Home Brewing Part 2: The Gear

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In my last post, I gave a general overview of the brewing process and the equipment you would need to brew a batch of beer. In this post, I will give a comprehensive listing of the tools and equipment needed to brew a batch of all-grain or extract beer. I will also post links to example items on Amazon and various other sites. In addition, there will be several future DIY posts detailing every trick I know to save money on getting equipped. Unfortunately, There are some costs which are unavoidable. At the end of each item description, there will be an estimated cost for that item and any variants/substitutions. A total cost estimate will be provided at the end of this article.

Note: All items marked with E are necessary for extract brewing. Items marked with AG are necessary for all-grain brewing. Items marked with both are needed for both. In addition, items marked with DIY are scheduled to be the topic of future Do-It-Yourself posts.

The Equipment List

The basic list of kitchen hardware you will need is:

A mash-tun. A mash-tun is the object you will use to “mash,” or release starches from, the grains. This process also converts these starches to sugars, which is the food for the yeast to begin fermentation. Although designs for rectangular ice chests exist, a mash-tun is usually a converted round ice cooler. (see fig.1) AG, DIY

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(fig 1. Pre-made mash-tun. Cost: $155.56 @ Amazon.com here

A large brew-kettle. 6+ gallon capacity. You will want a larger size than your ultimate brewing amount so you can allow for loss during the boiling process. Preferably this would be made of stainless steel with a built-in drain spigot and temperature gauge. Aluminum can be used and is much cheaper but, there are a few considerations. With an aluminum brew pot, an oxidizing layer must be given to protect the inside of the pot from contact with the acidic wort solution. One good boil for 30 minutes in medium to hard water should accomplish this. The second is that oxygen based cleaners such as Oxy-Clean cannot be used on aluminum due to their caustic nature. This can create problems with sanitation, as most standard brewing-equipment cleaners are oxygen based. The next problem is that you will likely not find an aluminum kettle with the built-in temp gauge and drain spigot. See Fig. 2-3 for examples of each type of brew kettle. AG, E

(fig. 2 Professional brew kettle. Cost: $109.99 @ Amazon.com here

(fig. 3 Aluminum Turkey Fryer Pot w/ Accessories Cost: $41.40 @ Amazon.com here

An outdoor propane burner. The reasoning here is that, with such a large brewing kettle, most electric stoves won't bring it to a high enough temperature, or maintain the necessary temperatures. These burners are relatively inexpensive and can be had from nearly any big-box outlet or online retailer.(see fig. 4) AG, E

(Propane burner. Cost: $59.99 @ Amazon.com here

A large stainless steel ladle. This will need to be steel since it will be used for stirring the acidic wort.(see fig. 5) AG, E

(fig. 5 21" Stirring spoon. Cost: $9.60 @ Amazon.com here

A hydrometer. This us used for taking “gravity” readings of the wort, both after boiling and after fermentation is complete. These readings are based on the sugar content of the wort and will give you you alcohol-by-volume (ABV) content. These are usually available from your local home brew store or online through various retailers such as Amazon (see fig. 6) Ag, E

(fig. 6 Hydrometer Kit. Cost: $16.95 @ Amazon.com here

A set of cheese cloths. These will be used to add specialty grains to the wort. Essentially, you use these to create a steeping bag for a small amount of grains such as caramel toasted and dark grains. These are inexpensive and available at most grocery stores.(see fig. 7) Ag, E

*(fig. 7 Cheese cloth straining bags. Cost $12.99 @ Amazon.com here

A wort chiller. This is used to chill the wort after boiling as fast as possible to around 70°C. It is a copper coil that cold water can be run through, utilizing a set of water hoses attached to your kitchen sink or garden hose outlet. These can be purchased at local home brew stores, online or they can be made at home using parts from your local hardware store.(see fig. 8) Ag, E, DIY

(fig. 8 Wort Chiller. Cost: $47.25 @ Amazon.com here

Beer bottles, pop-top type w/ caps. As an alternative, “swing-cap” bottles can be used as well, e.g. Grolsh Beer style bottles (*see fig. ) These can be purchased new and unused from online retailers and local home brew stores or, you can acquire them the old fashioned way; by drinking beer and saving the empties. Recycling for the win!!! (see figs. 9-12) Ag, E, DIY

