Extreme Brewing: An Enthusiast's Guide to Brewing Craft Beer at Home

by Sam Calagione

Extreme Brewing is a must-have book for aspiring home brewers who are interested in making their own specialty beers at home. There is no in-depth science to absorb and all the recipes are easy to follow and malt-syrup based, with variations for partial-grain brewing. Extreme Brewing is rooted in the brewing tradition of Belgium with a unique emphasis on hybrid styles that incorporate fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices to create unique flavor combinations.
Not only will you learn to make delicious beer, you will also receive guidance on presentation, including corking, bottle selection and labeling. You'll be taught the basics of brewing ingredients and processes—so you'll be equipped to start with the basic knowledge you'll need. There is an overview of the many general beer styles from ales to stouts and porters.
This book contains tips on how to use all your senses to become a confident beer taster. Not only will you personally benefit from the brewing techniques presented, your friends will benefit from tasting your delicious homebrews. Detailed information on food pairings for beer and cheese and even chocolate and fun ideas for themed dinners will allow readers to share their creations with family and friends.

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

184 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2006

Reviews

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I have done some brewing kits, but we bought this book and the next batch of home brew we make is going to come from one of these recipes. The book really clarifies the steps of brewing and has clear ingredient lists. To be honest, all I needed to see for the four-star rating was Blood Orange Hefeweizen.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was some good information in this book to complement my Charlie Papazian books on brewing and I really hope I can try some of the recipes since I love Dogfish Head beers so much and Sam Calagione is the Brewer God of Dogfish Head.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for the novice/not-yet-hardcore home brewer. Home brewing has rapidly grown in popularity since this came out, and there is a lot more information out there these days, but this is still a worthwhile book. For me it was both an enjoyable read, and a source of recipes to try. These are all malt extract recipes (as opposed to all grain), and they include a number of popular Dogfish Head releases, as well as a few from other well-known craft breweries. (The author is the founder of the Dogfish Head brewery, in case you are not someone like me, i.e. the kind of individual who knows the names of leading craft brewers and treats them like rock stars). The book goes over the basics of home brewing, and adds a fair amount of beer appreciation stuff also, with sections on beer styles, additives like fruits and spices, and food pairings. The recipes are clearly written, and I tried out a few of them, tweaked a couple of them, and got good results.

[Ramon van Dam · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book for people who are new to the world of homebrewing, although more experienced brewers can also be inspired by the various recipes, food pairings and food recipes. I wouldn't recommend it as the very first starting point for complete beginners - the info is a bit lacking and outdated in some areas - but it's a great companion.

If you know Sam from his tv show you'll hear his voice constantly while you're reading it, by the way :)

[John Hubbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find this the most useful. But a beautiful book.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a shame that I bought this off of the bargain rack at Barnes & Noble. After Joy of Home Brewing this should be a staple for those wanting to go beyond clone beers. The author (who also owns Dogfish Head brewery) takes only the first 1/3 of the book to explain the brewing process. The rest is devoted to helping you innovate and experiment in the new class of American craft brewing. Explanations are clear and concise with little filler text. Most importantly are the large, clear color photos of the ingredients and equipment. Even a beginner could successfully use this book to leap into home brewing.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author’s Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware is known for its brash and unique brews, such as Midas Touch (an ancient recipe from the 8th Century BC brewed with Muscat grapes, honey, and saffron) and Raison D’Être (Belgian-style brown ale brewed with beet sugar and raisins). Extreme Brewing includes home-brewing recipes for classic ales and lagers, but focuses on hybrid styles that also use fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. Plenty of information is provided about equipment, ingredients, and techniques, as well as a section on food and beer pairings.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A focus on partial extract brewing, but its still an excellent little book. Covers a wide range of beers, and recipies for them rather quickly, but they are fairly straight foward. He also covers additions, to make the beer different, and a quick coverage of how to do a high ABV brew. Interesting stuff. He likes carboys rather than plastic. Well, really, who doesn't.

Now can he pay for equipment?

[Ryan Sestric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, with other brewing books, I did not read the entire thing, as there is a lot of redundant (albeit important) information that you get from homebrewing books. This book has some really amazing recipes, but a lot of them are higher in alcohol content than I prefer. But, it IS extreme brewing, so I should just except that. I really enjoyed the use of atypical ingredients and their applications in brewing. Very good info, and it's from a pretty trusted source! Yay Dogfish Head Brewing!

[Jon Lefor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book geared towards new homebrewers, it takes you step by step through brewing your first extract batch and beyond. All of the recipes shared throughout the text are extract partial mash but from the fantastic brain of Sam Calagione they are exciting recipes and at the very least idea builders for future batches.
He covers all manner of topics and it is overall an enjoyable read that was worth it.

[Andrew Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great homebrewing book for the beginner to intermediate brewer. Nice pictures, solid techniques and easy to understand. Very well laid out with some of Dogfish Head's classic recipes. The recipes look very interesting, but I have yet to brew any of them straight from the book. I do wish that it was a bit more oriented towards the all grain brewing crowd.

[Leslye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for the beginner/intermediate crowd. My husband has brewed before and I have not, so this was a good book to get me better versed in the concepts of home brewing before going into my first batch. The book is not super in depth but does give a comprehensive overview of the whole process. Lots of fun recipes to try!

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really hoping for something more technical. something that talked about approaches to developing extreme brews, and how to maintain balance, drinkability, etc. while achieving an "off-centered" result. there were certainly tidbits throughout that lend themselves to that, but overall, it was a pretty typical how to homebrew book.

[Sagely · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremem Brewing has great photography. That needs to be said. This is a brew book worth looking at, even if only for the pictures.

EB also offers some decent recipes in the bigger-is-better vane of homebrewing. There are a couple of techniques that I'll put into use. And the beer-food pairings are a great resource.

Worthwhile, even if not earth-moving.

[Kim Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent source of recipes for those looking to brew beer that is a bit different from other recipes found in most beer making books. Easy read, very informative for the beginner and seasoned home brewer.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of inspiring recipes for beer and food. Sam Caligione took Papazian's home brewing guide and distilled it into a shorter version with less history, more attitude and lots of brown sugar. No, really, lots of the recipes have brown sugar. Simple, straightforward approach.

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to this one. Looks like it'll be good.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've only skimmed it, but it looks like a great book for brew at home. Now, I just need a basement and some brewing equipment. Any thoughts on what my brewery name should be? :-)

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

definitely extreme

[John LeMasney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to home brewing from a commercial craft brewer with great ideas for extreme brewing techniques.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm brewing my 3rd beer from this book. I hope it turns out as good as the first 2.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

We just made an imperial stout... this book is neat but a little too out there for where we are now.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've only made a few things from this book, but the ones that I've made have turned out great. He's also got some good insight into the concept of "Extreme" beers.

[c wylie misselhorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some average general brewing description takes up the front, but there are some great, creative recipes in the second half, including some Dogfish Head classics.

[Jeremy Kozdon · Rating 3 out of 5]

great brewer, but book is not really for beginners. Recipes probably good, but more advanced.

[Jaime]

Good recipes and tips of how to brew correctly!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book for the curious or practicing home brewer. Sam Calagione knows his stuff and communicates in a simple, straightforward manner.

[Joeyham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice introduction to the brewing process. The recipes look interesting also.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT, IT WAS AMAZING. GREAT RECIPES TOO. I WON THIS BOOK ON GR GIVEAWAYS...

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better recipe books I've seen. Theories and ingredients were well explained.