Brown Ale: History, Brewing Techniques, Recipes (Classic Beer Style Series, 14)

Rating:
Summary: Not a textbook for the beginner but still good to learn from
Review: I bought this book to learn something about the subject, and I did learn quite a bit.The potential buyer should read the subtitle closely and be aware that this is not a how to book for the first time beer brewer, you'll have to go elsewhere for detailed brewing information. This book does give a lot of history and information, good book to have if you're thinking of brewing your own Brown Ale, or just think you might want to drink the stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Useful, well-crafted brewing text.
Review: It has a very appetizing cover photo. Brown Ale tends to be a misunderstood style these days, and this book's clarification of its history and present state is a relief. One highlight for me was the proposal of separating the American style of brown ale into the hopped-up Texas-style and then American-style brown ale, which is demonstrated by analyzing a cross-section of samples from across the country. The history goes way back, further than you might guess, and the explanation of malting and brewing techniques from early to modern times is enlightening. Recommended reading, even for extract brewers.

Rating:
Summary: Useful, well-crafted brewing text.
Review: It has a very appetizing cover photo. Brown Ale tends to be a misunderstood style these days, and this book's clarification of its history and present state is a relief. One highlight for me was the proposal of separating the American style of brown ale into the hopped-up Texas-style and then American-style brown ale, which is demonstrated by analyzing a cross-section of samples from across the country. The history goes way back, further than you might guess, and the explanation of malting and brewing techniques from early to modern times is enlightening. Recommended reading, even for extract brewers.