Have you ever thought about brewing your own beer at home? It may seem intimidating when you don’t know what equipment you need or how the process works, but once you know the essentials it becomes much easier. Homebrewing isn’t complicated, you just need the right tools, some time, and a will to do it.

Homebrewing Equipment You Need

Brewing Vessel

Before getting anything started, you’ll need some kind of a vessel to hold the ingredients together. You don’t need a specific pot to do this. Actually, a food-grade bucket will work quite fine. It could be of great help if it has a tap, a seal to keep it airtight, and a bubbler. There’s a wide range of brewing equipment that can act as a vessel and a fermenter is a good choice.

You should know that there’s no need for any cooking gear because there will be no boiling of anything. Next, there’s no need for you to transfer the liquid from one vessel to another. This is done mainly to avoid infecting the mix. Plus, you have less to clean in the end. If you don’t want to use just any pot or any type of vessel you have at home, you can always buy a full kit and enjoy the benefits it comes with.

No matter what you choose, it should have a wide enough opening so you can mix the ingredients properly when it’s time. A paddle or a big spoon will do this job just fine. Another extra thing you can do is use the brewing vessel for the fermenting part as well. Don’t forget to pick a material that’s non-porous, cleans easily, and makes transferring the liquid piece of cake.

Fermenter

You should customise the fermenting vessel according to your brewing needs. The 22l model is the one most homebrewers go for. They typically brew about 18l of liquid, so the additional room is ideal for the foam to rise. To allow the carbon dioxide (a byproduct of fermentation) to get out of the fermenter, it should have a few additional features such as a stopper and an airlock. The tap at the bottom of the fermenter is another food feature because it makes the transferring of liquid simple and easy. If you’ve never brewed beer before, it’s smart to start with a smaller fermenter. A 15l one will be a great way to start.

Bottles

Once you finish the fermentation process, you’ll have to bottle the brew. Once the liquid is inside and you seal the bottle, a second fermentation will happen. Bottles are an eco-friendly and sustainable way to package beer. It’s also a cost-effective choice because you can reuse them as many times as you want. Caps and a bottle capper are a cheap investment that can help you speed up the packaging process.

No matter if you’re using the bottles for the first time or you’re reusing them, make sure you clean and sanitise them properly. This will stop any external microorganisms from coming into contact with the beer and ruining it. This is not a must, but if you can choose, pick brown beer bottles. They have less chance of being light-struck.

Carboy

If you don’t want to bottle the liquid right away and allow the second fermentation to happen, you should use a carboy. This container will hold the liquid for 10-14 days until the fermentation is complete. Of course, you shouldn’t disturb it during this period. Make sure the carboy is made of PET, BPA-free plastic that’s durable, reusable, stain-resistant and easy to clean.

Thermometer & Hydrometer

What every full home brewing equipment needs to have is a thermometer. Throughout the entire procedure, you have to be able to keep an eye on and regulate the beer’s temperature. It’s a must because if the beer gets too hot, it can develop bacteria which can kill the yeast and top the whole process.

But if it’s too cold, the yeast won’t activate the fermentation. So, to find the right balance, you’ll need a thermometer. The hydrometer is there to measure the brew’s gravity. It’s another helpful tool to get you the perfect beer at home. You measure the gravity before the fermentation. Once it’s done, it tells you when the beer is ready.

The Brewing Process

Looking at all that home brewing equipment may seem overwhelming and like a big science experiment. But it’s not a complicated process. Before starting everything, you need to sanitise every piece of equipment you have. This is an important step because no outside factors should influence the beer’s ingredients.

Next, mix the grains with the water and bring to a boil. Add the malt extract to the mixture as soon as they boil. What comes out is known as the wart. You need to cool down the wart as soon as possible. Now, it’s time for fermentation. Sanitise the fermentation vessel and add the wart inside.

To activate the yeast, add water. The oxygen inside will kick the process. This usually lasts for about two weeks. Once it’s done, the final step is bottling. Pour the liquid inside, cap the bottles, and let them rest. After a couple of days, you can pop them in the fridge and enjoy your homebrew on your own or with your friends and family.

How to Sanitise the Equipment

Sanitising isn’t the same as cleaning. Sanitising is done after the cleaning process. It’s important that you use food-grade sanitiser that removes 99.9% of the bacteria. Find a reliable brand that sells these sanitisers, or you can use bleach as well. Every brand has its own way of diluting and using the sanitiser so read the label carefully. You can soak the smaller parts of the equipment and spray the awkwardly shaped ones with a spray bottle. Sanitisers don’t need to be washed. You just leave them to air dry for a while.