Speed Brewing: Techniques and Recipes for Fast-Fermenting Beers, Ciders, Meads, and More

by Mary Izett

Enjoy a quick brew day and make Gose, Smoked Ale, Pennsylvania Swankey, Strawberry-Peppercorn Short Mead, Tart Blackberry Cider, Boozy Kombucha, Kefir Beer, Absinthola, Mauby, Tepache, and more! Homebrew tastes great, it's inexpensive to make, and it's equally fun to brew old favorites and new recipes. There's only one thing stopping you from brewing your 1st or 101st time. Whether it's your kids, your job, or a million other things, it can be hard to find a free brew day. Then there's the agonizing wait to crack that first cap. But what if you could brew a session IPA in just a few hours? Or if you could brew a sour beer that's ready to drink in weeks instead of months? In Speed Brewing , author Mary Izett shows you how to make it happen. Whether you're a new or experienced brewer, you'll find time-saving techniques and recipes that save hours on brew day. You'll also find beers, ciders, and meads that pack big flavors but ferment quickly. Lesser-known fast fermentables--boozy kombucha, kefir beer, spirited sodas, and more--ensure there are plenty of exciting experiments for even the most creative brewer. Whether you decide to brew the Bia Hoi, Smoked Summer Ale, or Strawberry-Peppercorn Short Mead, weeknights will never be the same.

Genres: Cookbooks, Reference, Nonfiction, Food, Brewing, Beer

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2015

About the author

Mary Izett is a passionate homebrewer specializing in fast and alternatively fermented beverages. She co-hosts Fuhmentaboudit!, a live weekly show on all things fermentable, on Heritage Radio Network and is a BJCP National ranked beer judge. She has been the president of both the New York City Homebrewers Guild and the Malted Barley Appreciation Society and has written for Ale Street News, All About Beer, and Zymurgy.

Reviews

[Kathy (McDowell) Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast, fairly simple hard cider, meads, and beer by the gallon instead of the keg? Sure, why not? I've read the book, purchased everything I need, now to make some hard cider. If everything blows up in my face, I'll have an update (or not). Cheers!

[Steve Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick guide to small batch beers, meads, and other slightly boozy beverages. I have been brewing 10+ gallon batches of beer for a while and got tired of the hassle. This book gives me a way to break out of that. Looking forward to trying lots of the recipes, and modifying, of course.

[Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised to win the drawing and receive a copy for free through Goodreads First Reads. Speed Brewing: Recipes with Short Brew Days and Fast Fermentations for the Busy Brewer is a well produced and beautiful book with photo illustrations throughout; the contest copy was a paperback. The author has a clear and easy to read writing style that compliments the information and the photos illustrate/demonstrate some of the processes being described. The first of the book is devoted to basic brewing instructions allowing even a beginning brewer to follow the recipes in the following chapters. The brewing basics were short enough that the veteran brewer can read or skim through without becoming bored with the material. The “shinning star” of the work however was a collection of recipes, many of which I have got to get under an airlock. I am primarily a beer brewer/self described beer nut and the author includes a few ales in the book I have to try!! There are also some interesting cider recipes as well. The beer section of the book is regrettably short with more fruit, cider, soda, and more exotic ferments receiving more coverage. I recommend the book to the novice brewer as a good introduction, to the curious about the fermented beverages of other cultures, and to the veteran brewer looking for a good read and some recipes to “change things up”. I did give the work a 4 star rating instead of a 5, which it easily would merit from another reader because if I had ordered the book not knowing the limited time devoted to beers and ales I would have been a little disappointed. Overall a great read!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Christmas present and it was excellent reading. I am super excited about Brew-in-a-bag and will be making Gose soon. The strawberry short mead is also in my future. I heard Izett talk at a brewing conference a few years ago and got to taste the short mead, it was amazing and now I have the recipe.