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Reddit mentions of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Fourth Edition: Fully Revised and Updated

Sentiment score: 23
Reddit mentions: 31

We found 31 Reddit mentions of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Fourth Edition: Fully Revised and Updated. Here are the top ones.

The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Fourth Edition: Fully Revised and Updated
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    Features:
  • The Complete Joy Of Home Brewing
  • Ten Easy Lessons For Making Your First Batch Of Beer
  • Brewing with Malt Extracts for an Unlimited Range of Strengths and Flavors
Specs:
ColorMulticolor
Height9 Inches
Length6 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateSeptember 2014
Weight1.1794731017 Pounds
Width1.24 Inches

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Found 31 comments on The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Fourth Edition: Fully Revised and Updated:

u/ohzopant · 9 pointsr/CanadaPolitics

So I've finally decided to get serious about my beer brewing after making a half dozen or so more-or-less successful batches in my basement over the past 3 or 4 years. (Partial mash style for now, all-grain will come later.)

I picked up this book which seems to be a fantastic resource; I knew what all the steps were, but that book really cleared up why each step is necessary. And now I finally know what the actual difference between an ale and a lager is!

So now I'm planning on converting my propane-fueled outside burner to natural gas and to pick up a used chest freezer so that I can use it as a fermenting fridge. This is turning into an expensive hobby... but that should be the last of the capital equipment expenses (except for that really, really sweet looking conical fermenter).

Mark my words: I will master Pilsner.

Ultimately, I'd really like to compete in Beau's Oktoberfest homebrew competition. The winner gets to make a batch of their recipe at a commercial scale at Beau's facility and then they'll actually sell it in store alongside their own!

u/machinehead933 · 8 pointsr/Homebrewing

How To Brew is your best bet to start, however, I would recommend picking up the book as well. The online free version is the 1st edition of the book. While about 85% of the material is still true, it is about 15 years old at this point. The current print edition is the 3rd edition and there have been a number of updates.

You can also check out the 4th edition of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie P which was most recently updated in September of last year.

u/AmishRobots · 7 pointsr/explainlikeimfive

most of my knowledge on this subject is coming from what I recollect of a single chapter from this fantastic book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Homebrewing-Fourth-Edition/dp/0062215752 plz excuse any errors i make in formatting, this is my first time actually saying anything on reddit!

The simple answer of course, is Prohibition.
The years of prohibition in this country destroyed the beautiful rainbow of different beer styles previously available in this country. Most smaller breweries simply dissappeared, as their product became illegal, while a few larger ones turned their grain processing facilities towards cereal production.

When prohibition ended, some of these companies, and I suppose a couple new ones, decided to go ahead and profit once again from alcohol production. But the problem they faced, was how to overcome the stigma still associated with alcohol consumption? Beer was considered by many to be a "dirty, sinful" product, consumed by criminals. Basically they decided that they needed to market their product to the ladies. If women could be seen drinking beer, then the public would decide it must be alright.

So, in an effort to make it appealing to more women, they set out to brew the lightest, smoothest, "dainty-est" style they could think of. Which happened to be a newer style from Czechoslovakia, called "pilsner". It was basically the fruity wine cooler, "liquid panty remover" of its day. Since the only brewing companies left standing after prohibition were the few really big ones, they cranked out millions of gallons of the stuff in huge batches, and took over the market with it. The pilsner style became the norm, and adjectives like "smooth, crisp, cool, refreshing etc." became imprinted on the mainstream mind as the idea of what beer "should" be.

Watch a lot of american beer commercials and you'll see for instance how much attention they focus on the WATER which goes into making their beer; not the hops, nor the grain, and certainly not what strain of yeast is involved; no, they like to prattle on about what sort of water they use, and also how cold it is. Kinda bizzarre huh?

Now, as for what we call "light" beers in this country, another poster seems to have mentioned that apparently "light beer" means something a bit different in Australia?

Well as previously mentioned, here it means "low calorie", basically "diet beer" and there is some idea (esp. among college kids) that light beer actually has MORE alcohol, as it well might in some cases, at least where pilsners are concerned. Lowering the caloric content of beer usually involves reducing the carbohydrates (sugars) of the final product, and one way to do this is to ferment more of those original sugars into alcohol.
They also tend to use adjuncts like rice and corn. (i think rice and corn convert more easily to alcohol maybe? not sure)

u/KEM10 · 7 pointsr/Homebrewing

> $549 retail

Damn it, I have to do math again....

