If you’re ready to try out brewing your own beer, you’ll need the right equipment to get rolling. Below are some of the essential beer equipment need to get you on your beer brewing journey.

Fermenter

This is where the magic happens.  Here yeast converts the sugar in the wort into alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2).  Fermenters come in many different sizes from 1-gallon to large 10-gallon containers.  Most fermenters also are simply a plastic bucket with a lid and airlock.

Airlock

A small device that allows gas to escape from the fermenter while preventing back flow air from entering.  This is important because the air can oxidize the beer and cause some off-putting flavors.  Airlocks are typically filled with water and some even use high grain alcohol to prevent microbial contamination.

Hydrometer

This tool measures the specific gravity of the beer.  This is important as it allows you to track the fermentation progression – helping you determine when the beer is ready to be bottled.  Usually, a glass tube with a weighted bottom that floats in the beer.

Boiling pot

You’ll need a large pot to boil your wort in.  The size depends on the size of your brew batch – a 5 gallon pot is usually enough for brewing 1-2 gallon batches of beer.  Stainless stee or aluminum pots are the most common used in homebrewing.

Immersion chiller

This is a coil of copper tubing that is placed in the boiling wort to cool it down quickly.  Cooling the wort quickly helps prevent contamination and also help improve the clarity of the beer.

Bottles and capper

Once your beer is fermented, you’re ready to bottle.  You can use glass or plastic bottles (gasp!) but glass is the most common.  A hand-held capper is the most common type used to seal the bottles.

Sanitizer

This is essential beer brewing equipment as it keeps all of your equipment clean and sanitized to prevent contamination and skunky flavors.  There are many types out there to use – practice cleanliness!

This list will get you started on your beer brewing journey.  As you go, you’ll find what you like, what you don’t, etc.  The main thing is to start and have fun.  Cheers!

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