We've Come A Long Way, Baby

[JoeG]

A copy of this old book came across my desk the other week:

"Understanding beer making : brewing the perfect beer" by Grant Sampson. It was published in 1987 and has a proud "BEST SELLER over 60 000 sold" label on the front.

Here are my favourite quotes, Id'd like to share with you:

(After somewhat abrieviated description of a brewery's mash process)..."An attempt to duplicate this process at home would certainly bring about three things - disaster, disappointment and divource..."

(From the entire paragraph dedicated to home brew ingredients)... "so all you have to do is choose a brand of concentrate. Stick to the national ones; the firms have spent considerable sums on development and manufacture their packs using brewery expertise. Don't be tempted by the malt, hops, boiling bit."

And my favourite from the section titled Flavours: ..."if you've ever had a pint of English bitter, you'll know exactly what I mean. These beers are a heavy mucky sort of drink fermented with a top fermenting yeast..." :huh:

We have indeed come a long way since then. I really hope there aren't 60 000 of these things still lurking around out there.

P.S. the illustrations in it are a hilarious.

 

[Fents]

must be all of 3 pages long?

buy kit, add suguar, add water, add yeast. a page for each step?

 

[AndrewQLD]

That particular publication was sold along side Coopers kits and at one stage was included in the Coopers Home Brewery setup.

Beleive it or not it's one of the most frequntly listed brewing books on ebay , So it's probably been sold a lot more than the advertised 60,000 times :lol:

Cheers
Andrew

 

[enoch]

An attempt to duplicate this process at home would certainly bring about three things - disaster, disappointment and divource..."

"so all you have to do is choose a brand of concentrate. Stick to the national ones; the firms have spent considerable sums on development and manufacture their packs using brewery expertise. Don't be tempted by the malt, hops, boiling bit."

Funny. I remember my late dad brewing stout on the farm in the late 60's or early 70's. He would boil up dark malt extract, hops and water in a copper over a wood fire in the open. Now idea what yeast or fermentation vessel he used as our interest ended when the malt extract cans were available for licking.

Was for my mother's health which could benefit from the iron in the stout. She's still going at 83 so must have done her good.

 

[boingk]

Andrew - much like the small books that are alongside the homebrew gear in Big W today i'm guessing...although those aren't actually too bad really, and even have info on hop types, alpha acids, malt types and flavours imparted....etc etc. I bought one, palmed it off to brother, and then palmed it over to Dad! Of course, this site is where I'm learning from now

 

[bindi]

A copy of this old book came across my desk the other week:

"Understanding beer making : I really hope there aren't 60 000 of these things still lurking around out there.

P.S. the illustrations in it are a hilarious.

I only hope no copies are in the local Library Joe :lol: :lol: , you know where I am coming from [private joke, sorry ].

 

[blackbock]

My local library surprised me. I found Noonan, Daniels, Clone Beers and a number of other respected publications there.
Must be a home brewer on the staff

 

[AndrewQLD]

Andrew - much like the small books that are alongside the homebrew gear in Big W today i'm guessing...although those aren't actually too bad really, and even have info on hop types, alpha acids, malt types and flavours imparted....etc etc. I bought one, palmed it off to brother, and then palmed it over to Dad! Of course, this site is where I'm learning from now

To right Boingk, and let's face it you have to start somewhere and they lead you on to bigger and better things, like here :lol:

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Millet Man]

That particular publication was sold along side Coopers kits and at one stage was included in the Coopers Home Brewery setup.

Beleive it or not it's one of the most frequntly listed brewing books on ebay , So it's probably been sold a lot more than the advertised 60,000 times :lol:

Cheers
Andrew

Just found a copy in my bookshelf wedged between Brewing by Lewis & Young and Malts & Malting by Briggs. Got it with my original Coopers kit about 15 years ago, maybe I should put it on ebay? :lol:

Cheers, Andrew.

 

[brendanos]

Does it come as a surprise to anyone that with all those derogatory comments towards all grain/partial brewing that Grant Sampson is one of the cofounders and head honcho's at Morgan's, producer of canned beer kits?

 

[JoeG]

You can rest assured bindi - there will be no copies of that book appearing on the shelves in any public library that I know of :lol: All to do with collection development policy, of course.

Does it come as a surprise to anyone that with all those derogatory comments towards all grain/partial brewing that Grant Sampson is one of the cofounders and head honcho's at Morgan's, producer of canned beer kits?

This makes everything much clearer. The whole tone of the book is along the lines of "Why would you go to all that trouble, when the expert beer kit makers can do it so much better"

Personally, I am still gobsmacked that people would pay good money on e-bay for this thing. The 3 pages under the lid of a coopers tin are more enlightening.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Just found a copy in my bookshelf wedged between Brewing by Lewis & Young and Malts & Malting by Briggs. Got it with my original Coopers kit about 15 years ago, maybe I should put it on ebay? :lol:

Cheers, Andrew.

Just don't expect to retire from the proceeds <_<

Andrew

 

[bindi]

My local library surprised me. I found Noonan, Daniels, Clone Beers and a number of other respected publications there.
Must be a home brewer on the staff

I know Caloundra library has very good selection in their collection , the brewer is married to one of the staff, guess who.
Now that it's part of the new larger council they will spread further north I am sure.
You reading this JoeG ? :lol: