Whether you’re looking to brew your first batch of beer or you’re an advanced brewer looking to increase your skill set, there are several homebrewing books that can help you achieve your goals.
One quick glance in any book marketplace, however, will leave you feeling like a deer gazing in headlights. With so many homebrewing books to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? Those new to brewing might feel overwhelmed, while more advanced brewers often get tired of buying book after book with no new tips or techniques.
Being in that position many times before, I can feel your pain.
After diving through a variety of homebrewing books myself, I can tell you there is something for everyone. From the one-size-fits-all approach down to the intricate details of a specific process, there are plenty of great homebrewing books available for you to dive into and learn from.
If you’re reading this now, you’re probably not one to waste time. You want to know what the best homebrewing books are, and I’m here to help you decide!
My Top 10 Best Homebrewing Books
Making good beer is pretty easy to do, but making GREAT beer takes a bit more work. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or have been homebrewing for years. Gaining knowledge and learning to apply it is critical in helping you make the best beer possible, batch after batch.
That said, below are 10 of the best homebrewing books that I feel cover everything and just about every situation. I’ve broken them down a bit to make things less overwhelming and to the point. Simply read along and find out what book might be best for you and your current goals/aspirations.
#1 – How to Brew
The most recommended book for beginners, How to Brew will help you learn the basics of brewing from the jump. Authored by John Palmer, who is one of the early pioneers of homebrewing, How to Brew takes you through everything you need to know in order to get you from your first batch to the first glass of your own homebrew!
In the latest expanded edition, you’ll learn how to start brewing step-by-step with extract, then slowly evolve to kits and eventually, all-grain. You will also discover what equipment is needed, learn about off-flavors, and troubleshoot any problems in your process, as well as how to start creating recipes of your own.
Many of us got our start by either picking up or being gifted a copy of this book. It’s great to have on hand for reference as well, especially if you find yourself stuck at any point in the brewing process.
To see if it’s right for you, you can catch a glimpse of what to expect by previewing a bit of this book at John’s website, HowToBrew.com.
#2 – The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
Many are familiar with Charlie Papazian, who is often known as the “Godfather of Homebrewing”. The Complete Joy of Homebrewing is his personal collection of his many years of homebrewing knowledge put together in a jam-packed, easy-to-read manifesto of sorts.
In this detailed homebrewing book, Charlie gives beginners a crash course in everything homebrewing. You’ll learn how to make a variety of styles and what it takes to make them their best. Similar to How to Brew, Charlie lays out all of the basics of building your home brewery, recipe design, and plenty of tips and tricks to help you make the best beer possible. He even includes several of his favorite recipes that you can try your hand at.
Overall, this is one homebrewing book that makes a great reference to have around when you’re stuck and need some advice or a quick solution to a problem you might be facing.
#3 – Mastering Homebrew
An easy read, Mastering Homebrew covers everything you need to know about brewing in an easy-to-read format with plenty of graphics, charts, and photos. You’ll learn the basics of extract brewing, partial mash, and all-grain, as well as the equipment needed to get the job done. It dives deep into various processes, yeast profiles, water treatments, and hopping rates, as well as recipe design and packaging beer in bottles or kegs.
Overall, author Randy Mosher does a great job of making the content approachable and easy to digest. The pictures, charts, and several diagrams help break things down, which is excellent for those who need visuals to let the information sink in.
#4 – BYO’s Big Book of Brewing
After learning all you need to know about what it takes to brew beer and have a few beer kit brews under your belt, you’re probably ready to start putting together an actual recipe. While you could technically start piecing things together, I’ve always preferred to start with something proven. That way, I’m able to identify any flaws in my process if things don’t turn out how I’d expect them to.
BYO’s Big Book of Brewing comes equipped with over 50 different recipes, some of which are clone recipes of excellent commercial beers that are already available. It’s a great reference point for the beginning stages of creating your own unique recipes. It’s also fun to have around when you want to brew something you know will turn out well without all of the guesswork or time needed to create a recipe of your own.
You will find some basic knowledge sprinkled in at the beginning of this book, but for those who are already brewing frequently and have their bearings, it’s mostly there for reference and as a refresher. The real meat of this book is in the detailed recipes that follow.
#5 – Brewing Classic Styles
For brewers looking to truly dabble in recipe design and want a solid, proven base beer to start with, this is your ticket!
Brewing Classic Styles was put together by homebrewing legends Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer. It’s one of the older homebrewing books out there, but it has withstood the test of time. The book covers every beer style out there, complete with recipes that Jamil created himself AND won awards with. All recipes come equipped with both extract and all-grain variations, making them perfect for homebrewers of any level.
What I love most about this book is how it helps you learn more about styles you might have yet to brew. For example, if you’ve never brewed an altbier and can’t seem to settle on a recipe, this book has you covered. Simply navigate to that section, grab the recipe, and roll with it. It’s as simple as that!
Also, recipes in this book can help you develop a good base beer to experiment with other ingredients. You have the confidence in knowing the recipes are already proven, so you can begin injecting your own personal touch into several of them to come out with a beer you can truly call your own!
