Reddit reviews Radical Brewing: Recipes, Tales and World-Altering Meditations in a Glass
We found 27 Reddit comments about Radical Brewing: Recipes, Tales and World-Altering Meditations in a Glass. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Brewers Publications
My Favorites:
How to Brew by John Palmer
The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Charlie Papazian
Brewmasters Bible By Stephen Snyder
Extreme Brewing by Sam Calagione
Brew Like A Monk By Stan Hieronymus
Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher
On my bookshelf:
How to Brew - John Palmer
Designing Great Beers - Ray Daniels
Brewing Classic Styles - Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer
Brew Like a Monk - Stan Hieronymus
Clone Brews - Tess and Mark Szamatulski
Yeast - Jamil Zainasheff and Chris White
Beer Captured - Tess and Mark Szamatulski
Radical Brewing - Randy Mosher
Brewer's Association Guide to Starting Your Own Brewery - Randy Mosher
Radical Brewing and Designing Great beers, were the ones I followed How to Brew with.
http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Brewing-Recipes-World-Altering-Meditations/dp/0937381837/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393807281&sr=1-1&keywords=radical+brewing
http://www.amazon.com/Designing-Great-Beers-Ultimate-Brewing/dp/0937381500/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393807312&sr=1-1&keywords=designing+great+beers
Since I see this topic is posted twice, I'm posting my thoughts here as well:
You're missing How to Brew, and Extreme Brewing (while it has a few decent recipes and has lovely photos) isn't that great a book IMO. Designing Great Beers is good, but a bit outdated and IMO is a lot better after you've gotten a few batches done. Haven't read Jamil's yeast book, so I can't comment on it. Brew Like a Monk is a great volume, but doesn't have the general information you want when you're starting out.
I recommend:
How to Brew - The best single reference on brewing I've seen
Radical Brewing - Great for creative recipes and information on different ingredients
Also, just go and brew something. I brewed my first batch without reading any books and it turned out fine. Brewing will help make the texts make more sense, and the texts will then make the brewing make more sense.
The best way to start, if you have an equipment kit, is to buy a recipe kit. You can find them at Midwestern Supplies or Austin Homebrew. The ingredient kits have all the ingredients, in the right amounts, that you need to make one 5 gallon batch. They also contain instructions. Once you get the hang of it with a kit or two, try tweaking those recipes a bit and go from there. Of course, reading on the subject while your beer ferments wouldn't hurt either. Good luck!
Horseballs already put a very good list, but I'd add Randy Mosher's Radical Brewing, which is very, very good.
Hops are a relatively recent addition to brewing (I think ~1500's?). Radical Brewing covers the wealth of herbs that were used previously to impart bitterness, including things like juniper and bog myrtle. Honestly, though, these aren't as good of a match compared to hops, and it sounds like you dislike the bitterness over the flavor. Any alternative you use will need to provide bitterness, otherwise the beer is going to come out very sweet and unbalanced (look up the BU:GU ratio if that's unfamiliar to you).
Honestly, don't let the dog thing worry you. Just be conscious about how you store and dispose of your hops.
Yeast. Highly recommended.
Brewing With Wheat. Great book, but you'll get the most out of it if you feel comfortable taking some basic parameters and building a recipe yourself.
Radical Brewing. Lots of weird stuff, but I thought it was surprisingly strong on the basics, too.
Brewing Classic Styles. Good resource for tried and true recipes. One or two recipes for each BJCP style might be either a strength or a weakness, depending on how varied your brewing interests are.
I can't recommend Radical Brewing enough. This was the book that really kickstarted me into not only designing my own recipes but getting adventurous with them as well.
Brewing Better Beer is also awesome.
Yeah, this is one of the beers listed in one of the best homebrew books I've seen, Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher. I love edible wild mushrooms, and have been meaning to try this one sometime.
I'd take a look at The Brewmaster's Table by Garrett Oliver. He's the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery and world renowned for his beer/food pairings and experience.
One caveat: he loves his superlatives. I remember one passage where he discusses how cheap and widely available Schneider Weiss is and how it's surprisingly a "tour de force," or something like that. Not sure why it's a surprise that one of the most highly respected/awarded breweries in the world turns out a good beer. Still, for beginners who are serious about learning beer it's a good read.
I've also really enjoyed Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher. If you have any interest in brewing it's highly informative and a great historical look at all kinds of different beer. Michael Jackson (the wine critic, not that other guy) wrote the forward, which is about as much endorsement as I needed.
