As I delve back into fermentation there are a number of recipes, tips, and tricks that will make an appearance in this forum. With so many excellent books on the topics, I don’t want to repeat all of the beginner information here when people better than myself have done a much better job already. Listed below are a few of my favorite books on the subjects. You can also use your favorite search engine to look up “making beer at home” or “making wine at home” and get a lot of information.
The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
This is the best place to start for anyone who wants to make beer, and many of the techniques and equipment relate directly to making wine and mead as well. I have two copies of it and always look for more at rummage, garage, yard, and book sales so I can pass it off to friends who want to learn about the hobby art of homebrewing. Some may fault it for the layout, or being long-winded in places, but it is very readable and is the best book I have found to start with.
This is a recipe book for making wine that comes from the local wine and beer making supply shop, Scotzin Bros. and was written by one of the founders of the store. Most of the recipes are for wines not made with grapes, generally known as a “country” wine.
By itself it gives only a cursory overview of making wine and quickly follows with recipes, however, with a little bit of knowledge from one of the other books in this assortment, it can be put to good use. Armed with an understanding of how ingredients interplay it is also a great way to develop new recipes for what you have on hand.
To order, follow the link above for the store’s contact information.
Though compleat is spelled a little differently it doesn’t take away from the thoroughness of this book. Though meadmaking itself is a simple process the manner by which the ingredients blend together to make the wonderful finished product are a mystery. Thankfully, Ken Schramm turns that otherworldliness and shares with us the art of a good mead bolstered by the history and science beneath it. You won’t be an expert in making a finished mead when you are done reading, but will have the knowledge and tools to develop the experience to become one.
