Karl F. Lutzen

The fancy stuff is a lot of work, but may save you some money, the less fancy stuff is still a lot of work and is probably cheaper just bought. Most of the ideas in here are (now) more than adequately explained across the internet, often in a more modern fashion.
That said, I was inspired by this book to build myself a straightforward immersion chiller, which did work out about half the cost of a commercial one.

If you are looking for recipes, look no further! After a short chapter introducing the idea of brewing different styles of beer, Lutzen and Stevens include recipes spanning thirteen different styles. For each style a few pages are devoted to the typical characteristics of the style, history of the style, and variations within the style. A healthy number of recipes of each type are then include. Styles covered include Pale Ales, Brown Ales, Belgian Ales, Porters, Stouts, Lagers, Wheat Beers, show more as well as Fruit, Spice, and Herb Beers. A short chapter on meads rounds out this recipe book. And remember, modifying or combining existing recipes can be a great way to create unique and interesting original recipes. show less