No home brewer could ever produce a brew without the following equipment:
Novice and expert home brewers alike never start without first consulting their brewing guide. Depending on the coverage of the guide, it could serve to provide the necessary information to create brew according to a recipe, provide recipes, or the combination of both. A guide may also detail the different processes of creating the most common brews prepared in non-commercial scales. For starters, a guide that covers all the basic information you need should do.
For intermediate brewers, the guide you should pick should cover brewing extensively.
Brew Kettle
This is what you use to boil the beer or whatever beverage you are trying to create. No matter your skill level, you should always get yourself a stainless steel pot which should hold at least 5 gallons of liquid. As you progress through this craft, you can start brewing larger amounts of liquid. A ceramic on steel brew kettle is also a good alternative so long as it's in perfect condition.
Otherwise, stick with stainless pots. For those considering to use aluminum kettles, be warned that this type isn’t always used by expert brewers. Kettles made from aluminum as these often absorb the flavors from the brew which could be mixed into subsequent batches.
Fermenter
A fermenter is any container made from high quality plastic or glass that is used to hold the brew solution while it ferments. Any container will do so long as it is airlock and has a small valve through which fermentation gasses could escape. This valve should allow the escape of gas but should not allow the entry of microbes and dust that could contaminate the solution.
Funnel
If you're using a carboy (a glass bottle that holds 5 to 6 liters of liquid), you should use a funnel. This makes it easier to transfer liquid from the brew kettle into the carboy. A brewing funnel is different from ordinary kitchen funnels as this often come with a screen that filters unwanted particles such as hops. Unless you can use a siphoning device, you should have a funnel ready.
Straining Tools
Apart from the brewing funnel, an extra straining tool should also be used. This is a must for brewers who use grains in their solutions. Apart from this, a straining vessel called the lauter tun should also be available to strain out large particles from the boiled beer.
Siphoning Tools
Siphoning is a good alternative to straining as it limits the exposure to particles in the air while it's being transferred from one fermenter to another or to individual containers. There are a few varieties of siphoning tools – from steel tube to plastic tube. Any of these could do so long as they are guaranteed to have been made from food-grade materials.
Any non food-grade siphoning tools will leach chemicals into the brewed beer passing through them, thereby contaminating the fermented solution. For better liquid control, use an external pinch clamp with your siphoning tube.
Bottling Equipment
Unless you're storing your beer into cans, a bottling equipment will come in handy. This should include bottle cappers, bottles, caps, and bottle filling wands.
Finally are a few essential tools that can help ensure that your home brewed beverage has the highest quality possible.
These are the wort chiller, thermometer, and hydrometer.
Homebrewing of beers had gain popularity due to economic considerations. Aside from that, it is also known to be a good hobby to keep one busy.
Homebrewing is simple if you're already knowledgeable with equipments used as well as how they work. The knowledge of such, actually gives you an idea how the whole process work as wells as the do's and don't's of home brewing. Here
Here are the most common and basic equipment you have to be familiar with to start and manage your first try of home brewing.
1. Brewing pot or also known as brewing kettle is where you make the mixture or what is called wort (pronounced as wert). There are actually available pots designed for brewing in the supply market, but an ordinary pot will do so long as it can hold at least one gallon of mixture or liquid.
2. Spatula or ladle and big spoon with long handle are necessary for the mixing and stirring process. You may use
ordinary kitchen ladle or the specially designed for brewing. It depends on what kind are you comfortable with.
3. Fermentation bin or galloon is used for holding the brew while the yeast does the fermentation.. The bin should be transparent or semi-transparent so that you could monitor the fermentation process.
4. Airlock is a small device usually place on the hole of the fermentation bin. It allows carbon dioxide to release from the fermentation bin but prevents the passage of oxygen inside to avoid oxidation. The bubbles that appears inside this tube like instrument signifies that fermentation is taking place.
5. Liquid Thermometer is necessary to measure the required temperature of cooling and heating of water as well as the brew being fermented.
6. Hydrometer is a device necessary to measure the gravity of the wort during and after the fermentation.
7. Funnel is usually used on the bottling process.
8. Cleaning tools and sanitizers are the crucial equipments needed in home brewing. It should be noted that all the above devices must be sterilized before you start the brewing. This is to assure you that the fermentation will not be contaminated by microorganism such as bacteria. If all the devices are not properly sanitized, the fermentation is susceptible to contamination and this eventually ruins the whole process of producing good and quality beer.
9. In places where the weather is extremely cold, you will need belt heaters to maintain the required fermentation temperature, likewise, you need also chillers or coolers in places where the weather is extremely hot. Other uses of these devices are for quick and easy cooling and heating purposes during the whole process of brewing to fermentation.
10. Lastly, you will need bottles and caps for packaging.
Basically, these are the common and required equipment you need to start home brewing. They are practically
available in all stores supplying home brew ingredients. In cases of absence, you are recommended to improvise so long as the first principle is observed. That is to see to it that before anything else, sanitized the equipment.
Now that you are familiar with these items your next problem will be the procedure or recipes which would tell you the ingredients you will need to start brewing.
In a listing of the most basic home brewing equipment, chances are you will not see the Kegerator. Well, this should not come as a surprise since this equipment is not considered as a basic. For many connoisseurs, this draft beer system is for the advanced enthusiasts of home brewing. They say that you are not a complete beer snob if you don't own one.
So what makes the Kegerator a special kind of equipment for addition in your home?
Well, this is simply that system that can dispense the beer every time you need it. Add this to your home party, and you have a personal assistant that can deliver the home-brewed beer to your friends. This system is tasked to keep the beer cold and at the same time ensure its dispensing and the carbonation system. Now there are three basic types of this system.
• Under the counter units. This can be added or built into the cabinet or the counter.
• Stand-alone units. This is best selected if the intent is to place the system anywhere inside the house.
• Outdoor units. Since these systems are placed outdoors, expect these units to be durable. The construction can be made from stainless steel so that these are protected from the moisture. For outside parties, consider the outdoor units.
Other than these choices, you can also consider the refrigerator conversion kits. These kits allow you to dispense the beer as you please without spending much on the units. All you have to do is to convert your existing refrigerator in order to become a beer system for the home.
The nice thing about this system is that this is easy to do, it is customizable and more importantly the refrigerator at home becomes multi-purpose. But then again, the choice will depend on the budget and the needs.
And, certainly, it is your motivation to become a hardcore hobbyist of home brewing.
If you are thinking of adding this system to your collection, some things should be considered and realized.
Did you know that when you are backed by this system, you can save on costs? That instead of buying cans and bottles, all you need to use is that system for storage purposes. The usual half keg that you can use can carry as much as 15 gallons of the alcoholic drink which in turn translates to 6 cases of beer. Now, think about the convenience that this will bring you every time you host a party in your home.
No more running for another case of beer, right?
And the presence of this system is important since beer needs to be kept cold, and the keg surely does the job well. Once you have realized the importance of having the system, make sure that you understand how it works. You need this information in order to properly clean and maintain your system for home brewing. Others may think that this is an extra cost, but the extra enjoyment will surely have no monetary equivalent.
