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Guest
In order to make beer at home, you'll need a few items of equipment in addition to the ingredients. Some of the equipment can be found in your kitchen -- things like spoons and pans. But you will need to purchase several additional items from a homebrew store as well. Hereâs a list of every thing required to make your first batch.
You can purchase these items from a local homebrew store or by phone. See our list of homebrew stores for sources.
Things you usually have already
A stove. Running water. (You can brew without these, but its not recommended for your first batch!)
A pan with 1.5 to 2 gallons capacity. (Don't use anything with visible rust on the inside.)
Cooking spoon -- plastic, wood or metal. (Again, no rust!)
Can opener
Measuring cup -- 1 cup capacity or larger
A cup or small bowl -- used for mixing up the yeast.
Things you'll buy from the homebrew store
Fermenter: Usually a 6.5 to 7 gallon plastic tub with a tight fitting top. The top will have a small hole where the air lock will be inserted.
Air lock: This allows carbon dioxide to escape during fermentation while keeping the room air out. Insert in hole on the fermenter top using a proper-sized stopper. Fill air lock chamber about one-half full with water.
Transfer or racking tubing: Clear plastic tubing used for transferring the beer from one vessel to another and during bottling. Often comes with a stiff cane-shaped tube attached to one end which makes it much easier to use. The cane should have a pointed thimble attached to the straight end to keep it elevated above the bottom of the fermenter while it is being used.
Bottling or racking bucket: An open-topped plastic bucket used during bottling. Beer will be transferred into this bucket from the fermenter and then from here into the bottles.
Bottle Filler: A section of stiff tubing fitted with a spring-loaded plunger at the end. Used to transfer beer into beer bottles by pressing the plunger end against the bottom of the beer bottle.
Bottle Capper: A device used to affix bottle caps to the filled bottles of beer.
Thermometer: Used to check the temperature of the beer before adding the yeast.
Sterilizing Agent: Your homebrew shop can recommend various alternatives or you can use plain unscented household bleach.
Bottles: You can purchase clean, new bottles from many homebrew stores. Alternately, you can acquire empty returnable bottles and clean them yourself. Youâll need nearly three cases for each 5-gallon batch of beer.
Bottle cleaning brush: For cleaning bottles. Youâll need this eventually, even if you buy clean, new bottles from the store.
Basic Options and Accessories
The equipment listed above will allow you to make your first batch or two of beer. A few additional items will make the process easier or provide you with additional information. As a result, some suppliers sell these items as part of a basic set-up and in most cases, you will probably be happy you got them.
Hydrometer: This is used to measure the specific gravity or density of the beer before fermentation. Knowing this allows you to determine the alcohol content and other characteristics of the beer.
Glass carboy: Five gallon glass carboys are the fermenter of choice among more experienced homebrewers. Unlike plastic, they do not scratch and therefore are easier to keep clean and sanitary. Using them for your initial fermentation requires a bit more caution and effort. For each carboy, you will want a cap and a handle. Also useful: A carboy brush for cleaning.
Funnel: Necessary when using glass carboys. Some come equipped with a strainer.
Grain/hop bag: Used when grains are a part of the recipe. A household strainer can be substituted, but the bag is easier, faster and often does a better job.
Beyond basics
Just about any kit or extract beer can be made using the basic equipment you buy to make your first beer. But when you decide to take the next step and start making beers that go beyond the kits, you'll want to acquire a few additional pieces of equipment. Here's a list of items that homebrewers often acquire after they have brewed a few batches.
Wort Chiller: This is a long section of copper tube that has been coiled up to fit inside your brew pot. Water is run through the coil while it sits in your hot wort in order to quickly chill the wort after boiling. If the volume of wort you boil is more than 2 gallons, you should acquire this piece of equipment. You can buy one from your homebrew shop for $40-60 or build your own for about half that.
How to make a wort chiller.
Scales: As you make more complicated recipes, youâll want to accurately measure your grains and hops. To do this, youâll need a couple of kitchen scales -- one for hops and one for grains. The hops scale should be calibrated in quarter-ounce increments (or grams, if you donât mind converting) with a scale from zero to two or three ounces. The grain scale should be marked in ounces or quarter pounds with a capacity of at least five pounds and perhaps more. Hardware stores that carry kitchen items often have a good selection of scales to pick from. Prices vary, but expect to pay from $10-$30 for each.
