Home Brewing Equipment Could Be In your Cupboards Already.

Home brewing equipment is most probably already in your cupboards.  That is what I found out all those years ago.  And…..yes the home brew kits do make it so much easier but if you are short on cash then there is no excuse to not go ahead if you really want to brew your own beer at home.

You can always put one of the brewing kits on your Christmas or Birthday wish list but for now here is a list of what you will need to be on your way.

Go through this list and you will find that some of the items you will have.  BTW the plastic bucket with lid, make sure you get one that is food safe, that is very important.

• A Large Pot - at least 3 gallons in size, though a larger one will
generally result in fewer spills
• Tubing & Clamp – to siphon the beer – most common is 3/8″ ID food
grade plastic tubing. Clamps are available at your brew store.
• An Airtight Fermenter – a 5 gal plastic bucket with lid, or a glass
carboy. If you can afford it, purchase a glass carboy as they are easier to
clean and don’t leak. If you get a carboy you may need a large brush to
clean it
• An Air Lock and Stopper – sized to fit your fermenter
• A Bottle Filler – available from your homebrew supplier – should be
sized to fit your tubing
• A Thermometer – with a range of 0-100 C or up from 32-220 F
• Bottles – You need just over 2 cases in 12 oz bottles to bottle your beer.
Do not use twist off bottles – get the bottles that you have to pry the lid
off.
• Bottle Brush – While not absolutely required, you usually need a good
brush to get your bottles clean
• A Bottle Capper – a hand driven device to cap your bottles
• Bottle Caps – New bottle caps sold at your brewing supplier – you
need about 50 caps for a 5 gal batch

A Sterilizing solution – Household bleach can be used, but it must be
thoroughly rinsed to prevent contamination. Your brew store may also have
other alternatives such as iodophor and starsan that also sterilize well.