(fig. 9 Bottle Caps pkg of 144. Cost: $5.92 @ Amazon.com here

(fig. 10 Beer Bottles Pkg of 24. Cost: $21.46 @ Amazon.com here

(fig 11 Swing Top Bottles w/Caps Pkg of 12. Cost: $29.99 @ Amazon.comhere

(fig. 12 Swing Top Bottle Caps Pkg of 12. Cost: $11.39 @ Amazon.com here

Bottle brushes, various sizes. I would suggest 2 at a minimum one at least 12” long and the other at least 16' long. These will be used to clean the bottles before bottling the fermented wort. (see fig. 13) Ag, E

(fig 13 Bottle Brush Set Cost: $11.98 @ Amazon.com here

All purpose cleaner. This is used to wash ALL surfaces prior to brewing. While there are many types of specialty cleaners, ordinary dish soap will suffice. It is, however, important to steer clear of scented soaps, as these can leave films and cause off flavorings in the finished product. (see fig. 14) Ag, E

(fig. 14 Unscented dish soap. Cost: $10.13 @ Amazon.com here

Food grade sanitizer. This is different from cleaner, which is simply to remove debris and dirt from the equipment. Sanitizer is intended to kill any organisms present on the equipment surface. There are many types of no-rinse sanitizers, but 1 oz of bleach to 5 gallons of water will do the job. (see fig. 15) Ag, E

(fig. 15 Star-San Sanitizer. Cost: $22.99 @ Amazon.com here

4 cup measuring cup. Typical kitchen measuring cup, available at any grocery or department store. (see fig. 16) Ag, E

(fig. 16 Pyrex Measuring Cup Set. Cost: $14.99 @ Amazon.com here

Fine mesh strainer, available at many grocery and department stores. (see fig. 17) Ag, E

(fig. 17 Strainer. Cost: $9.97 @ Amazon.com here

A cooking thermometer. Be sure to get one that is calibrated for high heat with a long, (10'+) probe. This is to ensure you can get a reading at any place in the wort while it is boiling or chilling, as well as being needed to pitch yeast at the proper temperatures. (see fig. 18) Ag, E

(fig. 18 Long Probe Thermometer (12" Probe). Cost: $8.79 @ Amazon.com here

A fermentation bucket. This can be anything from a nice glass carboy to a converted 5 gallon food grade bucket. Pre-made plastic buckets with drain spigots and pre-drilled airlock bungs can be purchased cheaply and, like the carboys, can usually be purchased online or through local home brew stores. (Do you sense I'm big on supporting your local businesses yet? LoL) (see fig. 19-21) AG, E

(fig. 19 Glass Carboy. Cost: $40.99 @ amazon.com here

(fig. 20 Fermentation/Bottling Bucket. Cost: $23.14 @ Amazon.com here

(fig. 21 Plastic bucket, Food Grade 2 gallon. Cost: $14.14 @ Amazon.com here

A bottling bucket. Like the fermentation bucket, there are a wide variety of bottling buckets. Typically, it is a food-grade, plastic 5 gallon bucket. In fact, the pre-made plastic 5 gallon fermentation buckets can be used for this purpose as well. (see fig 20) **Ag, E, **

An air-lock. This is for your fermentation bucket, so the gases can escape without creating a nasty situation in your garage. These can be purchased from any online retailer like Amazon or local home brew stores. (see fig. 22) **Ag, E, **

(fig. 22 Airlock Set of 3. Cost: $5.27 @ Amazon.,com here

An auto-siphon. Used for transferring wort from the brew kettle to fermentation bucket and during bottling. An auto-siphon is preferable to a pump due to it's ability to keep unwanted oxygen out of the wort. Available online and at local home brew stores. (see fig. 23) AG, E

(fig. 23 Auto-Siphon w/ Hose. Cost: $16.50 @ Amazon.com here

Keep in mind, this list is the equipment for brewing. Ingredients are a separate matter and will be delt with in another post.

Total Estimated Cost: $ 520.63
This cost is merely estimated. Equipment selections, such as glass carboy over plastic fermentation will drive this cost up.

Well, there you have it. A complete list of equipment you will need to brew a batch of beer. No, brewing beer isn't cheap to get set-up to do. The cost can be brought down considerably if you are willing to spend some time on a few DIY projects. It is a relaxing and enjoyable hobby that can, in the long run, save you money. A five gallon batch of beer can be brewed far cheaper than the equivalent amount can be bought. Plus, it's possible to brew clones of nearly any beer out there. I hope you enjoyed this post and that it helps you to start on your way to becoming a master brewer.

Peace