Ironside - Idiots Guides: Homebrewing

No one likes a know-it-all. Most of us realize theres no such thinghow could there be? The world is far too complicated for someone to understand everything there is to know. So when you come across a know-it-all, you smile to yourself as they ramble on because you know better.

You understand that the quest for knowledge is a never-ending one, and youre okay with that. You have no desire to know everything, just the next thing. You know what you dont know, youre confident enough to admit it, and youre motivated to do something about it.

At Idiots Guides, we, too, know what we dont know, and we make it our business to find out. We find really smart people who are experts in their fields and then we roll up our sleeves and get to work, asking lots of questions and thinking long and hard about how best to pass along their knowledge to you in the easiest, most-accessible way possible.

After all, thats our promiseto make whatever you want to learn As Easy as It Gets. That means giving you a well-organized design that seamlessly and effortlessly guides you from page to page, topic to topic. It means controlling the pace youre asked to absorb new informationnot too much at once but just what you need to know right now. It means giving you a clear progression from easy to more difficult. It means giving you more instructional steps wherever necessary to really explain the details. And it means giving you fewer words and more illustrations wherever its better to show rather than tell.

So here you are, at the start of something new. The next chapter in your quest. It can be an intimidating place to be, but youve been here before and so have we. Clear your mind and turn the page. By the end of this book, you wont be a know-it-all, but your world will be a little less complicated than it was before. And well be sure your journey is as easy as it gets.

Mike Sanders
Publisher, Idiots Guides

Publisher: Mike Sanders

Associate Publisher: Billy Fields

Senior Acquisitions Editor: Brook Farling

Development Editor: Ann Barton

Cover Designer: Laura Merriman

Book Designer: William Thomas

Production Editor: Jana M. Stefanciosa

Compositor: Brian Massey

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Indexer: Brad Herriman

PRODUCTION, LONDON

Digital Producer: Alex Valizadeh

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First American Edition, 2015
Published in the United States by DK Publishing
6081 E. 82nd Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46250

Copyright 2015 Dorling Kindersley Limited
A Penguin Random House Company
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Published in the United States by Dorling Kindersley Limited.

IDIOTS GUIDES and Design are trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC

eISBN: 9781615648306
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2015933123

Note: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services in the book. If the reader requires personal assistance or advice, a competent professional should be consulted. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

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Introduction

A great homebrewer once told me, Its easy to make good beer, but hard to make exceptional beer, and in my experience, Ive found that to be true. Starting out, homebrewing is easy to do, and if you follow some basic rules, youll be able to produce nice, good-tasting beer at home. To do so, you need not look further than the first few chapters of this book to get off and running. However, there will be a time when you will demand more of your brewing process, and strive for the next level of quality, flavor, and character. Thats what the rest of the book is for, to help turn your homebrew from good to world-class through intermediate and advanced techniques as well as diagnose and prevent the undesirable qualities that may occur along the way.

Youll find that this book covers the essential topics of homebrewing, starting with basic techniques for brewing with malt extract, and building chapter by chapter to advanced brewing techniques like all-grain brewing and lager fermentation. Homebrewing is an expansive topic with simply too much brewing knowledge, experience, and practice to fit into one 400-page book. Thus, Idiots Guides: Homebrewing presents the hobby in a modern light, addressing the brewing ingredients, practices, and skills used in todays homebrewing; providing clarity between brewing process at the homebrew and commercial scale; and dispelling many of the myths that continue to exist from the early days of homebrewing.

Lastly, some kind advice. Reading this book will just help you get started. The only true way to learn the science (and art) of homebrewing is by actually brewing and brewing often. Thus, youll find this book to be more impactful if you reread it as you gain experience throughout your homebrewing career. When all is said and done, I hope you can share my passion for homebrewing, learn a thing or two, and most important, get started on the pathway toward brewing great beer at home for you to share with friends, family, and perhaps a homebrew club. Cheers!