From basic starter kits perfect for beginners to specialized equipment for the experienced brewer, we’ve researched and tested the best options on the market. Each recommendation comes with detailed insights to help you make informed decisions as you build or enhance your home brewing arsenal. Let’s dive into the world of home brewing and discover the tools that will elevate your craft beer game!
1. Home Brew Supplies And Craft Beer Kits Starter Guide
For those just beginning their brewing journey, a complete starter kit provides everything needed to create your first batch of homemade beer. These all-in-one packages eliminate the guesswork of gathering individual components and ensure compatibility between different pieces of equipment.
Quality starter kits typically include a fermenter, airlock, bottling equipment, sanitizer, and your first recipe kit with malt extract, hops, and yeast. Many also come with detailed instructions perfect for first-time brewers who are still learning the basics of the brewing process.
We recommend these excellent options for beginners:
- Northern Brewer Brew Share Enjoy Homebrew Starter Kit – Perfect for beginners with foolproof instructions and premium ingredients. Check Price
- Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit – Apartment-friendly 1-gallon kit with reusable equipment. Check Availability
Featured Pick: MoreBeer Premium Gold Beer Kit
This comprehensive kit includes everything a serious brewer needs: a stainless steel brew kettle, glass carboy, digital thermometer, auto-siphon, and complete bottling setup. The premium components ensure years of brewing success.
2. Fermentation Vessels
The fermenter is where the magic happens – yeast transforms wort into beer during this crucial stage. Your choice of fermentation vessel can significantly impact the quality of your finished craft beer. Options range from affordable plastic buckets to premium stainless steel conical fermenters.
For beginners, food-grade plastic buckets offer an economical entry point, while glass carboys provide better visibility of the fermentation process. Advanced brewers often prefer stainless steel conical fermenters for their durability, temperature control capabilities, and ease of harvesting yeast.
- FastFerment Conical Fermenter – Innovative design that simplifies the transfer process (https://amazon.com/dp/B00OEDTKTY?tag=prepetfen-20)
- Big Mouth Bubbler Glass Carboy – Wide-mouth design for easy cleaning with volume markings (https://amazon.com/dp/B00ODSS5RE?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: SS Brewtech Brew Bucket
This stainless steel fermenter combines affordability with professional features. The rotating racking arm and ball valve make transfers easy while minimizing oxidation and contamination risks. Perfect for serious homebrewers looking to upgrade from plastic or glass.
3. Brew Kettles
A quality brew kettle is the foundation of your brewing setup. This is where you’ll boil your wort, add hops, and create the base for your beer. When selecting a brew kettle, consider volume (typically 5-10 gallons for home brewers), material quality, and additional features like built-in thermometers or spigots.
Stainless steel kettles are the industry standard due to their durability, heat distribution properties, and resistance to corrosion. Features like volume markings, reinforced handles, and three-piece ball valves can significantly improve your brewing experience.
- Bayou Classic 8-Gallon Brew Kettle – Affordable stainless steel option with spigot and thermometer (https://amazon.com/dp/B000VXHKMC?tag=prepetfen-20)
- Concord 10-Gallon Kettle – Heavy-duty construction with dual filtration system (https://amazon.com/dp/B00DU0NVMY?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: BrewBuilt Brewing Kettle
This premium kettle features a tri-clad bottom for superior heat distribution, integrated volume markings, and a professional-grade ball valve. The silicone-grip handles stay cool during brewing, and the precision thermometer ensures accurate temperature readings.
4. Wort Chillers
Quickly cooling your wort after boiling is crucial for beer clarity, flavor development, and preventing contamination. Wort chillers dramatically reduce cooling time from hours to minutes, allowing you to pitch yeast at the optimal temperature range.
There are three main types: immersion chillers (copper or stainless steel coils placed directly in the wort), counterflow chillers (wort flows through an inner tube while cold water flows in the opposite direction), and plate chillers (most efficient but require more cleaning).
