Checklist For Brewing Beer At Home

Brewing beer from the comfort of your own home is a fun and rewarding hobby that gives you the opportunity to experiment with new recipes. If you enjoy a more full-bodies beer, then perhaps you should add more hops to your brew. For a higher alcohol content, simply add more sugar. It’s this level of freedom that draws so many people to brewing their own beer. If this is your first time attempt to brew beer, keep reading for a breakdown of all the necessary supplies and ingredients.

Kettle With Lid

A basic 5-gallon stainless steel cooking kettle with lid is necessary to brew beer. This should offer more than enough room to cook all your ingredients in a timely manner. As you become more adept at brewing beer, you may want to upgrade to a larger kettle. Until then, however, stick with a 5-gallon kettle and lid. You can find them available for sale at most home goods stores for about $10-$15 bucks a piece, so purchasing one isn’t going to break the bank.

Fermenter

As the name suggests, a fermenter is a container where the beer sits to ferment. Leaving your beer in an open bucket or container will result in contamination from dust, dirt, bacteria, moisture, etc. This is why it’s necessary to place your beer inside a fermenter during this critical stage. Several online beer brewing stores sell them, or you can make your own with a little bit of ingenuity. Just remember to use an air-tight container for your fermenter; otherwise, you run the risk of contaminating your brew.

Sanitizer

A high-quality sanitizing agent is also necessary to keep your equipment clean and germ-free. Some people simply use soap and water to clean their equipment, but unfortunately this won’t kill all of the germs. Use an appropriate sanitizing agent after each and every brew to ensure your equipment is safe and ready for future use.

Other Necessities…

There are a few other things you’ll need to brew a good batch of beer. The basic ingredients of beer are malt extract, hops, sugar and yeast. The yeast works to transform the sugars into alcohol during the fermentation stage; therefore, having the right amount is critical to brewing a good batch of beer.

Lastly, some bottling equipment is recommended for brewing beer at home. Beer that’s exposed to the air for several hours on end will begin to go bad. Thankfully, you can prevent this from happening by bottling your beer.