#6 – Designing Great Beers
When you’re ready to go full-bore ahead into recipe design, this is the perfect tool to have by your side. Much like Brewing Classic Styles, this is another one of the older homebrewing books out there, but it’s still relevant and invaluable.
In Designing Great Beers, author Ray Daniels breaks down several styles of beer, providing you with style guidelines and what makes up a specific style. As every style section is introduced, you’ll learn about the history of each style and how it came to be. Learning this gives you a bit more background on how certain styles transformed into what they are today.
Digging deeper and into the actual beer styles, you’ll find the various ranges each style requires, such as IBU’s, starting/finishing gravity, bitterness-to-gravity ratios, specialty malts, and so much more. Ray also uses data from the National Homebrewing Competition to show what ranges of style previously winning beers have fallen into, which makes the read even more intriguing.
Honestly, this is one book that I find myself frequently referring to anytime I’m trying to brew a style I have minimal experience with, such as older English ales and German lagers. The charts, graphs, and other data diagrams are excellent when you need to quickly scan the book for an answer.
#7 – Experimental Homebrewing
Authored by homebrewing pros Drew Beechum and Denny Conn, Experimental Homebrewing is a fun and exciting book that really brings what homebrewing is all about: creativity and pushing the limits.
In this book, you’ll learn some new and interesting techniques you can utilize to take your beer to places you never thought possible. From wacky adjuncts to new ways of thinking, it’s not hard to find a gem or two throughout. I read this book when I first started all-grain brewing and wanted to see what sort of things were possible, which evolved into following Drew and Denny on their Experimental Brew podcast (totally recommend tuning in when you can).
One thing to note: This book is geared towards brewers with experience who brew all-grain batches, so new or extract brewers might not find too much value here until they gain more experience.
#8 – Water
We all know water is the biggest element of beer, but so many homebrewers neglect its importance. It can literally make or break your beer. The only caveat to this is the extract brewer, as certain nutrients and salts are already baked into malt extract. It’s still important to know about, but not nearly as critical as it is for the all-grain brewer.
If you’re just starting to dabble in the world of water chemistry, it can get overwhelming fast! There is a lot of chemistry behind it, but you can typically set up a great water profile with minimal effort. To learn why you need to do this though, the homebrewing book Water can help bridge the gap.
Not surprisingly, Water is spearheaded by John Palmer. John digs into the chemistry behind water, helping you understand the elements behind it. It can get pretty deep and dry at times, but the value is still there. You’ll learn more about water and its importance in brewing than you ever thought you would!
Trust me when I say that water IS the difference between good and GREAT beer. Adjusting my water was what took me from standard, drinkable IPAs to award-winning ones. Even just getting down to the basics is worth the effort, and this book can help you do exactly that.
#9 – Yeast
Without yeast, beer is simply nothing more than sugar water. Yeast is the critical piece that takes wort and transforms it into what we know as beer. You might’ve heard the saying, “Brewers make wort, but yeast makes beer” and it’s 100% true.
Yeast is a great read and is pieced together by Jamil Zainasheff and Chris White (of White Labs Yeast). In this deep dive, you’ll learn everything you ever needed to know about yeast. From various strains to what styles they are best in, off-flavors, fermentation temperature control to drive yeast character, and so much more, Yeast presents you with plenty of knowledge that you’ll find helpful in your overall process.
Similar to Water, things can get pretty technical in this book, but it’s worth it to have on hand. The things you’ll learn will help you come up with new ideas and methods to take your homebrewing to another level.
#10 – The New IPA
Are you a hophead who has been working overtime trying to perfect an IPA or NEIPA recipe, but something still seems like it’s missing? If so, this book is right up your alley!
Author Scott Janish, co-owner of Sapwood Cellars and a long-time blogger of his own blog, ScottJanish.com, brings a piece of homebrewing literature to the landscape of homebrewing books that has always been lacking.
The New IPA is loaded with years of scientific research that outlines several hopping techniques and processes that can take your IPAs to heights you’ve never thought possible! It’s packed with plenty of chemistry and science, as well as links to several hundred studies that back up his research.
For example, you’ll learn about the best hop combos, as well as what hops work better on the hot side vs. the cold side. He also dives into the various oil components of hops and how those can translate into stronger flavors and aromas in your beers.
I strongly recommend only advanced brewers give this book a shot, as it might be a bit much for a new brewer to absorb. And if you’re a homebrewer who specializes in brewing IPAs, don’t even think twice – pick this book up. You won’t regret it!
Enjoy Your Homebrewing Knowledge Journey
After looking through my top 10 list of the best homebrewing books out there, I hope you’re able to find something that will help take you to the next step in your brewing goals. Each book above definitely has some incredible nuggets of info that will serve you well both now and in the future!
Oh, and for those of you reading this who might not be homebrewers, well, take it straight from me: These homebrewing books do make excellent gifts! I can’t say being gifted a homebrewing book ever put a frown on my face before.