Brew: The Fool proof Guide to Making Your Own Beer at Home

[Ashman]

James Morton’s Brew: The Fool proof Guide to Making Your Own Beer at Home is available at the works for £6. Worth a read although I haven’t tried any recipes from it yet.

 

[Clint]

Pah! Everyone knows that the foolproof guide to making beer is on the back of beer kits.
And before anyone says...NO I'm not knocking kits...just the enthusiastic instructions some come with...

 

[RichardM]

I have that book and have made a few of the recipes, all have been good

 

[Braufather]

good recipies but 90% off them are over 6%

 

[Linalmeemow]

good recipies but 90% off them are over 6%

You say that like it's a bad thing!

 

[The Cat]

You say that like it's a bad thing!

I'm sold

 

[Braufather]

You say that like it's a bad thing!

it is if you like a pint or 5!

 

[Cwrw666]

good recipies but 90% off them are over 6%

And that's why it's foolproof - quite hard to make a crap brew at that %, not so below 4%.

 

[Braufather]

Haha so true!

 

[An Ankoù]

I've got the book. Not impressed. The predominant theme is "do exactly what I say and don't deviate at all from my recipes" and "if you do, don't give me bad amazon reviews". That's the foolproof bit. Of course, if your beer doesn't work out then you didn't follow the instructions. His bread books are equally awful. Spend your money elsewhere would be my advice.
But.. He does have a healthy disdain for all things CAMRA, which is nearly a saving grace.

 

[The Cat]

I managed to obtain a digital copy - will give it a scan through anyway.

 

[Braufather]

For me, The American extra IPA came out really well both times ive done it( second was a session version), and ive done the disproportionally hopped 4 times- The first time it was amazing, but since then its just been ok for some reason. Oatmeal IPA was OK. The undead pale was also OK. totally tropical lacked something but i want to give that another go.

 

[DCBC]

I've been brewing AG for four years now and I think this book is fantastic and I use it a lot. Not really for the technical stuff now - He knows his stuff, even though nothing he says is particularly ground-breaking, and I doubt he brews enough with other commitments to have really tested a lot of what he writes - there is a lot of received wisdom in there.

Having said that - the recipes in the end are fantastic, albeit most over 6% as has already been noted. Most will withstand some dilution and you could always replace some Maris with Munich for body if you're worried about diluting the flavour, or use a more expressive yeast.