For $550 you can also purchase the following:

  • Home brew starter kit w/ 5 gallon kettle - $90 (this is essentially what I started with 6 years ago and still use everything)

  • A free extract kit with the above purchase

  • You'll need something to put that homebrew in. 2 cases of 1 L flip tops - $76

  • Cleaning supplies, both PBW and StarSan - $40

  • Everyone's favorite brewing book - $12

    That's really everything you need for one batch and we're only up to $218...
    To fill the gap of $282, how about 7 extract kits estimating about $40 per kit?

    So with my plan of $548 (that's one dollar cheaper!) you get 40 gallons of beer! How much does the competitor make per batch?

    > The newer keg, which is the same volume (1.75 gallons) as the old keg will have simplified connectors.
u/e173 · 6 pointsr/Homebrewing

The complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian

I think is by far the most approachable book for any novice. Palmer's book is certainly great, but far more technical and just plain overwhelming for a beginner. Perhaps unless you have a strong science or engineering background (as I understand Palmer does) I find Palmer's book more like a textbook, and Papazian's more like a handbook.

How to Brew was my first book and it was tough, I was often confused and just powering through chapters trying not to get confused. The Joy of Homebrewing takes a much softer approach and simplifies a lot of the more advanced concepts, and is written in much more casual language.

"Relax. Don't worry. And have a homebrew."

u/calligraphy_dick · 4 pointsr/Homebrewing

If there are red flags I'm doing in these pictures, please let me know.

edit:

1st batch: Craft-A-Brew APA Kit

2nd batch: Northern Brewer's 1 Gallon Bavarian Hefe Kit

3rd batch: DrinkinSurfer's Milk Oatmeal Stout Recipe @HBT

If I could start over I would go straight to the 3-gallon batches. I hovered around them but I think it's the perfect batch size for beginners -- 1) Most people have a stockpot lying around the kitchen big enough to hold three gallons, 2) The batches are small enough so you don't have to drink two cases of bad brew, but big enough so if you enjoy it [which I'm thoroughly enjoying my first APA], you'll have plenty to taste and rate the evolution of the flavors over various weeks of priming and give out to family friends who are interested to try out what you made, 3) I ordered 3 Gallon Better Bottles for several reasons including worrying about shattering a glass carboy as a newbie. They also qualify for free shipping on MoreBeer's website with purchases above a certain price. 4) Even though I brewed a 5 gallon batch, and since I'm brewing solo, I'm already not looking forward to bottling the whole batch at once so I plan on breaking up bottling between two days.

For resources, I lurk this sub like a crazy stalker. The Daily Q&A is full of information both crucial and minute. I listen to James Spencer's Basic Brewing Radio podcast and practically substituted it for all music recently. It's family friendly and entertaining [I heard the other podcasts aren't so much]. I read Charles Papazian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing, 2nd ed. and For the Love of Hops by Stan Hieronymus to get a better understanding of the hops varieties and characteristics. I plan on reading John Palmer's How to Brew and Ray Daniels Designing Great Beers in the future, as well as Brew Like a Monk. Also, the HomeBrewTalk stickies in the forums provide good picture tutorials for several different styles of brewing.

I got into homebrewing so I can brew the, then, only beer style I liked: Imperial Stouts. But as I learned more about the balance and flavors of beer I surprised myself by branching out to enjoying other beers [even the odd IPA every so often]. My narrow scope of beer has broadened more vast that I ever would've imagined it. My brother got me this beer tasting tool kit used for blind taste tests so I try to keep good records and actively taste and appreciate craft beers. I even keep a couple in my wallet for tasting beers on draft.

I really wish I had an immersion wort chiller, a bigger boil kettle, a mash tun, and a propane burner. Those few equipment pieces hinder me from exploring more advanced style of homebrew. I intend to upgrade to all-grain but making the switch is really expensive. I'm still in the look-to-see-what-I-have-lying-around-the-house phase equipment-wise.

