As a homebrewer who is formulating my own series of brews based on the major strongholds of Westeros, I recommend the Brew-in-a-Bag method for all-grain batches. It is much easier to give extract brewing instructions, but readers wouldn’t get the experience of trying to CREATE beer. Besides, if your readers want to learn to extract brew, there are many beginner kits available with detailed instructions.
I couldn’t agree more. I lure friends and family with extract brewing, but I really love doing all grain batches for my own brews. It’s more tied to history, and also allows more room for tweaking and customizing.
Your best bet on getting started is to get a book on home brewing. It will give you a good idea of what’s involved and you can make an informed decision as to whether you want to put in the time and effort. Brewing isn’t terribly difficult, but it is pretty labor intensive at the brewing and bottling stages, and takes at least a couple of weeks for fermentation and aging.
The first book I bought was “Brewing the World’s Great Beers: A Step-By-Step Guide” by Dave Miller. He starts you slow, with minimal gear, and great results. He starts you with simple malt brews, and works you all the way through whole grain to going semi-pro.
After you get going, you’ll appreciate a copy of “Brewing Mead: Wassail! In Mazers of Mead: The Intriguing History of the Beverage of Kings and Easy, Step-by-Step Instructions for Brewing It At Home” by Gayre and Papazian. It’s an interesting book dedicated to meads and their derivatives, as well as some very interesting history concerning the beverage.
Papazian also has several editions of “The Complete Joy of Home Brewing” which are very good reference books. The recipes are great, but I personally found Dave Miller’s explanation of the process to be easier to follow.
Watch out. Home brewing is an addictive hobby and if you’re not careful you’ll end up with so many new friends you’ll think you won the lottery.
Game of Brews 
As a homebrewer who is formulating my own series of brews based on the major strongholds of Westeros, I recommend the Brew-in-a-Bag method for all-grain batches. It is much easier to give extract brewing instructions, but readers wouldn’t get the experience of trying to CREATE beer. Besides, if your readers want to learn to extract brew, there are many beginner kits available with detailed instructions.
I couldn’t agree more. I lure friends and family with extract brewing, but I really love doing all grain batches for my own brews. It’s more tied to history, and also allows more room for tweaking and customizing.
Just remember to try and make it idiot proof! I really wanna try some of this!
Your best bet on getting started is to get a book on home brewing. It will give you a good idea of what’s involved and you can make an informed decision as to whether you want to put in the time and effort. Brewing isn’t terribly difficult, but it is pretty labor intensive at the brewing and bottling stages, and takes at least a couple of weeks for fermentation and aging.
The first book I bought was “Brewing the World’s Great Beers: A Step-By-Step Guide” by Dave Miller. He starts you slow, with minimal gear, and great results. He starts you with simple malt brews, and works you all the way through whole grain to going semi-pro.
After you get going, you’ll appreciate a copy of “Brewing Mead: Wassail! In Mazers of Mead: The Intriguing History of the Beverage of Kings and Easy, Step-by-Step Instructions for Brewing It At Home” by Gayre and Papazian. It’s an interesting book dedicated to meads and their derivatives, as well as some very interesting history concerning the beverage.
Papazian also has several editions of “The Complete Joy of Home Brewing” which are very good reference books. The recipes are great, but I personally found Dave Miller’s explanation of the process to be easier to follow.
Watch out. Home brewing is an addictive hobby and if you’re not careful you’ll end up with so many new friends you’ll think you won the lottery.