- NY Brew Supply Copper Immersion Chiller – Efficient 50′ copper design with garden hose fittings (https://amazon.com/dp/B00HJPJ7RY?tag=prepetfen-20)
- Kegco Counterflow Chiller – Professional-grade for rapid cooling (https://amazon.com/dp/B003UCCLG6?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: Exchilerator Counterflow Chiller
This high-efficiency counterflow chiller cools your wort to pitching temperature in a single pass. The copper inner tube provides excellent heat transfer while the outer shell protects from contamination. Includes all necessary fittings for standard brewing setups.
5. Hydrometers and Thermometers
Precision measurements are essential for consistent, quality brewing. Hydrometers measure the specific gravity of your wort and beer, allowing you to calculate alcohol content and monitor fermentation progress. Thermometers ensure you’re hitting the right temperatures throughout the brewing process.
Digital thermometers offer quick, accurate readings, while traditional glass hydrometers remain the standard for gravity measurements. For advanced brewers, combination tools like refractometers can provide additional data points for fine-tuning recipes.
- Brewing Triple Scale Hydrometer – Measures potential alcohol, specific gravity, and Brix (https://amazon.com/dp/B07DYFPD9G?tag=prepetfen-20)
- ThermoPro Digital Brewing Thermometer – Fast readings with waterproof probe (https://amazon.com/dp/B014JWMMM4?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: Tilt Hydrometer and Thermometer
This revolutionary device floats in your fermenter and continuously transmits real-time gravity and temperature readings to your smartphone. Track fermentation progress without opening your fermenter, reducing contamination risk and oxidation.
6. Bottling Equipment
Once fermentation is complete, proper bottling equipment ensures your beer is packaged properly for carbonation and storage. A basic bottling setup includes a bottling bucket with spigot, auto-siphon, bottle filler, caps, and a capper.
Quality bottles are essential – amber glass provides the best protection against light that can cause skunky flavors. For those looking to streamline the process, counter-pressure bottle fillers or small-scale kegging systems offer alternatives to traditional bottling.
- Ferrari Super Agata Bench Capper – Durable metal construction for reliable capping (https://amazon.com/dp/B001D6KGTK?tag=prepetfen-20)
- Spring Tip Bottle Filler – Reduces oxygen exposure during bottling (https://amazon.com/dp/B000E66F4S?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: Complete Bottling Kit Bundle
This all-in-one bottling solution includes a 6.5-gallon bottling bucket with spigot, auto-siphon, bottle filler, 24 amber bottles, caps, twin-lever capper, and bottle brush. Everything you need to package your homebrew like a professional.
7. Sanitizers and Cleaners
Proper sanitation is perhaps the most critical aspect of successful brewing. Even the best ingredients and equipment can’t save a beer from contamination. A two-step process of cleaning (removing visible debris) followed by sanitizing (killing microorganisms) is essential.
No-rinse sanitizers like Star San have revolutionized home brewing by providing effective sanitation without the risk of off-flavors from residual sanitizer. Pair these with specialized brushes and cleaners designed for brewing equipment for best results.
- Star San No-Rinse Sanitizer – Industry standard that’s effective and food-safe (https://amazon.com/dp/B0064O92VE?tag=prepetfen-20)
- PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash) – Professional-grade alkaline cleaner (https://amazon.com/dp/B0064O7XBA?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: Brewing Sanitation Kit
This comprehensive kit includes everything needed for proper brewing hygiene: Star San sanitizer, PBW cleaner, carboy brush, bottle brush, and spray bottle. The included guide explains best practices for cleaning and sanitizing each piece of brewing equipment.
8. Recipe Ingredient Kits
Recipe kits take the guesswork out of ingredient selection and provide everything needed to brew a specific beer style. These kits typically include malt extract or grain, hops, yeast, and detailed instructions calibrated for consistent results.
For beginners, extract kits offer simplicity and reliability. All-grain kits provide more control for experienced brewers. Many suppliers offer seasonal and specialty kits that allow you to brew unique styles without sourcing rare ingredients individually.
- Brewer’s Best Imperial IPA Kit – Bold, hoppy recipe with premium ingredients (https://amazon.com/dp/B003SSCJIE?tag=prepetfen-20)
- Northern Brewer Bavarian Hefeweizen Kit – Classic German wheat beer recipe (https://amazon.com/dp/B01CJKZK1K?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: Craft A Brew Recipe Kit Collection
This curated collection includes three popular beer styles: American Pale Ale, Chocolate Milk Stout, and New England IPA. Each kit contains fresh ingredients measured to perfection and step-by-step instructions. Perfect for exploring different beer styles.
