Pierre Rajotte

Somewhat dated in that the number of Belgian beers and brewing supplies available in the U.S. has proliferated beyond what the author could have imagined at the time this was published. Many domestic brewers have had great success in adopting and adapting nearly every Belgian style imaginable as well. That said, this is well worth reading as it contains a wealth of information about the history of various Belgian styles (some of which are basically extinct), their methods of production, and the traditions/philosophies involved. While on a scale well beyond the majority of home-brewers, the section where the author describes the production of a new beer (from recipe creation all the way through to bottle conditioning) at his home in collaboration with the brewer from Chouffe is tremendously illuminating. The small recipes section is diverse, authentic, and creative and each recipe is laid out with all grain or extract/partial options.… (mais)