What's the essential equipment I need to get started?

Alice_h

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Hey everyone!
I'm taking my first steps in the world of homebrewing! I'm super excited to dive in and start making my own craft beers.
I'm basically starting my home brewery from scratch so I'm looking for some guidance. Any tips for a complete newbie like me?
What equipment should I get first? Where are some good places to buy it? Are there any good online resources or local shops you recommend?
Any advice or resources you could share would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
 
Hi Alice,

That's a pretty broad question. The first question for you is do you want to start simple with something like extract brewing or do you want to dive into the deep end and brew all-grain?

Many, if not most new brewers begin with extract brewing and start by buying a homebrew starter kit which typically includes a kettle, fermenter bucket with lid and air-lock, a bottling bucket, long handled stir spoon, a siphon wand and siphon hose, butterfly bottle capper and maybe a package of bottle caps. Many of these kits may also come with an ingredient kit consisting of malt extract, hops, yeast and maybe some grains for steeping.

With these ingredient kits the typical process is to heat 2 to 3 gallons of water in the kettle. If steeping grains are used then heat that water to the designated temperature, place the grains in the muslin bag provided in the kit and steep them for the time specified in the instructions. Then remove the bag of grains... bring the liquid to a boil and add the malt extract and hops according to the instructions. After 60 minutes of boiling turn off the heat and cool the liquid... now called wort... and add it to the fermentation bucket. The next step is to add fresh water to top the bucket up to 5 gallons. The last thing on your brew day is to sprinkle the yeast into the wort, seal the lid and insert the airlock. Keep the fermenter in a cool dark place like inside a closet and after a week or two the wort is now beer and can be bottled.

Now that's a very brief and basic overview and there are many nuances I have left out in the name of simplicity but those steps outlined will work. All grain is (or can be) more complex. Basically however keep in mind that the malt extract used in the above outline is made from malted grain that has been mashed and the wort preserved by drying or concentrated to a syrup. So in all grain brewing the first step is to mash malted barely to make the wort. After that is done the steps are the same... boil, add hops as scheduled, cool, pitch yeast, ferment and package.

All-grain brewing can be done using a variety of equipment. I started out mashing in a picnic cooler and boiling in a turkey fryer with propane burner (pic 1). Then I moved to three converted kegs, again using propane as a heat source, two pumps and a plate chiller (pic 2). After that I got tired of running out of propane and bought a three vessel electric system (pic 3). I still have that one but today I primarily brew on an all-in-one electric system (pic 4).

Books are an invaluable resource. YouTube videos can help but like all information found online it can be sketchy. Another option for learning is to find a local homebrew club nearby and attend a few meetings. Someone there will surely be glad to help you learn. Aside from that however I highly recommend getting a book or two.

The first book I got was called The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian. Charlie is considered the Godfather of homebrewing. He was teaching/preaching the joys of homebrewing long before it was even legal. His book was one of, if not THE first popular book written on the subject. I leaf through it today however and find it somewhat antiquated with information that was held as gospel at the time but today has been found to be inaccurate. The very best thing I gleaned from Charlies book however is the mantra - Relax, Don't Worry. Have A Homebrew. Often shortened to RDWHAHB. In short it simply means don't worry about troubles that may crop up during the brew process because beer wants to become beer. It may not end up as you planned but in the end it will be beer.

The book that is on the top of everyone's list these days is called How To Brew by John Palmer. John's first edition also has some out of date information but he has corrected those issues in the current 4th edition.

Brewing beer can be as simple or as complex as you wish it. One brewer will tell you A, B, C is important while the next will say no, no A, B, and D are the most important. That's why it's a good idea to do some reading first because at some point you have to make a decision and follow a path of your choosing. If it turns out wrong then so-be-it and take a different path the next time. It's just beer after all and you can make another batch.
 

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I recommend that you go all-electric from the start, rather than using a propane burner. There are many all-in-one electric systems that simplify the mashing and sparging process. They are space-efficient, simpler and cheaper (usually) than the old-style 3 vessel systems. You can get ones that are fully automated or ones that are manual. I suggest starting with a modestly-priced manual system to see how you like it before splurging on anything fancier. MoreBeer and Northern Brewer are two of the largest online suppliers, and they carry various brands. Go with a plastic fermenter for starters and avoid a glass carboy at all costs. The stainless ones are cool but very pricey. You can get a PET or HDPE fermenter for a fraction of the cost of stainless and the are safer than glass and easy to clean.

--GF
 
Hi Alice,

That's a pretty broad question. The first question for you is do you want to start simple with something like extract brewing or do you want to dive into the deep end and brew all-grain?

