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I feel like I should learn more about the chemistry involved in brewing. Can anybody recommend some good books for learning about brewing chemistry and how it relates to brew outcomes?

I'd prefer something pretty readable, something I could read cover to cover rather than a reference book or text book, but I would would still be interested in learning some of the science involved.

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  • This question could easily turn into a big list of books.
    – baka
    Oct 19, 2012 at 16:07

2 Answers 2

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Most of the heavy duty brewing chemistry books I know of are really aimed at commercial brewers and may be more or less relevant to homebrewers. That said, look for "Principles of Brewing Science" by George Fix, "New Brewing Lager Beer" by Greg Noonan, "Brewing Science and Practice" by Briggs, and books by Narziss or de Clerck. Pretty heavy duty science! For something not quite as intense, check out "How to Brew" by John Palmer. These are all general brewing books. You can also get specific books that cover things like yeast or hops.

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Also, don't forget "Yeast" by Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff! Great practical guide for homebrewers, but they also go into some light organic chemistry of yeast cell health, behavior, reproduction/budding, etc.

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