INTRODUCTION: My relationship with homebrewing did not get off to the best of starts. I was plenty eager and I had a lot of shiny new equipment, but an hour after returning from my first trip to the homebrew store, I felt completely and utterly baffled. I was also not in the kitchen; I was sitting on the couch in my living room with three different, slightly contradictory sets of brewing instructions laid out on the coffee table before me. My husband was tackling this new hobby with me, and neither of us had any idea where to begin or which instructions to follow or even how to move off the couch. Once we formed a plan of action, the situation (unfortunately) did not improve. The liquid malt extract we'd purchased was roughly the consistency of tar and wouldn't come out of the container. Our beer juice (which some, though not all, instructions mysteriously referred to as "wort") took forever to come to a boil. And once it did, it continued to boil right over the side of the pot, extinguishing the burner's pilot light and making a gigantic mess. My husband and I argued about whether the batch was ruined or if we could just add some more water and carry on--the first of many such stressed-out and frustration-fueled fights to follow. To date, some of our most ferocious battles as a married couple have happened while brewing beer. Sound familiar? Maybe your first brew day (and possibly many others) went along similar lines. Maybe you've never brewed before and are reading this in horror, wondering what possessed you to ever think homebrewing might be "fun to try." Don't worry. I've got your back. What you're holding in your hands right now is the result of many years of learning and tinkering with how to brew beer at home--without the tears or cursing. My number one goal is to guide you through those first few brews--the ones where everything is brand-new, you have no idea what's going on, and the potential for frustration is high--and into a place where you feel confident stepping into the kitchen with nothing but a bag of grains and a desire for beer. The title for this book is also a promise: I want to help you brew better beer. Why homebrew in the first place? Because it's seriously fun. Because it tickles your inner science geek. Because your first batch is instant membership into a fellowship of homebrewers that stretches back for eons. Because there is no finer feeling than flicking the cap off a bottle of beer, hearing that hiss of carbonation, and taking the first sip of a beer you brewed yourself. Excerpted from Brew Better Beer: Learn (and Break!) the Rules for Making IPAs, Sours, Belgian Beers, Porters, Barleywines, Lagers, Ancient Ales, and Gluten-Free Beers by Emma Christensen All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