Which leads me to: don't be scared to spend money while DIY-ing. Many of you have probably seen my (and many others', most likely) shitty stir plate. DIY should be a balance of doing things on the cheap, but still making it work and function well. There's no point in DIYing if you're not going to be happy with it and just end up buying the commercial equivalent anyway. That's where I am right now.. I'm currently trying to salvage a cooler [no-spigot] I found in my garage and turn it into a mash tun instead of just buying a new cooler with a plastic, removable spigot. I'm certain it would make DIY easier but slightly more expensive.

But the suckiest thing for me about homebrewing is that I don't have a car so getting local, fresh ingredients and supporting my LHBSs is a piece of PITA bread.

u/sixpointbrewery · 4 pointsr/beer

You can't go wrong with two books, both of which are readily available on Amazon.

I'd start out with the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, and then move on to Designing Great Beers.

After that, I would recommend joining a local homebrew club, and there will be a big community to support you. And if you need yeast, come on down to Sixpoint with a clean mason jar and we can hook you up.

Let us know how it goes!

u/friendly_nz · 4 pointsr/Homebrewing

I agree with the reading bit but I did too much reading on the internet and got overwhelmed with all the different advice. I wish I'd brought The Complete Joy of Homebrewing earlier. It's got all the information you need to get started extract brewing through till all grain.

u/zVulture · 3 pointsr/TheBrewery

This is my full list of books from /r/homebrewing but it includes pro level books:

New Brewers:

u/hornytoad69 · 3 pointsr/beer

The Complete Joy of Homebrewing is good. I would say just do it. Get a good kit and try and find someone to guide you along. Then keep reading all you can about brewing. Blogs, books, go to a homebrew store. Don't be afraid to ask for advice. Brewers are like guys with big dicks; they love to show off.

u/VideoBrew · 3 pointsr/Homebrewing

Microbrewed Adventures by Charlie P. is a great read. The idea is basically he pairs homebrew recipes to stories about his adventures discovering new beers.
Edit: Also, it's a great companion to his more famous The Complete Joy of Homebrewing

u/Elliot_Crane · 3 pointsr/Homebrewing

All the LHBS staff in my area swear by The Complete Joy of Homebrewing: Fourth Edition by Charlie Papazian.

I’d recommend it as a good read but with a few caveats. Some of the advice is a little outdated compared to methods that homebrewers are using these days, for instance, I haven’t seen a single mention of brew-in-a-bag in the advanced chapter of the book. The author also regularly plugs his other book intended for a more advanced audience. I don’t find this too egregious because the quality of the information he provides is sufficient for a beginner IMO, but if you really want to know everything the author knows/thinks about a certain topic, you essentially need two books.

There are also a few things I like about this book. First off, the history of beer and brewing is covered to an extent, and I found that to be a great read. Secondly, there are some pretty good charts and reference tables that you can use as a guide if/when you start thinking about developing your own recipes. Also, on the topic of recipes, the author provides a selection of 45 recipes to get you started (in my experience, your LHBS will also have some recipe sheets available most likely). Finally, the author also cracks dad jokes routinely, so you’ll get a chuckle every once in a while to break up the information overload.

Overall, my opinion on this book is that it’s a great entry to homebrewing, but it shouldn’t be the only resource you use.

u/dwo0 · 2 pointsr/Homebrewing

In this post, I'm going to link to examples. They are examples: I'm not necessarily recommending that specific item. (I'm pretty much doing a search on Amazon and linking to the first thing in the search results that is actually what you need.) It's just an example to let you know what you're looking for.

Yes, you will need a metal stockpot. Five gallons should be sufficient.

You will need some type of stirring apparatus. Some would recommend a large metal spoon, but I recommend using a plastic mash paddle.

I would recommend getting some type of thermometer to put on your stock pot. A candy thermometer is where I'd start, but, if this is a hobby that you'll stick with, it's probably worth investing in something better.

Also, I see that they put a hydrometer in your kit. If you want to take measurements with the hydrometer, you'll need either a turkey baster or a wine thief. I'd start with the baster.

If you need a book on homebrewing, Palmer's How to Brew is pretty much the standard, but Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing is well regarded. Palmer's book is in its third edition, but you can get the first edition of the book online for free.

Depending on the ingredients that you use, you may need common kitchen items like scissors or can openers.