9. Grain Mills
For all-grain brewers, a quality grain mill is essential for proper crush consistency. Freshly crushed grain provides better extraction efficiency and flavor compared to pre-crushed options. Adjustable roller mills allow you to fine-tune the crush based on your specific brewing system.
Most home brewing mills feature two rollers with adjustable gaps and a hopper for holding grain. Hand-cranked models are popular for their simplicity, while drill attachments can speed up the process for larger batches.
- Monster Mill MM-2 – Durable construction with precision rollers (https://amazon.com/dp/B003SSCJIE?tag=prepetfen-20)
- Cereal Killer Grain Mill – Affordable option with adjustable settings (https://amazon.com/dp/B00TZKPYUO?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: Barley Crusher Malt Mill
This American-made mill features adjustable 1018 cold-rolled steel rollers and a 7-pound hopper capacity. The precision gap settings ensure consistent crush quality, while the solid construction guarantees years of reliable service for serious all-grain brewers.
10. Mash Tuns
All-grain brewing requires a dedicated vessel for mashing – the process where enzymes convert grain starches into fermentable sugars. A proper mash tun maintains stable temperatures and efficiently separates the liquid wort from grain solids.
Insulated coolers converted with false bottoms and ball valves are popular DIY options, while purpose-built stainless steel mash tuns offer durability and precise temperature control. The false bottom or manifold system is crucial for proper wort separation without clogging.
- Cooler Mash Tun Conversion Kit – Transform a cooler into a functional mash tun (https://amazon.com/dp/B078WTGKDR?tag=prepetfen-20)
- Chapman 10-Gallon Insulated Mash Tun – Complete system with thermometer (https://amazon.com/dp/B07KXSQ38F?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: SS Brewtech InfuSsion Mash Tun
This professional-grade stainless steel mash tun features double-wall insulation for temperature stability, a precision thermometer, and an engineered false bottom for optimal wort collection. The tri-clamp fittings and silicone gaskets ensure a leak-free brewing experience.
11. Kegging Systems
Kegging offers numerous advantages over bottling: it’s faster, reduces oxidation risk, allows for carbonation level adjustments, and provides a professional draft experience. A basic kegging setup includes a cornelius keg, CO2 tank with regulator, and various hoses and connectors.
Cornelius (Corny) kegs, repurposed from the soda industry, are the standard for home brewers. Ball lock systems are slightly more common than pin lock, though both work equally well. Consider a dual-gauge regulator for monitoring both tank pressure and dispensing pressure.
- Kegco Single Tap Kegerator Conversion Kit – Transform a refrigerator into a draft system (https://amazon.com/dp/B0759XSM8F?tag=prepetfen-20)
- 5-Gallon Ball Lock Cornelius Keg – Reconditioned stainless steel keg (https://amazon.com/dp/B07CX4WNKJ?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: Complete Kegging System
This comprehensive system includes everything needed to start kegging: a new 5-gallon stainless steel cornelius keg, 5lb CO2 tank with dual-gauge regulator, ball lock disconnects, beer and gas lines, faucet, and cleaning accessories. The illustrated guide makes setup simple even for kegging beginners.
12. Temperature Controllers
Maintaining proper fermentation temperatures is crucial for beer flavor and quality. Temperature controllers allow you to convert standard refrigerators or freezers into precision fermentation chambers, giving you the ability to ferment any beer style regardless of ambient conditions.
Digital controllers offer precise temperature regulation by cycling the cooling appliance on and off as needed. More advanced models include heating capabilities for cold environments and data logging to track temperature stability throughout fermentation.
- Inkbird ITC-308 Temperature Controller – Affordable dual-stage controller (https://amazon.com/dp/B01HXM5UAC?tag=prepetfen-20)
- Johnson Controls Digital Thermostat – Commercial-grade reliability (https://amazon.com/dp/B00368D6JA?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: BrewJacket Immersion Pro
This innovative system controls fermentation temperature without a refrigerator. The stainless steel rod cools your fermenter from the inside while the smart controller maintains precise temperatures. Perfect for apartment brewers or those with limited space for a dedicated fermentation chamber.
