Beginner's Guide

Thinking about getting started in homebrewing or making a gift purchase?  Below is Information to help you get started in Homebrewing.   This following information may help you make your decision.

There are 4 different products needed to brew beer at home.

Equipment Kit
Ingredients Kit (there are many recipes to choose from)
Brewing Kettle (Stock Pot)
Bottles

Equipment Kits

The most important part of getting started in Homebrewing is choosing an Equipment Kit. All of our equipment kits provide all of the components needed to brew 5-gallon batches of beer. Read each of the descriptions to determine which equipment kit is right for you.

Option #1:The beginners BREWER'S BEST® EQUIPMENT KIT: $77.00 This equipment kit has everything you need to start brewing beer at home except for bottles, ingredients and a brewing kettle. This starter kit includes all of the essential equipment needed to start homebrewing and is an economical way to get started. If you are worried that brewing beer at home is complicated and difficult, don’t be. When you get your equipment and ingredients, just follow the easy instructions that are included.  Below are the general easy steps:

makingbeerisfun and EASY too! – 6 EASY steps - Beer is bottled in 3 weeks and ready in 5 weeks!

        General Quick Reference Instruction

1. SANITIZE – Use Easy Clean No-Rinse Cleanser  - it makes sanitizing equipment and bottles easy.
2. BOIL WORT – (Pronounced “Wert”) – unfermented Beer (malt, grains, flavorings, hops beginning & end of boil) – 1 HOUR - You want to think of your wort as a happy home for your yeast.
3. COOL THE WORT – sink of ice (approx. 25 MINUTES) or cool rapidly with a Wort Chiller.
4. FERMENTATION – (first measure Specific Gravity) – pour into Primary, add cold water to 5 gallon mark, Temp 70F – 90F, Pitch Yeast – Seal & air Lock – (1 WEEK)
5. SECONDARY FERMENTATION - /Aging – Rack (transfer) to Carboy leaving sediment (AGE 1 WEEK)
6. BOTTLING – Dissolve ¾ cup corn sugar in 2 cups water (boil 5 min.), Place in Primary – Rack to primary on top of sugar mixture in bottling bucket – then bottle by dispensing spigot – ready in (2-3 WEEKS), but if you hold off, it will only taste better.  Try a bottle every few days and notice the difference as it matures.

In general, that's basically it in a nutshell, but below it is explained for you in some detail on our How to

You’ll be surprised how easy brewing is. This starter kit is designed to be expanded as your level of homebrewing progresses. Be sure to check for new upgrades that will make brewing your own beer super easy!

*If you’re on a tight budget, this equipment kit along with a Ingredient Kit will provide the basic components to get started.


Options #2 & #3: The advanced DELUXE BREWER'S BEST® EQUIPMENT KIT: $113.00 (comes w/ plastic Better Bottle) or $129.00 (comes w/ Glass Carboy).  This is our most popular brewing equipment kit. This equipment kit provides the essential equipment for the brewer who wants to make the best beer they can from the start. This is accomplished through two-stage fermentation. Primary fermentation is the first step. During this 5-7 day process, most of the fermentation takes place and by the end of this period most of the particles and solids will settle to the bottom. The second step is transferring the beer in to the secondary fermenter. (7-21 days) Separating the beer from the sediment will result in clearer beer and improve the characteristics of the beer. Beer can condition and clarify in the secondary fermenter for weeks or months depending on the style and strength of the beer. Transferring the beer to a 5 gallon glass carboy or better bottle will reduce oxidation of the beer. This kit is highly recommended if you intend to brew any high alcohol or lager beers.

*most customers purchase this equipment kit.


Click here to browse all Equipment Kits.



Ingredient Kits

makingbeerisfun.com offers a large selection of 5 gallon recipe kits. Some of our more popular recipe kits include: American Amber Ale, German Oktoberfest, American Light, Continental Pilsner, Irish Stout, Red Ale and many more.  Any of the recipes in these sections will be the perfect addition to our Equipment Kits. To see all our ingredient  kits Click Here.


Brewing Kettle

The brewing process requires the brewer to mix and boil the ingredients from our ingredient kits in a stock pot. Many brewers might already have a stock pot in their kitchen that might work for this process. The pot must be at least 2-3 gallons in size. Stainless steel, Enamel and Silverstone coated pots will work fine. We do not recommend using aluminum pots. They can oxidize the beer. We offer 4 and 5 gallon stainless steel brewing kettles for homebrewing. Our high quality pots have riveted handles. Check out our full selection of high quality Brewing Kettles.


Bottles

Five gallons of beer will require approx. 48 twelve ounce beer bottles. Roughly two cases of 24. Shipping glass bottles can get expensive due to the shipping weight. Many homebrewers will collect empty 12 ounce as they drink them, rinse them out and use them for their homebrew. IMPORTANT: DO NOTuse screw off bottles. They must be crimp capped bottles.  If soaking bottles and  scrapping labels seem like too much work,  buy one or two cases of bottles when getting started with Homebrewing.
 
Other homebrewing accessories that complement an equipment kit include:

Jet Bottle Washer $14.00
Wort Chillers: Starting at $86.00
Bottle Tree: Starting at $20.00
NEW COMPLETE JOY OF HOME BREWING (Most popular homebrewing book) $15.95

Remember:

Gift Certificate - The perfect gift for the homebrewer!