You'll also need bottles. If you brew a five gallon batch (which is pretty typical… at least in the United States), you'll need about fifty-four twelve-ounce bottles. However, you can't use twist-off bottles; they're no good.

Lastly, you'll need ingredients. Different recipes call for different ingredients. My advice is to buy a kit from a local homebrew store (LHBS) or one online. Some kits make you buy the yeast separately. If so, make sure that you purchase the right strain of yeast.

u/LegendofPisoMojado · 2 pointsr/Homebrewing

8 gallon kettle, 6+ gallon fermenter (buckets are fine), airlock, bottling bucket, racking cane or autosiphon, good instant read thermometer, hydrometer, sanitizer (i use StarSan religiously), cleaner such as PBW or oxiclean free, about 70 - 12 oz bottles, bottle caps, capper. You can find all of these items sold together as a starter kit at many online retailers - except probably the thermometer and bottles. Or check your local homebrew store.

I say those measurements so you won't be rebuying in a month when you want to do a full boil. You can boil a full 5gallons batch in an 8 gallon kettle.

Yes, you can spend $10k and want more. But there is no need to spend anywhere near that to make excellent beer.

And unless you've read and understand a few books or have a mentor that's gonna watch over you, start with extract and some specialty grains. It's easy to get in over your head with all grain and no experience. Start with a kit for sure. That way of it doesn't come out as advertised you will know it's something wrong with your process and not something wrong with the recipe you concocted. Sanitize everything that it going to come into contact with your beer after the boil. If you have questions post again.

And read a book. I started with Charlie Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. Others will recommend Palmer's book but I haven't read it.

Cheers. RDWHAHB.

u/EugeneHarlot · 2 pointsr/cincinnatibeer

First buy this book.
I'm so old I have the second edition from when I started homebrewing back in the early 90's.

Start saving your bottles. Tell all your friends to start saving their bottles too. Just accept that brewing is a craft and you'll get better with experience. But also that you may never make a beer a good as the best beers you can buy. Have fun!

u/orvitus · 2 pointsr/Homebrewing

The advice in these comments is good. Also, Beginner's brewing books like The Complete Joy of Homebrewing and The Brewmaster's Bible have sections with generic recipes by style. The also have good general descriptions of various varieties of hops and their typical uses for bittering, flavoring, or aroma.

u/bambam944 · 2 pointsr/Homebrewing

Just reading his book The Complete Joy of Homebrewing now. It's a fantastic resource!

u/plan_ahea · 2 pointsr/Homebrewing

To follow up on /u/unsungsavior16's comment, I'd suggest The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. I read this after Palmer's book and loved both of them!

u/fordarian · 2 pointsr/beer

Little bit of a different issue, but I would also suggest having a homebrew session with the staff before you open one day. Nothing will teach you about the process of making beer better than doing it yourself, and it really isn't hard. If you still want to accompany that lesson with literature, two great books on brewing are How to Brew by John Palmer (aka the home brewer's bible, full text is also available for free online) and The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian

As far as general history and beer tasting knowledge, I'll back up those who have recommended Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher, and pretty much anything written by Michael Jackson. Many of Jackson's books are separated by regions, so it would be helpful to find which one applies to the area your pub/the beers your serve are from

u/Aquascaper_Mike · 2 pointsr/Homebrewing

My top suggestion would be "How to brew" By John Palmer or "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" By Charlie Papazian and read before buying anything. You will get a strong understanding of the process and be able to make sure it's something you will want to do before dropping $100 dollars on getting started.

If you want to jump in with smaller batches (1 Gallons) I would suggest buying one of Brooklyn Brew Shops kits or another small batch kit. The process is pretty much the same just in smaller portions. If you decide from there you want to go bigger you always can and then you have a better grasp on the process and what will be needed to make better beer.

u/GobbleBlabby · 2 pointsr/Homebrewing

I haven’t seen it yet but The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Fourth Edition: Fully Revised and Updated https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062215752/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XiQoDbVWK4YK0 is worth a read.

Also like everyone else was saying, just take it one step at a time. Just enjoy it. And start kegging ASAP because bottling sucks.

