Hooch: Simplified Brewing, Winemaking, and Infusing at Home

by Scott Meyer

For anyone who has considered brewing a batch of beer or mead at home, or making a custom barrel of wine with local fruit, this thorough guide will clear a path to the bottle. It demystifies the process: from planting hops and fruits to pruning, harvesting, fermenting, flavoring, and bottling one-of-a-kind drinks from your own backyard. It serves as a starting point not only for wines and beers, but also hard ciders, meads, and infusions, and even touches on at-home distilling


Perfect for the city-dweller, urban gardener, or anyone with limited space and a desire to make custom concoctions, Hooch offers projects to suit any lifestyle. With recipes for brews made from grapes, hops, and herbs, DIY boozers will find everything they need to begin a brewing journey.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Food

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 2013

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit I more skimmed this than read it as I bought it as a present and wanted to see if it was a good one - I believe so! If you know someone who is into brewing and gardening, this is a great start from the looks of it. In addition, there are unique suggestions such as honeysuckle wine or using jalapeños in your mead. The formatting is nice and it's easy to read - nothing too technical - and looks like a great addition to any brewer's library.

[Corinne Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect that this book would not only tell you how to make homemade alcohol, but also how to grow barley and hops, how to keep bees for making mead, growing fruit for wine... If you want to do it ALL yourself check this one out.

[Michael S. Lavery · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author covers all the bases. I liked the informal style and the history of brewing and mead chapter. Will read again when I gain more real world brewing experience.

[Amelia Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. (Originally posted on my blog.)

I have never considered brewing any type of alcohol but the concept is interesting and I like to read up on interesting things. As the description says this book is a great starting point for any one interested in home brewing. Chapter one covers the basics of fermentation including the supplies you'll need, the science behind the process and a step by step guide. Chapters 2 through 5 cover the different types of alcohol you can home brew: wines, beers, hard ciders, and honey based wines. Each chapter gives background information on the type of brew and what goes into making these drinks.

For example Chapter five covers honey based drinks.

You probably don't want to think about it quite that way, but bee vomit is one of Nature's most extraordinary substances. Honey, a much more appealing name than "bee puke," is more than just spoil proof food for queen bees and their children. It is a natural preservative for human food, and an antibacterial dressing for wounds, and an anti-inflammatory when consumed.

First off, I don't want to think about honey being "bee puke" but other than that did you know that it can be used as an antibacterial dressing for wounds? I didn't, and this wasn't the only interesting thing I learned in this book.

Chapter 6 covers distilling and makes a point to clearly state that it is illegal to distill in the US and in most countries without a proper license. Then they go on to talk about the processes of distilling and the different things you make. One of these things is Absinthe, besides what I've seen in movies I know very little about it, so this section was intriguing.

Besides the brewing and distilling information this book shines a spotlight on different wineries and distilleries that are known for the related brew.

Going into this book I had no interest in home brewing. The book does provide recipes for infusions and I think I might be making Limoncello sometime soon.

[Janie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meyer, Scott. Hooch: Simplified Brewing, Winemaking, and Infusing at Home. Running Pr. 2013. 208p. ISBN 9780762446032. pap. $22; ebk. ISBN 9780762448296. BEVERAGES
Meyer, former editor in chief of Organic Gardening magazine and author of several books focusing on small-space gardening, once again addresses the “land-challenged” hobbyist interested in creating homemade beer, wine, and infused liquors. Hard-core enthusiasts will enjoy information on sanitation, fermentation, growing crops, and setting up a still, while novices will appreciate hints on buying fruits and juices. Meyer also tackles infused spirits, currently all the rage. Though infused alcohols and sangrias are usually made with artificial flavors, this title offers plenty of useful content to those eager to work with fresh ingredients—from melons and berries to peppers and herbs, the variety is endless. There’s even a homemade recipe for Limoncello.
Verdict A strong starting point for those attempting to brew beer or make wine. Bottoms up!—Jane Hebert, Glenside P.L. Dist., Glendale Heights, IL

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a review copy of this book on NetGalley.

A good introductory primer to beer and winemaking. It should be noted that this book is very much pitched to the home gardener who wants to get into wine and beer making, as opposed to city dwellers who might be better served by the kits, or at least a different book.

I particularly enjoyed the sections on unusual fruit and vegetable (yes, carrot wine!) wine, and admit to only skimming the sanitation and beer sections. The wine section includes coverage of some of the 'home wine' classics like dandelion wine, as well as some more unusual options like tomatoes, which I found interesting.

All in all, nice book that I'd like to return to sometime when I have a garden I'm looking to get more out of.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice overview. Meyer gives a person a lot of food for thought here, and especially emphasizes sanitation technique. The recipes are rudimentary, but that's what one would expect in a simplified overview, isn't it? The writing is clear and easy to understand while not being overly breezy. Nicely done, and a very good starting point with anyone interested in homebrewing.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meyer goes into a good amount of detail about the whys and whats of brewing so you can overlook the somewhat basic recipes.

[Sara Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

lots of information. probably not the best book for a brand new beginner, but easy to follow and learn from.