Grain Mill Many homebrew shops will grind grain for you or they will sell pre-crushed grain. If you want to save some money on the cost of grain, or have greater control over the grind that you get, you can grind your own. A number of grinders designed specifically for homebrewing can be purchased at the homebrewing stores. These arenât cheap, with prices ranging from $85-$140.
Carbon filtration system: Carbon filtration removes chlorine from your brewing water. This is important because chlorine can form unpleasant-tasting compounds when included in your brews. A simple faucet-attached unit can be installed in 10 minutes without requiring any changes in your plumbing.
Glass carboy: Five gallon glass carboys are the fermenter of choice among more experienced homebrewers. Unlike plastic, they do not scratch and therefore are easier to keep clean and sanitary. Also, you can see what is going on inside. Using them for your initial fermentation requires a bit more caution and effort. For each carboy, you will want a cap and a handle. Also useful: A carboy brush for cleaning. The basic carboy is $15-20, depending upon size, accessories are a few bucks more.
Stainless Steel Brew Pot: Under ideal circumstances, the entire volume of wort that will go into the fermenter should be boiled. To do this, you will need a brew pot that will hold at least six gallons of liquid for extract-based brews. If you plan to do all-grain brewing some day, go ahead and buy a bigger pot, preferably 7.5 to 8 gallons. Prices range widely depending upon the size and type of construction, $44.95-$180.
Jet Burner: Few domestic stoves are powerful enough to boil six or seven gallons of wort in a reasonable time period. As an alternative, you might buy a propane-fueled jet burner or Cajun cooker. These connect to readily available propane tanks like those used for barbecue grills and they put out enough heat to quickly produce a rolling boil in 8 gallons of wort. Just remember, these burners must be used outdoors! Prices run from $50-$80.
Electric Brew Bucket: If you can't brew outdoors, you might consider a brew bucket fitted with a high-powered electrical heating element. These systems work best with 220 v power, which is available in the laundry room of many homes. The most common models hold a little over 6-gallons and come equipped with a basic regulator for controlling the heat output. These can be used successfully for all types of brewing. About $90.
You can purchase these items from a local homebrew store or by phone. See our list of homebrew stores for sources.
Things you usually have already
A stove. Running water. (You can brew without these, but its not recommended for your first batch!)
A pan with 1.5 to 2 gallons capacity. (Don't use anything with visible rust on the inside.)
Cooking spoon -- plastic, wood or metal. (Again, no rust!)
Can opener
Measuring cup -- 1 cup capacity or larger
A cup or small bowl -- used for mixing up the yeast.
Things you'll buy from the homebrew store
Fermenter: Usually a 6.5 to 7 gallon plastic tub with a tight fitting top. The top will have a small hole where the air lock will be inserted.
Air lock: This allows carbon dioxide to escape during fermentation while keeping the room air out. Insert in hole on the fermenter top using a proper-sized stopper. Fill air lock chamber about one-half full with water.
Transfer or racking tubing: Clear plastic tubing used for transferring the beer from one vessel to another and during bottling. Often comes with a stiff cane-shaped tube attached to one end which makes it much easier to use. The cane should have a pointed thimble attached to the straight end to keep it elevated above the bottom of the fermenter while it is being used.
Bottling or racking bucket: An open-topped plastic bucket used during bottling. Beer will be transferred into this bucket from the fermenter and then from here into the bottles.
Bottle Filler: A section of stiff tubing fitted with a spring-loaded plunger at the end. Used to transfer beer into beer bottles by pressing the plunger end against the bottom of the beer bottle.
Bottle Capper: A device used to affix bottle caps to the filled bottles of beer.
Thermometer: Used to check the temperature of the beer before adding the yeast.
Sterilizing Agent: Your homebrew shop can recommend various alternatives or you can use plain unscented household bleach.
Bottles: You can purchase clean, new bottles from many homebrew stores. Alternately, you can acquire empty returnable bottles and clean them yourself. Youâll need nearly three cases for each 5-gallon batch of beer.
Bottle cleaning brush: For cleaning bottles. Youâll need this eventually, even if you buy clean, new bottles from the store.
