Subject: Brewing books/methods...

[Hugh Niewoehner]

>> Anyway there is one called Making Mead.  The
>> authors name escapes me right now.
Acton - Duncan

>From my wine makers handout:
"The Amateur Winemaker" in England publishes a book called Making Mead.
The authors, Bryan Acton and Peter Duncan, have compiled a bit of the
history behind mead, including the origin of the term "honeymoon" as well
as a good beginners guide to amateur wine making.  It's well worth the
couple of dollars that it costs.  

One of the best though has got to be:

BREWING MEAD, Wassail! in mazers of mead.
Gayre & Nigg w/ Charlie Papazian
ISBN 0-937381-00-4

This is actually two seperate books under one cover.  Kind of expensive but
a very educational read for the serious mead maker.

The major segment of the book is a history of mead making from it's
earliest roots up through today.  

The last 15%(?) is Papazians book on how to make mead.  Note though that
Papazian is a beer maker not a wine maker asnd therefore his recipies are
geared to beer style meads with hops and/or malt.  

>Mistress Clare has also been nice enough to lend me a copy of Digby for
>reference. *rubs his hands gleefully*
Digby _is_ interesting.  The is at least one SCA vinter who has won mundane
competitions using adapted Digby recipes.

More modern sources that are useful in improving technique:

The Art of Making Wine. by Stanley Anderson with Raymond Hull.  This book
includes a section for novices as well as advanced concepts and techniques.
 Also, it has a good description of what effects acidity, temperature and
other variables will have on your wine.  Lastly it has in the back, a
troubleshooting guide to common problems encountered in vinting and how to
fix it, if a fix is possible.  

Winemaking by Stanley F Anderson and Dorothy Anderson.
Published by Harcourt Brace & Company  1989
ISBN 0-15-697095-3(pbk.)
This is a thick book which will run you about twenty dollars.  It is full
of recipes, equipment descriptions, techniques and a large reference
section.  The authors are two of the major instigators of the home
winemakers market in the US and Canada as we now know it.   He has put his
fourty years or more of experience into this book for all to see the ease
with which anyone can produce a high quality wine.

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