The Secrets of Master Brewers: Techniques, Traditions, and Homebrew Recipes for 26 of the World’s Classic Beer Styles, from Czech Pilsner to English Old Ale

by Jeff Alworth, Stan Hieronymus (Foreword)

Best-selling author Jeff Alworth takes serious beer aficionados on a behind-the-scenes tour of 26 major European and North American breweries that create some of the world’s most classic beers. Learn how the Irish make stout, the secrets of traditional Czech pilsner, and what makes English cask ale unique by delving deep into the specific techniques, equipment, and geographical factors that shape these distinctive styles. Contemporary brewers carrying on their traditions share insider knowledge and 26 original recipes to guide experienced homebrewers in developing your own special versions of each style. 

Genres: Beer, Brewing, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

Published March 21, 2017

Reviews

[Brian's Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Story and Reference

As someone who still really needs to take the dive into home brewing – I knew I had to read this book. I don’t know what’s holding me back (other than the fact that I work a full-time job and write both a book and a beer blog in my downtime. Along with being married and wanting to start a family). But, homebrewers always find time to make their beer and I really want to get into it. I think if my dad was closer we would have already done numerous batches together and figured it out, but I digress.

Knowing that I wanted to get into homebrewing lead me to this book from Tantor Audio. I was super excited that they’ve been producing/releasing a ton of beer-related content lately and I had to jump on The Secrets of the Master Brewers. I kind of wish that I had this sucker in paperback or hardcover since I think it would be both a good reference and one of those “proud to own” types of books.

I’d never heard of Alworth before this, but I will be checking out his other work along with any other blogging or online stuff that he’s done. He has a great ‘voice’ and makes telling a non-fiction book easy to read. Pair that with the narration done by Stephen Bowlby and you have a great book that was easy to listen to.

I will most likely pick up the kindle version of The Secrets of Master Brewers (when publishing it was priced at 2.99 on Amazon) since there were some points I would like to reference back to, but if you own that I believe that the audiobook would only be 7ish dollars — well worth it in my opinion. You can listen to this while you’re out there having a brew day in your basement or garage.

[Ramon van Dam · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about homebrewing, in which the author goes into the history of a nice set of styles with recipes for each that seem very solid. Doesn't really add a lot to the vast list of books about the topic, but I enjoyed it and got some inspiration from several recipes.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alworth goes into his usual detail on beer styles, shattering myths along the way, and then shows you how to brew the kind of beer you were just reading about. History and beer recipes, the perfect combination.

[Todd Voelker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best brewing book I've read for taking the next step from amateur home brewing to a more serious pursuit. By diving deep into various tradition styles, you learn a ton about specific techniques.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a somewhat mistitled book. The focus is not really on looking into the secrets of top brewers, but it does contain some of that. It is more about following along with writer and beer expert Jeff Alworth as he travels around Europe and the British Isles, visiting breweries and interviewing brewers at dozen or so different breweries. He shares his knowledge of different beer styles and brewing history as he goes along. Joined together with this is some valuable information for home brewers, as he presents ways to adapt well-known commercial styles (e.g. Belgian ales and French saisons) for the home brewer. He even gets a number of top brewers to share versions of their recipes designed for home brewing; each chapter ends with a recipe for a 5 gallon batch. Any home brewer and/or beer enthusiast (I am both) would enjoy reading this. I am also a fan of Alworth's podcast (Beervana, featuring this author and his buddy Patrick Emerson, an economist and beer aficionado), and that is what made me aware of this book.

[Natasha du Plessis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not for the novice home brewer this is something that Jeff mentions at the start of the book and also something that is true. I loved how he divided the book into the different beer brewing countries and their styles. He gave first hand knowledge of each style by talking with the brew masters themselves. I loved the writing style as well as the description of the beer styles as you can nearly taste the beer as he describes it.
Very well written and a book that I will certainly revisit again and again as I get more confidence in brewing my own beer.

Thank you to Storey Publishing and Netgalley for the copy.

[Faye Glidden · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the experienced brewer, this well-rounded book clearly divulges the tips & tricks (e.g. recipes & notes) for making a range of beers as well as reviewing beer-types and trends by region.

[Mary Reagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good insight into beer styles. I did the audio book and some of the sections weren't as audio friendly as others. But overall a great listen.

[Michael Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great source of brewing info with a nice collection of recipes. You travel the world gaining an understanding of the different styles and methods of brewing.

[Eric Hinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, lots of great info. Cheers to Jeff for sharing the secrets.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a nice book as a step up from basic homebrewing texts. Definitely not for the total beginner but well worth picking up after one has a handful of batches under their belt and is looking more into grain brewing or creating their own recipes.