Making things on your own is arguably something that anyone can be proud of. You can literally make anything, although when it comes to making your own beer, there are various methods of brewing it, such as all-grain brewing, extract brewing, and beer kits. Beer kits are simpler, as they are a simplified method of extract brewing. If you want to add beer-making to your list of skills, here are the basic equipment you need to brew your own beer.
1. Fermenting Bucket
There are different fermenters available for your home brewing. Most brewers start out with a food-grade plastic bucket. Buckets are a great fermenter as they are economical, and easy to clean and modify.
The only drawback is that a lot of your beer will be exposed to air, so you cannot leave the beer in there for too long as oxygen will diffuse into the bucket through the seam of the lids and walls. The maximum you can leave it in there is probably around a month.
If you don’t fancy a plastic bucket or want to avoid oxygen diffusion, you can opt for a stainless steel bucket.
2. Airlock
An airlock is a small piece of plastic that is fixed to the top of your bucket and bubbles during the fermentation process. Airlocks are either three-piece or S-shaped airlocks. The three-piece can be disassembled into three pieces, which makes it easy to clean. Airlocks can get quite dirty during the fermentation process.
The S-shaped airlock has two chambers connected by a type of drain trap. Both airlocks will work fine but some prefer to use the three-piece during the initial fermentation and then the S-shaped airlock for any later fermentation.
3. Beer Kit
Opting for a beer kit to make your own homebrew is one of the best ways to brew. There are a variety of brew kits available from WiFi-enabled, electronic systems to simpler kits suitable for small batches of brewing.
You may easily fall for the first kit you see online or in-store, however, bear in mind a few factors before choosing one. Depending on your taste preference and skill level, it’s better to choose an appropriate home brew kit because that will make it much easier for you to brew your own beer. In addition, the right kit will provide you with tons of materials you might not have even thought of. It can be hard to source all the finicky items you’ve never even come across.
4. Long Stirrer
This is vital in order to brew the perfect pint. You will need to be able to mix everything together in order for it to ferment correctly.
5. Bottle Stick
Before bottling your beer, make sure to check that both the primary and secondary fermentation is done. You should check the specific gravity a few days apart. You will know it is done if the reading is the same on both days. If not, you should wait as this can cause your bottles to explode.
A bottle stick will enable you to fill up your bottles with ease. These are all sometimes known as bottle fillers.
6. Tap
What better way to complete your home brewing experience than with a beer tap. You might want to serve delicious cold pints from a beer tap for that cozy authentic home pub vibe.
These 6 items will help you get started on your homebrewing journey. A home kit will give you most of the items and materials you need. As a starter, you can probably get away with using beginner kits or plastic buckets.
