I got my review copy of Stan's new book in the mail today. Stan is so clever he already has the book's own website up. I have a disclaimer. I like Stan. Sometimes we send giggly emails to each other. Disclosure over.
Stan researched the book on his family's global trip that passed through my house in 2008. The book is primarily organized around chapters on wheat beers from American, Germany and Belgium along with historic wheat beers now lost like Gose and Berliner Weisse. In addition there is information on how and whys of the grain itself as well as, this being from the good folks at Brewer's Publications, information about how to brew these styles. In each chapter there are descriptions of examples illustrating styles or their respective deviants along with history as well as conversations with those brewers he met on his wheat beer world tour.
We have to face facts when we approach a book like this. Stan is both thorough and a very skillful writer. He makes a good argument, telling you what he is talking about and then talking about it. You get engaged. So, knowing that, I am going to go off and read a bit more and then see if I have anything of value to add other than to tell you to just go buy the book.
Later: OK, just go buy it. I bet Stan could write an informative, accurate and entertaining book solely on yeast strains.






Comments
Chris - March 16, 2010 8:13 AM
I listened to Stan on the Brewing Network a few weeks ago. Very good interview. He and his family drove a lot of miles all for good beer. He knows his wheat beer too.
Stan Hieronymus - March 16, 2010 8:51 AM
Thanks, Alan. You left me feeling giggly.
BTW, Brewers Publications has a yeast beer in the works, "Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation" by Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff. Available in September. Here's the Table of Contents:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=369095163083
Alan - March 16, 2010 9:07 AM
Yeast! That will be fabulous unless it gets too tabular. It's the life experience of the yeasts that I am keen to learn more about.
Your book is quite the thing, Stan. You have balanced the balance between hints to brewers and an exposition of the basics very nicely. You have interspersed key things with other key things with great aplomb.