So, you want to know how to make home brew beer but you don’t think you can afford, or operate, the equipment? Believe it or not, making beer at home is not complicated and uses very basic supplies and equipment. In fact, you probably already have some of the equipment needed already.Don’t let the heavy equipment, vats, dials, knobs, and pipes used in the commercial brewing process intimidate you. Fortunately, brewing beer at home is not at all like commercial brewing. For one thing, you will only be brewing beer in small batches of approximately five gallons at a time. The equipment needed for this volume can be easily stored in an out of the way place in your home when not being used.
The following is the main equipment you will need to make a batch of home brew beer:
- Large pot or kettle (for boiling liquid)
- Mesh bag (to hold grains that will be steeped in the water)
- Two five-gallon food grade plastic buckets with lids (to hold the fermenting and processed beer)
- An airlock (fits on top of the bucket and keeps air out of the beer during fermentation)
- Food thermometer
- Hydrometer (to test the alcohol content of your beer)
After your beer is brewed you will also need:
- Bottles (These can be used bottles that have been thoroughly sterilized. Do not use twist off cap bottles! You can also use Grolsch bottles with the rubber stopper caps.)
- Caps (if you don’t use Grolsch bottles)
- Capper (simple device to secure the caps to the bottles)
- Not only is the equipment very basic, but learning how to make home brew beer is also a snap. If you can patiently follow simple instructions and adhere to strict cleanliness guidelines, you can make fantastic home brew that will be the envy of your friends.
If you don’t wish to gather individual supplies, or if you are worried about purchasing the wrong thing, there are brewing kits that you can buy that include everything you need for a batch of beer, including the ingredients for making a wide variety of beers.
If you still feel a bit intimidated by the brewing process, there are many tutorials and videos online about how to make home brew beer. I urge you to take a look around the web and give them a look. Everyone has their own beer brewing method and recipes, though all follow the same basic steps and guidelines.
Here’s to a successful first batch of home brew. Cheers, my home brew friend!
