Like some other things that seem so simple on the surface (beer and relationships come to mind), a wood fire is devilishly complex underneath. Before we can explore the chemical entities that give smoked malt its flavor, we must understand what happens when wood burns.

Brown ale is the chameleon of all beers. Its ever-evolving identity lends to its elusive reputation. Ray Daniels and Jim Parker harness the mystery of this beer style and divulge some of its secrets. They also reveal how Samuel Smith's and Scottish and Newcastle breweries craft their world-renown ale and why chefs use brown ale more than any other beer style. Brown ale will never seem the same after reading this book.

Formulas, ingredients, historical and modern-day brewing practices – all these details and more are covered in Designing Great Beers. Drawing on information from old brewing records, books, contemporary beer analyses, and hundreds of award winning recipes, author Ray Daniels provides a wealth of data on the current and historical brewing techniques and ingredients for fourteen of the world’s most popular ale and lager styles.