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P**K
Fun read!
This is a great book with a ton of historical and practical knowledge of brewing. If you're a brewing geek or would like to become one, check out this book!
C**.
A very comprehensive book about beer and how the ingredients ...
A very comprehensive book about beer and how the ingredients have developed through history to become the beer we know today.
D**T
Great service
Immediate response/immediate resolution/ replacement in transt
S**G
Irrestible
Irrestible book...for my dog. I wish I could give it a full review but my 9 month old terrier literally chewed this book up before I could read more than two chapters. 4 stars for the first two chapters.
A**B
Great book about beer!
Have you ever had a conversation with someone (at a party etc) who is passionately fond of and knowledgeable about a subject? Those people I've met who are really really REALLY into something, a hobby, a passionate study of a particular subject, even the most obscure things, generally enjoy talking about them.One of two things happen, after 20 minutes or so, you're willing to fake a heart attack to get away from them or you're suddenly catching the fever and find yourself signing up for a beginner beekeeping/water gardening/butterfly collecting/14th century Danish textile history class and thinking, 'Ok, this sounds really cool'!This is the latter. As a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, I have brewed beer (and mead and wine etc). I'm a beekeeper, I'm a fanatical gardener, but apart from my relatively hit-or-miss forays into beer brewing, I hadn't really thought about the magical process itself or why the things which happen, happen. Even as a hobby historian, I hadn't really thought about the complex and fascinating history of beer and brewing. I (like most) had heard the oft-told apocryphal Egyptian 'accidental brewing' story (i.e., grain got wet, dried out, got wet again and someone hungry said 'I'm gonna eat/drink it anyhow, can't afford to let it go to waste' and got drunk, then sat and thought, 'That was great, I'm gonna do that on purpose from now on'!).Pete Brown logically dissects and debunks that story and many others about how and when humans settled down into more or less stable groups (malting for brewing could be one reason we did settle into more agrarian settlements). His writing style is wonderfully accessible and humorous (but not in the slightest precious or overly cute). He writes WELL about a subject on which he displays a stunning depth of knowledge. Additionally he backs it up with extensive research and references and does it in a way which isn't dry or boring at all. His descriptive powers concerning such relatively mundane acts as swallowing the first mouthful of beer on a hot day are amazing.I really enjoyed this book very much.The book is set up in sections, Barley, Water, Hops, and Yeast comprise the majority of the book. The last section is more narrative and discusses the cultural implications of beer, specifically the Reinheitsgebot, a 500(ish) year old law passed (some say it was the first and oldest food standards legislation in human history) in Bavaria to insure that beer was only made from its 3 principal ingredients (hops, barley, water - and later when we figured out what yeast is, included that as well).This section of the book is really very funny and discusses amongst other things, the way beer fanatics discuss beer between themselves, beer tourism and beer-bonding.The best takeaway line in the book: Keep calm and have another beer.I think I will, thanks! :)Four stars
S**L
Supremely entertaining and informative
Miracle Brew is a fantastic, fascinating look at the four seemingly-simple ingredients that go into every beer: barley, yeast, water and hops. Rather than a how-to for brewing or a guidebook for best beers, this book tells you the backstory - WHY humans have made and drank beer for thousands of years, and WHY we love it.Though Brown could've gone full nerd and gotten too into the weeds to make this book accessible to anyone but the snobbiest or scientist-iest of beer lovers, he thankfully doesn't - his humorous style and interesting anecdotes (traveling to a secret farm to harvest the "Mother Field" of a prized type of barley; sneaking tastes of the most famous IPA brewing water in history) combine with the more complex topics (the scientific process behind malting; the various theories on the historical origins and discovery of brewing) to make for a thoroughly compulsive read. Beer enthusiasts will love this book; beer skeptics just might change their minds after reading it.The only thing I would've added is photographs - I would've loved to see Warminster's malting floors, Schlenkerla pub, Budvar's "baby water" wells, and the utterly nutty-sounding Chmelfest in Zatec.Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, provided by the author and/or the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
B**S
A fascinating, informative and enjoyable look at the four main components of beer
I have now got myself up to date and have read all of Pete Brown's books. This one; "Miracle Brew: Hops, Barley, Water, Yeast" is excellent. Pete Brown writes in an engaging style - so even though there is a lot of information to absorb the book remains enjoyable as well as fascinating throughout.I find beer an absorbing subject: the history, the social history, styles, breweries and so on and this book is a detailed look at four of the components. So while I like to think I know a bit about beer, I learnt a lot from reading this book, as I usually do when reading Pete Brown's books.I have the Kindle version, which is less than ideal as you have to read through to the end of each chapter in order to read the annotations - but that is a minor gripe.I have bought a hardback copy as a gift to a friend who is interested in beer and brewing - it really is that good.
O**S
A new appreciation for the magic of making good beer
A very informative book in a very entertaining way. This book was perhaps more difficult because it focuses on the brewing and the subject can be very scientific. But Pete Brown keeps it light, informative and humorous throughout - while teaching you quite a lot about the intricacies, the various types of hops, temperature, the effects of local climate and so on. A great read!
R**N
Miracle Brew, Magical Book!
In a world full of 'Craft Beer', 'Real Ale', 'Keg, mass-produced 'multi-nationals' lager (which Pete might be tempted to call ****!)' and CAMRA's revitalisation mid-life crisis, how on earth does Ms/Mr Average know which to choose? Understanding the four brewing ingredients is fundamental to making that choice. Pete Brown's 'Miracle Brew' filters the facts from the myths in Pete's delightfully anecdotal style, which holds the readers interest throughout this educational journey. I have brewed from these same four basic ingredients since 1976 in my 'Kitchen Brewery'. Miracle Brew has upgraded my knowledge and taught me many new and interesting facts, which I have found useful to note down throughout. Pete's book does not dictate; it enables choice!
S**N
Easy reading and informative
A good read for anyone who enjoys brewing or drinking beer. A better understanding of the history and background makes you appreciate beer even more.
J**T
Fantastic book, even if you don’t like beer!
This book is awesome. Even if you’re not interested in beer it’d still be a good read. Fascinating stories, wittily told, with great research making this a truly excellent work of non-fiction. And as a home brewer, I’ve learnt so much and it’s given me lots of new ideas.
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