Many, if not most new brewers begin with extract brewing and start by buying a homebrew starter kit which typically includes a kettle, fermenter bucket with lid and air-lock, a bottling bucket, long handled stir spoon, a siphon wand and siphon hose, butterfly bottle capper and maybe a package of bottle caps. Many of these kits may also come with an ingredient kit consisting of malt extract, hops, yeast and maybe some grains for steeping.

With these ingredient kits the typical process is to heat 2 to 3 gallons of water in the kettle. If steeping grains are used then heat that water to the designated temperature, place the grains in the muslin bag provided in the kit and steep them for the time specified in the instructions. Then remove the bag of grains... bring the liquid to a boil and add the malt extract and hops according to the instructions. After 60 minutes of boiling turn off the heat and cool the liquid... now called wort... and add it to the fermentation bucket. The next step is to add fresh water to top the bucket up to 5 gallons. The last thing on your brew day is to sprinkle the yeast into the wort, seal the lid and insert the airlock. Keep the fermenter in a cool dark place like inside a closet and after a week or two the wort is now beer and can be bottled.

Now that's a very brief and basic overview and there are many nuances I have left out in the name of simplicity but those steps outlined will work. All grain is (or can be) more complex. Basically however keep in mind that the malt extract used in the above outline is made from malted grain that has been mashed and the wort preserved by drying or concentrated to a syrup. So in all grain brewing the first step is to mash malted barely to make the wort. After that is done the steps are the same... boil, add hops as scheduled, cool, pitch yeast, ferment and package.

All-grain brewing can be done using a variety of equipment. I started out mashing in a picnic cooler and boiling in a turkey fryer with propane burner (pic 1). Then I moved to three converted kegs, again using propane as a heat source, two pumps and a plate chiller (pic 2). After that I got tired of running out of propane and bought a three vessel electric system (pic 3). I still have that one but today I primarily brew on an all-in-one electric system (pic 4).

Books are an invaluable resource. YouTube videos can help but like all information found online it can be sketchy. Another option for learning is to find a local homebrew club nearby and attend a few meetings. Someone there will surely be glad to help you learn. Aside from that however I highly recommend getting a book or two.

The first book I got was called The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian. Charlie is considered the Godfather of homebrewing. He was teaching/preaching the joys of homebrewing long before it was even legal. His book was one of, if not THE first popular book written on the subject. I leaf through it today however and find it somewhat antiquated with information that was held as gospel at the time but today has been found to be inaccurate. The very best thing I gleaned from Charlies book however is the mantra - Relax, Don't Worry. Have A Homebrew. Often shortened to RDWHAHB. In short it simply means don't worry about troubles that may crop up during the brew process because beer wants to become beer. It may not end up as you planned but in the end it will be beer.

The book that is on the top of everyone's list these days is called How To Brew by John Palmer. John's first edition also has some out of date information but he has corrected those issues in the current 4th edition.

Brewing beer can be as simple or as complex as you wish it. One brewer will tell you A, B, C is important while the next will say no, no A, B, and D are the most important. That's why it's a good idea to do some reading first because at some point you have to make a decision and follow a path of your choosing. If it turns out wrong then so-be-it and take a different path the next time. It's just beer after all and you can make another batch.
I appreciate such a detailed answer!!
I already bought the ingredients for a few pilot batches. What kegging (somewhat similar to the photos you attached) and filling/bottling equipment distributors do you think I should look into?
 
I recommend that you go all-electric from the start, rather than using a propane burner. There are many all-in-one electric systems that simplify the mashing and sparging process. They are space-efficient, simpler and cheaper (usually) than the old-style 3 vessel systems. You can get ones that are fully automated or ones that are manual. I suggest starting with a modestly-priced manual system to see how you like it before splurging on anything fancier. MoreBeer and Northern Brewer are two of the largest online suppliers, and they carry various brands. Go with a plastic fermenter for starters and avoid a glass carboy at all costs. The stainless ones are cool but very pricey. You can get a PET or HDPE fermenter for a fraction of the cost of stainless and the are safer than glass and easy to clean.

--GF
I haven't heard about that type of equipment before. I will make sure to check it out. Thanks, buddy!
 
Bottling is cheaper and simpler to start with than kegging. You just need bottles, caps, and a capper. A bottling wand helps a lot but is not absolutely necessary. Look at the starter kits offered by MoreBeer and see what equipment they include.
 
Whatever you do, DO NOT buy a glass carboy as recommended above. They are heavy, hard to clean, and will shatter sooner or later with consequences that can be life threatening. The plastic alternatives are much better and safer. Stainless is safe and easy to clean, but expensive. Once again, I recommend that you look at the starter kits offered by MoreBeer, Northern Brewer, etc. You can purchase items one-by-one if you wish, but these bundled kits give you everything you need at a discount.

--GF
 
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