Even though it is true that there is an endless choice of craft beers that you can enjoy these days, it’s a fact that there is something extremely satisfying when it comes to brewing your own beer. Even though you may not end up with results that are as tasty as the professionals, but that’s not the point. It is the joy of taking on an endeavor that is a part-science experiment, part-art, and part-exercise in patience.
The 10 Best Types of Beer Brewing Equipment
The best part is ending up with a refreshing glass of beer that comes straight from your own brewery at the end of the day. Like most hobbies, beer brewing requires a fair amount of equipment before you can get started and that equipment, or most of it, comes with beer-making starter kits. So, to help you out, we have decided to review some of the best beer brewing equipment today.
Boiling Equipment
Unless you’re using a no-boil beer brewing kit, you’re going to need to boil, and during the 60 to 90- minute boiling process, you’re going to add hops and any flavoring grains to your wort. Boiling your hops will transform them on a molecular level, creating isomerized alpha acids, which are going to add the desired bittering to your brew.
Boiling also kills bacteria and sterilizing your brew before fermentation. This step helps you establish your target gravity and the correct volume of beer. You must remember that proper boiling tools are an essential part of home brewing equipment.
Brew Pots
The kettle that is holding your precious wort when it is boiling may seem basic to you, but you’ll be using it every time you’re going to brew, as it’s important to the final taste of your beer. You don’t need professional-grade equipment for this step, and you can choose to boil water in a big pot on your stove, but having a well-made, proper brew kettle will make all the difference in the brewing experience.
Wort Chillers
You should cool your brew quickly after boiling it as that prevents any growth of bacteria, and it also doesn’t develop a funky taste due to dimethyl sulfide or cloudy. However, cooling it fast enough with an ice bath is going to be tough, which is why you should use different types of wort chillers to cool your brew.
Propane Burners
The most important consideration you should have when buying a propane burner is the size of the burner. We don’t mean its physical size, but the British thermal units (BTUs), which are meant to measure the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water at maximum density. The BTU rating of your propane burner will tell you how fast the burner will boil the wort.
Hop Filter Screens and Infusers
You can let your hops, spices, and fruit float freely in the wort, but then they would gunk up the chiller or the carboy. You should use filter screens or infusers to get the flavor into your brew without creating a mess. A simple hand strainer can get the job done, but a more convenient method is using a mesh hop bag, as all you need to do is toss hops into the bag, tie it up, and put it in the kettle.
Brewing Paddles and Spoons
The utensils made for stirring mash are generally one to three feet long, and the paddles come with small openings in them to help break up the mash. The spoons provide a sturdy, yet solid surface for stirring, and both of them can be made from stainless steel, wood, heat-resistant plastic, and bamboo. What material you choose is your personal preference, and even though you don’t need a tool that is marketed as a home brewing equipment, you want something long and sturdy for stirring.
Brewing Thermometers
When you’re brewing beer, temperature is everything, as when you cool your wort too slowly, and you’ll need to worry about bacteria. If you miss the moment your wort is about to boil, you can have a mess on your hands. You need to know the right temperature to add the yeast as well. Most homebrewers tend to use candy thermometers or even the odd meat thermometer, but you need to have a dedicated thermometer for brewing to ensure you have an accurate temperature reading.
Fermenting Equipment
To get the alcohol content and carbonation in your beer, it is going to need to go through fermentation, and this process is the most time-consuming step in brewing, even though you don’t need to do most of the work that is involved here. All the heavy lifting during fermentation is done by yeast as it turns sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. You must have the right home brewing equipment for fermenting, and shouldn’t cut corners here.
Fermentation Containers
You will need to get a container that is appropriate for holding the wort while the yeast turns into beer. You can choose from several options, including a glass carboy, plastic carboy, fermenter bucket, conical fermenter, or an oak barrel.
Temperature Control
From pointing a fan at your fermenter to investing in a heater that wraps around the carboy, you can find many ways to adjust the fermenter temperature and keep it consistent. You can either use a thermometer for the job or make use of wraps and pads here.
Tubing
Tubing is necessary, and even though it is not exciting, it gets the liquids from point A to point B. You need to keep the tubing clean and expect to clean it regularly. The most important aspect here is to get the right size and type for the job.
Measuring and Testing Tools
To ensure this, you get the best brew possible and also that you can replicate it, again and again, you will need to measure the ingredients accurately and test the water quality and the wort. For that, you’re going to need the following equipment for the job.
Hydrometers and Test Jars
These are used for determining the specific gravity of wort during fermentation to track its transformation into beer. That is the reason hydrometers and test jars are an important home brewing equipment. They don’t cost a lot of money but perform the important function of alerting you about the fermentation’s progress. They also help you easily and effectively replicate the process with successive brews.
Our Final Thoughts
We know that beer brewing is not easy, but with the right equipment, you will manage to create the perfect homebrew for yourself. We have identified some of the key equipment that you will need to manage that process here, so make sure that you have them all by your side the next time that you’re thinking about brewing beer at home.