This is my full list of books from /r/homebrewing but it includes pro level books:
New Brewers:
Continued Learning:
Specialty/Advanced/Other:
Business Books:
Technical Readings (Textbooks might be expensive):
I recently got the book Radical Brewing and it has a recipe for Sahti. That's one of the main reasons I got the book.
I hope it is OK to publish the recipe from that.
All-Grain Recipe:
8.0lb Pilsner malt
1.0lb aromatic / malanoidin (dark Munich)
1.0lb malted rye
0.75lb extra dark crystal / special B
0.5lb malted rye, smoked over pine, spruce, and juniper berries
Hops & Spices
0.3oz Northern Brewer (60 min)
1.0oz crushed juniper berries (60 min)
Boil juniper branches in the mash liquor. Mash procedure: step mast, with 10 minute rests at 104 deg F, 130 deg F, 148 deg F, 172 deg F, and a mash out at 190 deg F. This is normally accomplished by small additions of boiling water, resulting in a very thin mash at the end. Lauter over juniper branches placed in the bottom of the mash tun.
Yield: 5 gallons
Gravity: 1.062 (15 deg P)
Alcohol/vol: 4.2 to 5%
Color Amber
Bitterness: 8 IBU
Yeast: Compressed bread yeast, no more than one-fourth small cake
Maturation: 2 to 4 weeks
Yeah, I've still got over half the batch. I had read in Radical Brewing that peach didn't give a whole lot of flavor, but I'm glad I tried it for myself. Mosher says that apricots can be used to impart a much better peach flavor, and if I make a full batch I might go with a 4/1lb or 3/2lb peach/apricot split to get a little more fruit flavor.
I'd highly recommend Radical Brewing: Recipes, Tales and World-Altering Meditations in a Glass
My cousin, who has brewed for a living, bought this book for me one Christmas. Lot's of great in depth information on various ingredients, recipes, stories, techniques, equipment, etc etc. It's wonderfully illustrated and just an overall fantastic book about beer.
This, its follow on Homebrewers Companion and Radical Brewing are my Go-To's
It really depends on what he already has. Is he doing extract brews? How large of a kettle does he have? And, as NeoMoose mentioned, there are tons of books that anyhomebrewer would love to have. Brewing Classic Styles is a great book that provides simple, but tasty recipes for each beer style. Radical Brewing provides more unusual recipes, as well as a bit of brewing history.
I recently brewed an India Red Ale from the Radical Brewing book (http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Brewing-Recipes-World-Altering-Meditations/dp/0937381837):
6.5 Lb 2 row
5 lb Munich 10L
.75Lb Crystal 40
.5Lb Crystal 80
.12 Lb Black Patent
2 oz Cascade (60 min)
2 oz Cascade (30 min)
2 oz Kent Goldings (5 min)
WLP001
I made a starter for the yeast and fermented at 65 degrees & let it rise to 70 degrees during fermentation.
The issue is that the beer has a nice body & malty profile on the front end, but that dissipates very quickly and the beer becomes thin. I mashed at around 151 degrees.
Any suggestions on how to fix this? I've experienced some of the same issues in some other homebrews, and would like to know how I can correct it. I lost about a degree off the mash temp over the hour. Could this be a hop schedule issue, a mash issue, a recipe issue, or even a water profile issue? I used tap water treated with campden, and the water here in Cincinnati is great for brewing. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
continued
Homemade Soda by Andrew Schloss
Mix Shake Stir: Recipes from Danny Meyer's Acclaimed New York City Restaurants compiled by Danny Meyer
Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2010 by Jim Murray
And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails by Wayne Curtis
Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide, Revised by Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron
Great Beer Guide: 500 Classic Brews by Michael Jackson
Old Mr. Boston DeLuxe Official Bartender's Guide 4th Edition
The Seasonal Cocktail Companion: 100 Recipes and Projects for Four Seasons of Drinking by Maggie Savarino
The Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks by Dale Degroff
Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History by Mark Spivak
Bottom Row:
The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil
Absinthe, Sip of Seduction: A Contemporary Guide by Betina Wittels & Robert Hermesch
The Complete Bartender: Art of Mixing Plain and Fancy Drinks by Albert Barnes (Espresso Book Machine Reprint)
Michael Jackson's Beer Companion by Michael Jackson
The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World's Great Drinks by Amy Stewart
Food & Wine Cocktails 2013 edited by Jim Meehan
Food & Wine Cocktails 2012 edited by Jim Meehan
Food & Wine Cocktails 2011 edited by Jim Meehan
The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to be a Master Bartender, with 500 Recipes by Dale DeGroff
Cocktail Techniques by Kazuo Uyeda
Shake, Stir, Pour: Fresh Homegrown Cocktails by Katie Loeb
Everyday Drinking: The Distilled Kingsley Amis by Kingsley Amis
