Recommended reading

One of the best ways to improve your beers is to read some of the excellent books written for homebrewers. Here are our picks for basic reading.

The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, by Charlie Papazian. ($10.95) This is the first and is still the best introduction to homebrewing. Contains a general introduction to brewing at home as well as many useful resources. Light-hearted and amusingly presented with tons of recipes for the beginning to intermediate brewer. This book is so popular that many retailers include it with their starter kit.

The Complete Handbook of Homebrewing, by Dave Miller. ($11.95) This book provides a detailed introduction practical brewing techniques, including mashing, for the homebrewer. Also has many many good recipes.

New Brewing Lager Beer, by Greg Noonan. ($14.95) Whether you are ready to think about all-grain brewing or you just want a more detailed knowledge of the brewing process, Noonanâs classic work gives the serious homebrewer what he needs. Clear yet detailed presentation of brewing theory with a special emphasis on lager recipes.

Designing Great Beers:The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles, by Ray Daniels. 390 pp. ($19.95) Written by the All About Beer Online's Brewing Editor, this text presents both the general theory of beer recipe formulation as well as a wealth of information specific to the brewing of individual beer styles. Fourteen different style-specific chapters cover German and British beers styles from Bock to Barley Wine and Old Ale to Octoberfest.