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

Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2017 Jeff Alworth (P)2017 Tantor

Great for Novice to Advanced Brewers

This book does not contain recipes on how to clone 26 popular beers. Rather, it illustrates the history, culture, and other regional factors that led to the development of specific styles.
Part anthropology, part chemistry, part history, and part microbiology, each chapter walks the reader through the characteristics of a style of beer and the range of variety within it.
There are recipes at the end of each chapter with explanations on how to adjust ingredients and process to brew to your preferences while staying within that style.
I finished the book wanting to travel to each place mentioned, try the genuine article, and come home to make some of my own.

great book inspiration from history

historical and modern techniques that help you brew an original beer. great reader and pace

Stop with the accents

Great book but the phony accents of the reader drive me crazy. Trying to sound german but not able to pronunce Kölch properly. O and Ö is not the same letter no matter what Mick Mars says.

Great book about brewing styles!

This is a wonderfully written book about different beer brewing styles! I highly recommend this book if you are interested in beer or brewing! My only problem is the narrator felt the overwhelming need to give the same accent to all the Brewers he quoted in the story I found it to be irritating and distracting. Otherwise narrator did an outstanding job.

Very informative and engaging

Really interesting and informative, learned a lot about the intricacies of brewing that I was not aware of. I’m a beer fan and looking to get into homebrewing so this definitely helped encourage and inspire me to start. The narration was good but I had to chuckle sometimes at some of the accents. Overall very good!

Great book

This is a great book. I will buy a hard copy of the book just so I can review and have the recipes. I wish they gave you a pdf of things like recipes with audiobooks. Maybe I could play the audiobook to my computer at night and have the whole book in a word doc in the morning??

Getting into the right headspace

All brewers have certain strengths. This book allowed me to get into the heads of the brewers that make their styles the best. It also gave me the opportunity to learn the tiny-yet-important details which make these beers great.

An incredible book......BUT......

A fantastic insight into the world of beer and brewing, a must for those that brew and those that appreciate beer.......now the bad part......WHO had the moronic idea for the narrator to speak quotes and anecdotes in the accent of the originator? It was a really bad call as the flow of excellent information is peppered with Dick Van Dyke, Pepe Le Pew, an obvious American attempt at Irish, an obvious American attempt at Scottish, and so on.......it is embarrassingly grinding to say the least and spoils what is an excellent and informative resource to those interested in the world of beer. Maybe it won't bother you, but it drove me insane.

Great brewing hx and useful techniques!

Incorporates fascinating brewing history of staple worldly styles with useful pro tips for the homebrewer!!

Must read book for beer drinkers and beer brewers

This book is so important to read if you enjoy drinking beer. It is also a great reference of you ever plan to brew. excellently narrated also. I kept thinking the narrator had all the experience of the author. Booking ticket to Belgium now!