Homebrewing Beer Equipment List

Everybody loves beer and would like to make their own, but they're not sure how to get started. What sort of equipment do I need is usually the first question that people new to brewing ask. A lot of people think that it's very pricey and difficult to obtain all of the home brewing equipment they will need to get going, but it's cheaper and much easier than you think. This is a discussion on what main pieces of brewing equipment you'll need to get started with malt extract brewing.

For a 5 gallon batch of homebrew, you'll need a large pot to boil at least 2 or 3 gallons of liquid. This brew pot needs to be sturdy and have handles that make it easy to pick up when full of hot liquid. You'll also need a thermometer for taking temperature readings of your boiling liquid. This is essential so you know when you have cooled your wort to the proper temperature to add the yeast. If the temperature is too high it can kill the yeast, and too cold the yeast will simply not do anything.

You'll have to have a big steel spoon to stir your homebrew, and do not use a solid wood spoon as it may contain bacteria that could possibly infect your beer. After you're done with brewing the beer you will need to transport it to a fermenter. Plastic bucket fermenters are the most popular for beginners, but other styles are available. To measure the alcohol strength of your beer you will need to purchase a hydrometer, a gadget that measures the density of your brew.

Once fermentation is finished, you must move your beer to a bottling bucket. To ensure your equipment will not spoil your beer, you must use a sanitizing solution. To move your beer you'll need to use a siphon together with a plastic hose. To move the beer from the bottling bucket into the individual bottles, you will need to use a plastic hose in conjunction with a bottle filler. Bottle fillers are spring loaded and make filling up the bottles a lot easier than using a simple hose.

Needless to say you'll need bottles and bottle caps for your home brew. You need approximately 50 12 oz. bottles for a typical five-gallon batch of home brew. Remember, each bottle must be cleaned out and sanitized before adding your beer. The last step in completing your bottling process is to attach the bottle caps to the bottles. I recommend you purchase a good counter top or standing bottle-capper. Don't forget to sanitize the bottle caps as well!

You may also want to buy a strainer to help filter hops and other sediment from your kettle before you move your homebrew to your fermenter. A funnel can also prove useful if you are using a plastic or glass carboy but isn't necessary if you are using a plastic bucket. To remove easy sample readings of your beer during fermentation, a wine or beer thief is a handy tool to have as well.

Brewing your own beer is very easy and anybody can be a homebrewer! Use this home brew equipment list to build your own microbrewery at home!