On the plus side we are working through are to-do list as we work around the house and prepare to sell and move to a new house. Of course, that means no brewtime for this brewer.
I was boxing up a number of brew gear, magazines, and books, when I found a classic Homebrew book purchased at a charity sale a couple of years ago. More for a laugh, I paid about 50 cents for "HomeBrewing Without Failures", published originally in 1965. Man, have times changed.
I certainly don't mean to discredit anything that author H.E. Bravery offers in this paperback classic from it's time, but it really makes you see how far we've come in terms of knowledge and ingredients over the years.
Some of the more entertaining tidbits from the book;
- recipes listing"2 oz hops". Not really sure which hop I should go with but it's a start.
- 1/2 Oz of citric acid to any Pale, Brown, or Stout. Further research on this subject leads me to believe the benefit of this is for avoiding chill haze but I'd still be hesitant today.
- Sugar... and a good 2 to 3#'s of the stuff. Whether brewing with extract or as a grain brewer, it appears to be a staple for any and all recipes
- Rolling Pin solution for a grain mill. Never tried it, but I imagine at the time of publication this was really the only option for a Homebrewer wanting to All-grain.
While there's no recipes for Tripels, Saisons, or even a basic wheat the author sticks to what must be the most common ales for it's era that being Pales, Browns, and Stouts with a gentle nudge to the act of lagering.
To the credit of this ancient text, Bravery does educate on some of the basic rules of homebrewing that will never go out of style, that being Quality of ingredients, the need for sanitation and choosing the best yeast available (though I imagine the best of '65 wouldn't rank in the top 50 over the last several years).
And when speaking of the developing brewer who goes through the stages of extract brewing to all-grain, Bravery offers words of encouragement and inspiration as he states "...Such a man will make some extra super beers the like of which will not be obtainable elsewhere".
I only hope that Mr. Bravery is still alive and brewing... and saying I told you so.
