Making beer at home requires three things. The first is the right kit or equipment. The second is the right recipe or process to follow. The final thing required is the commitment to succeed. This is actually in the normal order of importance. You cannot brew good beer at home without the right home brewing equipment.

The Base Kit

As with all recipes, there are a base set of things that are needed to be included in your initial purchase of home brewing equipment. The biggest objects are the mixing (or brewing) vessel and the fermentation vessel. The fermentation vessel is often called a fermentor and includes special seals to keep the air out.

These and the other pieces of unique equipment you require can all be found in specialty stores that sell all the home brewing equipment you can imagine. However, some of the stuff may also be found in a good kitchen store. They typically draw the line at the special fermentation traps and other more sophisticated equipment you need to seal the vessels with. At that point you will need to return to your favorite home brewing equipment store.

You might also have a little trouble in locating the device to measure the specific gravity of the beer. You normally determine when a beer is ready to stop fermenting and complete clearing when the specific gravity has dropped to the predicted level. This level is determined by the specific ingredients in the beer and the amount of yeast used. The hydrometer, as it is called, is a very special piece of home brewing equipment. This device should not be confused with a hygrometer which is used to measure humidity.

There are two other types of components that are required before you can begin the brewing process. The first of these is the bottling paraphernalia. Home brewing equipment must include bottles, stuff to wash the bottles with, stuff to cap the bottles with and finally some means such as tubing to get the beer to the bottle. Bottling is a laborious process requiring great patience and care, as you try not to siphon the remnants of the fermentation into the bottles with the clear beer. Of course if you decide to use barrels, then your home brewing equipment list expands.

The second type and the final items on the list are the ingredients themselves. The ingredients are a special case and sometimes secret case, but they are perhaps the most important part of your home brewing equipment. You now have your home brewing equipment ready, the next step is to mix the brew, and drink the result.