I'm not just trying to persuade North Americans that they need to own my book. I'll be pestering Europeans, too.In what might be my only UK appearance this year (I'm fast running out of holidays) I'll be at the Birmingham Beer Bash on 26th July.
It's not totally settled what I'll be doing, but I'll definitely be giving a talk about Brettanomyces in British brewing in the afternoon. Something aimed squarely at the geek crowd. In the evening I'll probably be doing a less formal, for a slightly less geeky audience. Hopefully involving drinking beer and me fielding questions. I'll be bringing along my baseball glove to make sure I don't drop any.
And, of course, at both sessions you'll have the chance to buy my book and have me scrawl something indecipherable in it. I think it's rather good, but I would, wouldn't I? So far reviewers have agreed with me.
If you can't wait to read the crystalised perfection of my prose, buy a copy now and bring it along for me to sign:
The Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Brewers-Guide-Vintage-Beer/dp/1592538827
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5 comments:
I just ordered the book, and am anxiously waiting delivery. I am a North American, lives in the great state of Montana, and have an unopened sack of Crisp Maris Otter ready to go into action.
Brew Rat, hope you enjoy it. I think it contains some great recipes.
Nice book. From the US myself so some of us in North America do appreciate the styles of old. The challenge I'm having is deciding what to do 1st.
You are having a bigger impact on homebrewing in the US than you know. An article in the newest issue of Brew Your Own magazine starts this way:
"Beer historian Ron Pattinson, of the blog Shut Up About Barclay Perkins, is famous for writing about the longevity of ideas in the brewing community. His research provides some necessary grounding to the lofty ambitions of today's inventive craft brewers, who are fond of re-inventing the wheel and then arguing about what to call it. As Pattinson often points out, there are very few concepts in beer you could come up with that weren't already being brewed a couple hundred years ago.
But I would like to issue a bit of a challenge to Mr. Pattinson, or any other beer historians, for there is a realm of beer that I believe has never bubbles inside any historic fermentation tank--those fermented exclusively with Brettanomyces. When it comes to 100% Brett-fermented beers, we may be dealing with the only style of beer truly invented by modern brewers during the craft beer revolution."
Anything in your talk on Brettanomyces to prove him wrong?
By the way, I brought my (freshly signed) copy of your new book to my homebrew club last month and passed it around and people were very interested. At the next meeting earlier this week one member had already bought a copy and was about to brew a batch.
BrianW,
I think he's right. I don't think anyone brewed a 100% Brettanomyces beer.
For a couple of reasons: it wasn't identified until 1906 and without specifically culturing it, you wouldn't be able to ferment with exclusively. And because it was used in the maturation process. If you use Brettanomyces for primary fermentation you don't get the qualities 19th-century brewers wanted.
That's what I like to hear: more people buying my book. Sorry, more people brewing recipes from my book.
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