13. All-In-One Electric Brewing Systems
Electric all-in-one brewing systems have revolutionized home brewing by combining multiple vessels into a single unit with precise temperature control. These systems typically handle mashing, boiling, and sometimes even whirlpooling in one compact package.
The main advantages include consistent results, space efficiency, and the ability to brew indoors without propane. Most systems feature programmable controllers that can automate the brewing process and even store favorite recipes.
- Brewzilla All-In-One Electric Brewing System – Affordable entry into electric brewing (https://amazon.com/dp/B07ZWWMWMQ?tag=prepetfen-20)
- Anvil Foundry All-In-One System – American-made quality with recirculation capability (https://amazon.com/dp/B07V2VXNV9?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: Grainfather Connect All-In-One System
This sophisticated brewing system connects to your smartphone for complete brew day control. The 1600W heating element, counterflow wort chiller, and precise temperature regulation deliver professional-quality results. The companion app guides you through each brewing step and stores your recipes.
14. Water Treatment Supplies
Water chemistry plays a crucial role in beer flavor and brewing efficiency. Different beer styles traditionally developed in regions with specific water profiles, and replicating these profiles can help achieve authentic flavors. Basic water treatment supplies include pH meters, mineral salts, and water test kits.
For beginners, campden tablets to remove chlorine and chloramine from tap water are a good starting point. Advanced brewers often use mineral additions like gypsum, calcium chloride, and epsom salt to adjust water hardness and enhance hop or malt character.
- Brewing Water Chemistry Kit – Complete mineral salt collection with instructions (https://amazon.com/dp/B07ZWZ6WZ5?tag=prepetfen-20)
- Apera Instruments pH20 Tester – Accurate pH readings for mash and water adjustments (https://amazon.com/dp/B01ENFOHN8?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: Ward Labs Brewing Water Test Kit
This professional water analysis kit provides comprehensive testing of your brewing water, including all minerals relevant to brewing. The detailed report helps you understand your water profile and make appropriate adjustments for different beer styles. Essential for brewers serious about water chemistry.
15. Brewing Books and References
While equipment and ingredients are essential, knowledge is perhaps the most valuable brewing resource. A good brewing library helps you understand the science behind brewing, troubleshoot problems, and develop your own recipes. From beginner guides to advanced technical references, there’s a brewing book for every level.
Digital brewing software and apps complement traditional books by helping with recipe formulation, brewing calculations, and inventory management. Many also include extensive style guidelines and ingredient databases.
- How to Brew by John Palmer – Comprehensive guide from beginner to advanced (https://amazon.com/dp/1938469356?tag=prepetfen-20)
- Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil Zainasheff – Award-winning recipes for 80+ styles (https://amazon.com/dp/0937381926?tag=prepetfen-20)
Featured Pick: The Complete Homebrewer’s Library
This curated collection includes five essential brewing references: “How to Brew” by John Palmer, “The Complete Joy of Homebrewing” by Charlie Papazian, “Brewing Classic Styles,” “Water: A Comprehensive Guide,” and “Yeast: The Practical Guide.” Together, they provide a complete brewing education from basics to advanced techniques.
Start Your Brewing Journey Today
The world of home brewing offers endless possibilities for creativity and craftsmanship. With the right supplies and equipment, you can create craft beers that rival commercial offerings right in your own kitchen. Whether you’re just starting out with a basic kit or building an advanced brewing system, the tools and resources in this guide will help you brew with confidence.
Remember that quality ingredients and proper technique are just as important as good equipment. Take time to learn the fundamentals, keep detailed brewing records, and don’t be afraid to experiment once you’ve mastered the basics. The home brewing community is incredibly supportive – connect with local clubs or online forums to share experiences and continue learning.
Now that you’re equipped with knowledge about the essential home brew supplies and craft beer kits, it’s time to start brewing your own exceptional craft beer. Cheers to your brewing success!