known and well-respected beers.

The author of Making Craft Beer at Home, the talent behind New Jersey’s Little Dog Brewing Co., brings a lot of affection for beer to her writing. This handy little book will get readers well-schooled in this beer renaissance and following an elegant path toward making their own beer.

Agnew, on the other hand, heads for the brew houses of some of America’s most distinctive new breweries. The formula is irresistible—begin with background on the beer, including loving photographs; next set up brewing directions for both extract and all-grain recipes; and close with a description of the brewery and more loving photographs. Perhaps not a beginner’s book, but definitely belongs in a homebrewer’s library.

Two different takes on making beer; taken together they can form the foundation of a lively homebrewing hobby.