I’d say try not to make too many changes to your brewery all at once, so you can stay familiar with how long different things normally take, and it limits the hiccups you might have. Obviously there’s going to be pretty big steps, like going all grain.

u/FraggelRock · 2 pointsr/Homebrewing

I got started using this book Complete Joy Of Homebrewing I felt this book was super friendly as introductory material.

There is also this book How To Brew I think most people will tell you John Palmer's book is better but honestly both will contain all the information you need to get started. I am sure someone more resourceful than me will be able to direct you to some great (and free) internet resources to take a look at as well.

Edit: A quick Google search yielded This Have fun and welcome!

u/Budget_Cardiologist · 1 pointr/brewing

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062215752/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

​

This was my first. I'm working on a Dave Miller book now.

u/emvy · 1 pointr/Homebrewing

Here's my advice to a beginner from a recent beginner.
A lot of people start with a small batch kit like Mr. Beer or Brooklyn Brew Shop that they got as a gift or bought on a whim. However, if I were going to recommend a 1-gal starter kit, I'd probably go with something like the one from Northern Brewer. Or you can get a 5-gal setup for just a little bit more and you get a lot more beer for you money, and it's really not that much more work. However, it was nice learning the process on a 1-gal batch, because it's a lot more manageable and you can easily do it on your stove with a pot you already have. Also, if you stick with it, and upgrade to bigger batches, you will still be able to find good uses for your old 1-gal equipment.

Whether you decide to test the waters with a small batch or jump right into a 5-gal batch, I would do an extract w/ specialty grain kit for your first brew. All grain is not that much harder, especially with small batches, but for your first few brews it's nice to just learn the process without having too many variables to worry about.

Also, buy a copy of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing or How to Brew or both and read the first chapter or so and you will have a good idea of what you're in for.

u/HansOlough · 1 pointr/Homebrewing

There's a fourth edition now.

u/SGoogs1780 · 1 pointr/NDQ

Sure, tons! In no particular order:

  1. Pick up a book. The two best intros are How to Brew and The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. My girlfriend and I started with How to Brew. It can be a little science-y, but it was a great beginner's book that starts with the basics and gets more complicated as it goes. Basically the first chapter is enough to brew a beer, but the next few chapters help you learn how brewing works, and so on. I've never read The Joy of Homebrewing, but I've heard it's just as good, only a little less science based and more "fun and accessible." Really, either one is probably great.

    Also, How to Brew is based off a blog, and a lot of the book is on there. If you don't know which book you'd prefer start with A Crash Course in Brewing and decide if it's for you or if you'd like something a little more readable.

  2. Google around and see if you have a local homebrew shop. Lots of them offer classes, and sometimes local breweries will have homebrew classes on groupon or living social. Often times the beer you drink is work the price of the class, and it's super helpful to see brewing done first hand. This is actually how I got into it: I used buy beer at my LHBS in Ft Lauterdale, and saw that classes were only $30 and came with beer and food. I signed up with my girlfriend - no intention to start brewing, just thought it'd be a fun Saturday - and wound up totally hooked.

  3. Use the community, people love talking about brewing. If you're not sure how to make something work for you, someone's probably been there. Ask folks in your LHBS if you have one, post in /r/homebrewing, heck even just come back some time and reply to this post and I'll be more than happy to tell you what I know. I was worried because when I moved to DC I lost the outdoor space I used to brew in Florida, and couldn't get 5 gallons of beer boiling on a regular stove. I mentioned it casually to another brewer and he walked me through adapting recipes for smaller, more concentrated boils to be topped up to 5 gallons afterwards. Now I can brew on my electric apartment stove and haven't seen any loss of quality.

    Sorry if that's a total data dump, I just love chatting about and getting new people into brewing. If you ever give it a try, let me know how it goes!
u/Iwantitnow · 1 pointr/Homebrewing

There is no reason you can All grain first. You will just need more time and some extra equipment. Find a good book that will walk you through the steps and set aside 4-5hours for brewing and clean up.

The Complete Joy of Homebrewing is the book I started with.

My copy is from 1991 so I haven't seen the changes in the newer version.

u/FelixVulgaris · 1 pointr/Homebrewing

Charlie Papazian's - The Complete Joy of Homebrewing is what got me started. It's not overly technical, but it gives you step by step instructions on what equipment you need, what the brewing process actually entails, and how to store and care for your beer. One stop shop.