Basic Options and Accessories
The equipment listed above will allow you to make your first batch or two of beer. A few additional items will make the process easier or provide you with additional information. As a result, some suppliers sell these items as part of a basic set-up and in most cases, you will probably be happy you got them.
Hydrometer: This is used to measure the specific gravity or density of the beer before fermentation. Knowing this allows you to determine the alcohol content and other characteristics of the beer.
Glass carboy: Five gallon glass carboys are the fermenter of choice among more experienced homebrewers. Unlike plastic, they do not scratch and therefore are easier to keep clean and sanitary. Using them for your initial fermentation requires a bit more caution and effort. For each carboy, you will want a cap and a handle. Also useful: A carboy brush for cleaning.
Funnel: Necessary when using glass carboys. Some come equipped with a strainer.
Grain/hop bag: Used when grains are a part of the recipe. A household strainer can be substituted, but the bag is easier, faster and often does a better job.
Beyond basics
Just about any kit or extract beer can be made using the basic equipment you buy to make your first beer. But when you decide to take the next step and start making beers that go beyond the kits, you'll want to acquire a few additional pieces of equipment. Here's a list of items that homebrewers often acquire after they have brewed a few batches.
Wort Chiller: This is a long section of copper tube that has been coiled up to fit inside your brew pot. Water is run through the coil while it sits in your hot wort in order to quickly chill the wort after boiling. If the volume of wort you boil is more than 2 gallons, you should acquire this piece of equipment. You can buy one from your homebrew shop for $40-60 or build your own for about half that.
How to make a wort chiller.
Scales: As you make more complicated recipes, youâll want to accurately measure your grains and hops. To do this, youâll need a couple of kitchen scales -- one for hops and one for grains. The hops scale should be calibrated in quarter-ounce increments (or grams, if you donât mind converting) with a scale from zero to two or three ounces. The grain scale should be marked in ounces or quarter pounds with a capacity of at least five pounds and perhaps more. Hardware stores that carry kitchen items often have a good selection of scales to pick from. Prices vary, but expect to pay from $10-$30 for each.
Grain Mill Many homebrew shops will grind grain for you or they will sell pre-crushed grain. If you want to save some money on the cost of grain, or have greater control over the grind that you get, you can grind your own. A number of grinders designed specifically for homebrewing can be purchased at the homebrewing stores. These arenât cheap, with prices ranging from $85-$140.
Carbon filtration system: Carbon filtration removes chlorine from your brewing water. This is important because chlorine can form unpleasant-tasting compounds when included in your brews. A simple faucet-attached unit can be installed in 10 minutes without requiring any changes in your plumbing.
Glass carboy: Five gallon glass carboys are the fermenter of choice among more experienced homebrewers. Unlike plastic, they do not scratch and therefore are easier to keep clean and sanitary. Also, you can see what is going on inside. Using them for your initial fermentation requires a bit more caution and effort. For each carboy, you will want a cap and a handle. Also useful: A carboy brush for cleaning. The basic carboy is $15-20, depending upon size, accessories are a few bucks more.
Stainless Steel Brew Pot: Under ideal circumstances, the entire volume of wort that will go into the fermenter should be boiled. To do this, you will need a brew pot that will hold at least six gallons of liquid for extract-based brews. If you plan to do all-grain brewing some day, go ahead and buy a bigger pot, preferably 7.5 to 8 gallons. Prices range widely depending upon the size and type of construction, $44.95-$180.
Jet Burner: Few domestic stoves are powerful enough to boil six or seven gallons of wort in a reasonable time period. As an alternative, you might buy a propane-fueled jet burner or Cajun cooker. These connect to readily available propane tanks like those used for barbecue grills and they put out enough heat to quickly produce a rolling boil in 8 gallons of wort. Just remember, these burners must be used outdoors! Prices run from $50-$80.
Electric Brew Bucket: If you can't brew outdoors, you might consider a brew bucket fitted with a high-powered electrical heating element. These systems work best with 220 v power, which is available in the laundry room of many homes. The most common models hold a little over 6-gallons and come equipped with a basic regulator for controlling the heat output. These can be used successfully for all types of brewing. About $90.