Tequila: A Traditional Art of Mexico edited by Alberto Ruy Sanchez & Magarita de Orellana
The New York Times Book of Wine: More than 30 Years of Vintage Writing edited by Howard G. Goldberg (pre-release copy)
The Northern California Craft Beer Guide by Ken Weaver
A Field Guide to Hendrick's Gin
The Oxford Companion to Beer edited by Garrett Oliver
The Book of Gin: A Spirited World History from Alchemists' Stills and Colonial Outposts to Gin Palaces, Bathtub Gin, and Artisanal Cocktails by Richard Barnett (pre-release copy)
Modern American Drinks: How to Mix and Serve All Kinds of Cups, Cocktails, and Fancy Mixed Drinks by George J. Kappeler (Espresso Book Machine Printing)
Edible Cocktails: From Garden to Glass - Seasonal Cocktails with a Fresh Twist by Natalie Bovis
Straight Up or On the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail by William Grimes
Brewed Awakening: Behind the Beers and Brewers Leading the World's Craft Brewing Revolution by Joshua M. Bernstein
The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock
Extreme Brewing: An Enthusiast's Guide to Brewing Craft Beer at Home by Sam Calagione
Wine for Dummies by Ed McCarthy & Mary Ewing-Mulligan
Radical Brewing: Recipes, Tales and World-Altering Meditations in a Glass by Randy Mosher
Not Pictured:
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee
Craft Cocktails at Home: Offbeat Techniques, Contemporary Crowd-Pleasers, and Classics Hacked with Science by Kevin Liu
Beachbum Berry Remixed by Jeff Berry
How's Your Drink?: Cocktails, Culture, and the Art of Drinking Well by Eric Felten
Let me know if you have any questions about any of the books.
Wow, that surprises me.
For jumping off points I'd recommend - http://www.amazon.com/How-Brew-Everything-Right-First/dp/0937381888/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250652778&sr=8-1 and http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Brewing-Recipes-World-Altering-Meditations/dp/0937381837/ref=pd_sim_b_2
I'd suggest getting a book too. I started out with Radical Brewing.
Recipe came from Radical Brewing, or at least the grain bill did. Aimed for more of an American Barleywine with the hops.
I would love this as well because I'm geeky like that. Books that I found interesting that you might as well:
-The Comic Book Story of Beer: A fun way to learn more about the history of beer as beverage. It goes into I'd say a medium amount of detail, enough that if you wanted to go deeper you'd have the right search terms. Plus it's a comic book...bonus! Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Comic-Book-Story-Beer-Revolution/dp/1607746352
-National Geographic Atlas of Beer: Another medium level detail book about beer all over the world for a more global perspective plus it's National Geographic so the photography is gorgeous. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Atlas-Beer-Globe-Trotting/dp/1426218338/
-Radical Brewing: Even if you don't homebrew I feel like this book is worth picking up, especially early on in your beer journey because it gives you an idea of what wide range of styles and ingredients can make up a "Beer" (with a capital B). Also, it's a good introduction to Randy Mosher who is a Beer Geek (with a capital B and a capital G). Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Brewing-Recipes-World-Altering-Meditations/dp/0937381837
If anyone has any other books along the same lines they enjoy, feel free to share them.
Cheers!
Awesome! Welcome to the greatest hobby there is. If you are really interested in creating your own recipes, Designing Great Beers and Radical Brewing are two of my favorite resources. The former is very technical and contains detailed information on ingredients and how the play with other ingredients to affect the flavor of your beer. The latter is a great, well-rounded brewing book that focuses a lot on brewing with non-conventional ingredients, and how to use them in your recipes.
Interestingly enough, I just started picked up Radical Brewing, which was published in 2004. The first chapter on beer history points out loud and clear how American craft brewers unencumbered by centuries of tradition are experimenting and innovating into quite a vital and amazing beer culture. As I read that I was thinking that, since American craft brewing market is getting saturated in some (many?) areas of the country, maybe it'd be interesting to start a craft brewery some place in Europe. It's good to see someone--Stone--giving it a shot.
BTW, I haven't been to Europe since the late nineties. So, I don't have any first-hand experience with beer culture there. If the original premise is inaccurate, I'd be really interested to hear about it.
(Based on the little that I've read of the book so far, Randy Mosher--the author--is probably a Stone fan.)
Wild Brews and Radical Brewing are both really good if you want to go down the more advanced routes of using wild yeasts, bacteria, and exotic fermentables.