What home brewing equipment do I need?

If you are wondering where to start with home brewing and what equipment is needed, the list below should give you a good starting point.

A fermenter - is where it all happens! The fermenter should be either made out of glass or plastic and come with a lid. It will hold about 6.5 gallons of liquid.

A Hydrometer - used for checking the gravitiy of your brew in order to work out the alcohol content

A Thermometer - enables you to keep a close eye on the temperature of your home brew during the fermentation period which is very important if you want a decent tasting beer.

Airlock - that fits into the fermenter to stop the build up of carbon dioxide and potential explosions!

Bottling tube - to syphon your home brew into bottles or any other containers.

Brewing pot or kettle - for brewing up your ingredeints before transfer to the fermenter.

Strainer/sediment reducer - for removing sediment when transferring your beer.

Plastic spoon - for stirring your brew

Bottles and bottle caps - where your brew will be stored prior to drinking for secondary fermentation

Sanitising and cleaning chemicals - we all know how important cleanliness is in the process of home brewing!

And the final part of your home brewing kit is the beer or lager you intend to brew consisting of a beer/lager kit, brewers yeast, brewing sugar etc.

Most of the above should come if you purchase a home beer kit which is one of the easiest ways to get started home brewing beer.

How long does home brew beer take to ferment?

This isn't an easy question to answer as every brew will take a different amount of time depending on the ingredients used, temperature ranges involved and type of beer to be brewed. There are also two types of fermentation, primary (in the plastic fermenter) and secondary (in your brew bottles).

Primary fermentation

If you allow at least 7 days and up to about 10 days for your brew to ferment you won't go far wrong with your primary fermentation. Remember though, if the air lock is still bubbling, your beer has not finished fermenting.

A more accurate way to determine whether primary fermentation has finished is to use a hydrometer to check the gravity hasn't changed. Once the gravity remains constant throughout the fermentation process, you can start secondary fermentation.

Secondary fermentation

The secondary fermentation time (time in the bottles) usually takes at least 14 days but the longer you can leave your brew in the bottle the better. Remember to keep your bottles nice and cool (a cellar is as good a place as any).

All in all, the total time your home brew beer should take to ferment, including primary and secondary fermentation, is at least 21 days.

Home Brewing - Quick Tips for a Quality Brew

Here are some useful home brewing tips that you can implement for a quality home brew.

1. Sanitise all your brewing equipment thoroughly before and after use to prevent bacteria from ruining your home brew.

2. Watch out for the water! If you don't want a funny tasting brew it might be a good idea to use bottled water or at least boil your tap water before using it in your beer.

3. Make sure your home brew kit ingredients are not past their use by dates. It goes without saying that fresh brewing supplies usually result in a higher quality brew.

4. Ensure you ferment your brew at the right temperature. If you get this wrong you will spoil your brew completely.

There are many more brewing tips that can result in a better beer but if you follow the quick brewing tips above you should be well on your way to a great tasting beer!

Home Brew Bottles - Which should I use?

There is much debate concerning the type of bottles to use for your home brew beer. One of the key decisions comes down to whether to use plastic or glass. The thing to bear in mind if you use plastic beer bottles is that they can lose carbon dioxide over long periods. With this in mind, If your brew requires a long fermentation time you might be better off using glass bottles instead. Glass bottles are also more robust and don't harbor bacteria like the plastic equivalents can and we all know the importance of sanitised equipment during the brewing process!

How to use a home brewing kit

Using an home brewing kit is quite simple if you follow the instructions that come with the kit. In a nutshell you simply dissolve the ingredients into water before adding yeast and brewing sugar and leaving to ferment. You do get what you pay for though and cheaper kits tend to use less malt extract and therefore need more sugar to extend the brewing time. A quality beer kit may only need sugar for priming the bottle or barrel and will give a superior ale.

Is home brewing legal?

Each country has their own laws on home brewing although most countries will allow you to brew your own beer or wine, some place limits on the amount you can legaly make. Most countries don't allow the production of distilled drinks however.

Home Brewing in the UK

If you live in the United Kingdom, the amount of fermented drinks you can brew for domestic use is unlimited. You cannot sell the beverages you brew but can make your own wine, or brew beer and cider for your own use and that of friends and family.

Home Brewing in the USA

In America, you are allowed to brew up to 200 gallons of beer or wine for personal use or that of your friends or family. Some states however limit the federal production limits.

www.homebrewingkits.co.uk is a great resource where you can find more information on the legality of home brewing. The Home Brew kits page is particulalry useful containing many frequently asked questions about home brewing and home brew kits.

Home Beer Kits – Simple to use and great value for money

If you want a simple way to start home brewing beer then home beer kits are a probably the cheapest and easiest method to get you started. You can start with a budget kit or one of the best full malt kits, the choice is yours.

Quality Beer for pence not pounds

With beer prices rising continually and the economic climate showing little improvement, brewing your own beer at prices well below pub or supermarket beer prices is very tempting. When you consider the additional benefit of the beer being of much higher quality than that you would buy, home beer kits are a no brainer!

Home Beer Kits are easy to use

A home beer kit will contain all you need to get started brewing and the instructions are very easy to follow. Just remember to keep all your brewing equipment clean. Most people’s first venture into home brewing is with the use of a beer making starter kit so if you want to get started purchase yourself a home beer kit today.