Everything You Need To Make Beer Using A Beer Kit
You may have purchased a complete beer making kit, in which case you should have everything you need to get brewing straight away. However if you still need to buy your equipment read on to find out what sort of gear you are going to need from the brewing process right up to bottling.
The largest piece of equipment you will need to invest in is a fermenting vessel or fermenting bucket. Not to put too finer point on it, it’s a bucket! Most beer kits on the market are designed to make 5 gallons of beer (around 40 pints). The fermenting bin is where the kit is turned into beer by the yeast so it needs to be big enough for the complete volume of beer you are making. Fermenting bins of this kind are fairly inexpensive and should last quite a while if you take care of it.
A smaller fermenting bin is available along with our very own beer kits in the shop.
A regular spoon isn’t going to cut it unfortunately, beer kits are usually of a thick syrupy consistency and you are going to need a paddle or spoon long enough to reach the bottom of the fermenting vessel.
When beer ferments it creates gas in the form of carbon dioxide. This all happens in the fermenting bin which has a lid. The airlock is a device that fits in the lid of the fermenting bin and allows the carbon dioxide to escape but also prevents any air back in which could potentially spoil your beer.
Moving beer from one vessel to another without splashing it around everywhere is important. Syphon tubing provides a more hygienic way to transport your beer between vessels and to fill bottles.
To package your freshly made beer you will need one of the following options:
Plastic PET Bottles and Screw Top Lids
This is the first option for packaging your beer.Plastic bottles are cheaper than glass and will do the job just fine. If you are making your first beer the most practical option would be to buy some PET screw top bottles along with your other supplies, they are reusable and very simple to fill, clean and store.
Glass Bottles with Crown Caps and Capper
Glass is more robust and you can easily reuse the bottles from shop bought beer.
