Home Brewing Kits – The Basics

There is always an desire when you get started in a great new hobby like home brewing to go out and buy the most expensive equipment and go at it head first. That instinct may come from watching a friend at home working their own fancy set up to make some killer beer. So of course, when you start learning how to make beer at home yourself, you want to strive for the best which is to make beer as good as the others make.

The home brewing industry is a big one and it has gotten much more able to support new brewers into this exciting hobby. And if you go out and spend a minor fortune on “stuff” that is just not right for you, not only can you get frustrated, but if your love of home brewing doesn’t ‘stick”, you can end up feeling awful about spending so much. The best way is to start out slow, use some very basic starter kits and get a few batches of beer under your belt first. Then add more equipment as time and money allows.

That is why a basic home brewing kit is a smart move. This way, you can bring home the basic equipment you need, the supplies for your first few batches of beer and, probably most importantly, some well needed instructions on how to get started making you first batch of home brewed beer. You can find a pretty decent variety of beer making kits to choose from just to get started. Both online and in a local home brew supply store if you have one nearby.

As always, you can find low to mid priced options when you are purchasing a beer making kit. The important things to look for in your first kit are sanitizers and bottles as well as containers for fermentation once the brewing process begins. Keep in mind that once the beer is in production, you will have to move it from container to container and you will have the opportunity to step in and remove unwanted residue from the last step. So various siphons, hoses and strainers can help ease and speed the process as you master brewing your first batch.

So don’t just buy the first home brewing kit you see. Evaluate what each one has to offer to see if the more expensive ones come with a more supplies which can keep you from having to run out and supplement the kit fairly early brew more beer. Those kits might cost a bit more but compared to buying each of those items one by one, it’s usually a very good deal.

In addition to the assortment of brewing tools and accessories, look at the physical size of the equipment you get. The best size for any batch of beer is a minimum of five gallons. Brewing in that quantity gives the wort a sufficient room to brew well. So make sure you read the fine print that the pots and storage containers you are getting with your kit will allow you to make batches that fit your expectations. But also keep in mind storage issues as you don’t want equipment so large, it’s hard to keep it all handy for your next brew.