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Fermenter Airlock Bung Brew Pot Heat Source Siphon/Tubing Cleaner Sanitizer Hydrometer
A vessel is needed to hold the wort as it ferments into beer. There are many types of fermenters, each with its own pros and cons.
An airlock is inserted in the top of a fermenter and allows carbon dioxide, a byproduct of fermentation, to escape the fermenter without letting contaminants in. Depending on the fermenter, a bung is sometimes needed to secure the airlock. Without an airlock, pressure in the fermenter could cause the lid or bung to pop off, or worse, the fermenter to explode, leaving you with a sad mess.
The entire boiling process, including extract, hops and/or other ingredients, takes place in the brew pot, or kettle. Depending on the batch size, a 1.5- to 5-gallon (6- to 20-liter) brew pot will be sufficient for partial-boil extract brew. As you start dealing with larger volumes of liquid, you'll want to look into larger brew pots and make sure you have plenty of headspace to avoid a boilover.
You'll need a heat source that's powerful enough to heat up your pre-boil volume in a timely manner (a watched pot never boils, right?). The stove in your kitchen should suffice for smaller amounts, while a turkey fryer or another powerful heat source works well for larger batches.
A siphon and tubing is a great way to streamline moving hot wort or finished beer around without the hassle and mess of lifting and pouring (and spilling!) large quantities by hand. Quick tip: an auto-siphon is a type of siphon that creates a vacuum to pump liquid from one vessel to another without introducing too much oxygen or other contaminants into the beer.
There are homebrew-specific cleaners available that you can find at your local homebrew shop, but unscented dish cleaner also works. Avoid products with scents, which can stick around after cleaning and cause off-flavors and aromas in your beer.
Different than cleaner, sanitizer ensures there are no microorganisms that could spoil the goods on your brewing equipment after you clean. There are homebrew-specific, no-rinse sanitizers available at your homebrew shop, but a proper dilution of 1 oz. bleach per gallon of water (8 mL/L) can be used followed by a thorough rinse.
A hydrometer is used to measure the gravity, or sugar density in wort and beer. You technically don't need a hydrometer to brew beer, but measuring gravity lets you closely monitor fermentation and calculate specifications like alcohol content. You'll also need a vessel to hold the sample for measurement.
Anyone can brew great beer at home. I first learned how from a friend who brewed in his backyard. He made 10 gallons at a time on an outdoor setup that you had to get up on a step ladder to use. When I moved across the country to a smaller apartment, keeping up the hobby meant that I had to scale down the process in order to brew indoors. But a small space shouldn't get in the way of your desire to make your own beer.
It does take a bit of specialty gear to make quality homebrew, but you don't have to spend a ton of money to get started. It's possible to make delicious beer on a setup that will cost you less than $150 total. Here is a list of the minimum equipment setup and ingredients, along with a few optional pieces that will make your brew days easier. These items can be purchased online or at your neighborhood homebrew supplier (if you're lucky enough to have one of those.)
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Essential equipment:
Optional equipment:
This might seem like a lot of stuff, but most of these items are pretty small. If you stack the buckets together, almost everything else will fit inside and you can hide it in a corner of your closet when you're not using it. Homebrew stores typically sell these items bundled in a beginner set, and these can be a bargain and save you some shopping time. If you do buy a bundle, make sure it has the gear that's listed above as "essential" at the very least.
Once you have your equipment, you're going to need a recipe. There are quite a few ingredient kits out there for new brewers, and these can be a good place to start. You'll want to choose a kit that's geared toward beginners if it's your first brew. Anything that states "partial mash" or "all grain" will require more advanced techniques. Beginner ingredient kits also usually come with instructions that can be a helpful reference as you make your first few batches of beer.
"I recommend avoiding any product that uses "pre-hopped" malt extract"
Many kits promise a clone of your favorite commercial beer or style. They range from pre-packaged retail products like Mr. Beer to custom packages put together by the homebrew shop. To start, I recommend avoiding any product that uses "pre-hopped" malt extract. The flavors of pre-hopped kits never come through quite right and people who taste your beer will be able to tell it's homebrewed right away (and not in a good way). Also, be sure you buy a fresh kit that has been stored properly. If you buy from a reputable local shop or from one of the bigger online homebrew suppliers, they're generally going to provide you with a fresh product.
The best advice for the new homebrewer is the classic phrase you'll hear many times: "Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew." Grain, hops and yeast want to become beer, and all you need to do is show them the way. Don't worry, I'll be here to help. Get stocked up and I'll see you back here next week!
Please welcome beer expert Joe Postma to Serious Eats! Joe will be serving up his homebrewing know-how every week.
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