For anyone that loves good beer, there is nothing more satisfying than brewing your own batch of perfectly crafted ale at home. It’s a great feeling to be able to come home to a cold bottle of your own brew or to be able to entertain and impress guests with your latest batch that you created from nothing more than a few simple ingredients and some patience and hard work.
Luckily for us, as the craft beer industry has exploded over the last decade, so have the options for you the consumer to brew beer at home and create delicious ales and IPAs at home. You don’t have to look far to find home beer brewing kits, homebrew equipment, and homebrew supplies online. However, finding gear that’s not only quality but will also stand the test of time and produce reliable results time and time again is a different story altogether. We have come across a lot of beer making kits and equipment of varying quality, and want to make sure that you get the best beer brewing setup for your money.
There are a lot of different questions that are going to arise when you start shopping for the best homebrew kit: What should I look for? Which one is going to produce the best-tasting beer? Why are they such wildly different prices? Should I go for a small batch or full homebrew kit? Well, look no further because when it comes to the best beer home brewing kit and gear, we’ve got you covered.
In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Choices
Northern Brewer Deluxe Home Brewing Starter Kit
What’s Great
This is another brewing kit that is loved by everyone that uses it and is one of the best selling kits in history. This solid setup from Northern Brewer Homebrewing supply not only comes jam-packed with extras but is also backed by their unique guarantee: They will replace any kit, any time, no questions asked. With their signature kit, they really make the brewing process as full proof as possible by providing incredibly simple instructions. No matter what your method of learning they want you to be successful, which is why every kit comes with a copy of their “Getting Started in Homebrewing DVD.”
Unlike most other beer brewing kits out on the market, this one features a set of double large glass carboys as vessels in a two-stage fermentation process to produce an incredibly crisp final product. This particular kit really goes the extra mile by including a Chinook IPA recipe kit, a bottle capper, and caps. What you will find included is the result of tons of customer feedback resulting in an incredibly comprehensive and high-quality kit.
Things to Know
Even the most complete kits are never perfect, and there are generally one or two extras you’ll need to pick up. Not included here are the 10-gallon kettle, stainless steel stirring spoon and bottles for bottling the homemade beer. But as long as you go for quality, these should last you a lifetime and are a worthwhile investment in your home brewing journey.
Northern Brewer “Brew. Share. Enjoy.” Homebrew Beer Brewing Starter Kit
What’s Great
Another solid brewing kit from Northern Brewer Homebrewing (can you tell we like them?) that is PERFECT for beginners and is also backed by their no questions asked replacement policy. What’s special about this kit is that it includes a lot of essentials that most other kits seem to leave out. Things like a 5-gallon stainless steel brew kettle, a 21” stainless steel spoon and their Block Party Amber Ale recipe kit, Royal Crown bottle capper and caps are all included. This kit really was designed to provide the best out of the box brewing experience and makes a great gift!
Aside from the top quality tools and equipment, you will also gain access to online training videos to help you along your brewing journey.
Things to Know
While everything you need to brew out of the box is included, there are some extras that you may want to pick up to sharpen your skills and your homemade beer down the road. The kit does not include a glass carboy as the Ale recipe included does not require the second step fermentation, but other recipes you may want to try later could. If you want to bottle your beer for easier storage and sharing you’ll need to buy those separate, as well as a hydrometer to test gravity. Again, while these items are good to have in the long-term, these are not required to brew your first batch of tasty beer.
Northern Brewer 1-Gallon Small Batch Kit w/ Caribou Slobber Ale Beer Kit
What’s Great
This small-batch kit is great for someone that loves great craft beer and wants to experiment with home brewing, but isn’t necessarily ready to go all the way. Also, because of it’s cost and size, it makes an incredible and memorable gift. It includes everything you need out of the box to brew 1 gallon of delicious craft homemade beer, which is about a dozen 12 oz. bottles of beer. More than enough to make a great impression at your next gathering!
For such a small kit, it does come with a fair amount of extras making this a great value. In addition to what you need to get brewing, you’ll also receive a Slobber Brown Ale recipe kit and a bottle capper for getting your batch bottled and stored. Since this particular kit is designed specifically for the uninitiated, you can rest assured that your in good hands with the easy to follow and instructional DVD. If you can cook macaroni and cheese, you can make a great tasting batch of beer with this kit.
Things to Know
Like many of the other kits reviewed, this does not come with some of the long term beer-making essentials like a stainless steel kettle or stainless steel spoon, but that’s because they are not needed to get going. If you want to test the home brewing waters, and maybe make a larger investment down the line, then this kit is for you. Make no mistake, however, this kit does not compromise on quality and will be good for many batches of beer to come.
Midwest Supplies – Beer. Simply Beer. Starter Kit – Equipment for 5 Gallon Batches
What’s Great
With this homebrew kit from Midwest Supplies, you’ll need a few more items to get you set up for home-brewing long-term. Namely, a stainless steel 5-gallon kettle, a long stainless steel spoon for stirring, and a recipe kit of your choice. With this kit and the previously mentioned accessories, you’ll not only be ready to brew your first batch, but batches for years to come with and recipe kit or beer you might want to experiment with. Customers also love this setup because it’s super easy to clean and store away when not being used.
Things to Know
While the kit is quite comprehensive as far as the equipment is comes with, the stainless steel pot is probably only medium quality. All of the other tools are top of the line, but some customers felt like the pot was lacking a little in terms of durability. Another ding we have to give this kit is for the instructions. While all the other kits on the list really go the extra mile in terms of clarity, we found these instructions to be a little vague. However, you can easily use the internet and YouTube to fill in the gaps.
Home Brwe Ohio Beer Homebrew Kit with 6-Gallon Glass Carboy
What’s Great
This 6-gallon glass kit is not only one of our favorites, but also one of the best-reviewed for its quality, durability, and great tasting beer it produces. There are absolutely no cheap parts and everything is made to last. You could go to a local homebrew store and pay double the price for a brew kit of this quality.
It comes with all of the tools and equipment needed to produce your first 5-gallon batch of beer. Also included is a thick glass carboy for secondary fermentation resulting in a cleaner finished brew and super easy to follow instructions for producing an excellent batch of beer every single time.
Things to Know
Even though this kit comes packed with quality equipment, there are a few pieces missing that are easily picked up. You’re going to need to buy a recipe kit that contains the ingredients (malt, grain, hops, etc.) for the beer, a brew pot (10 gallon) to boil your wort, bottles and bottle caps. You are also going to need a long stainless steel spoon for stirring the wort, but you’d be hard-pressed to find this included in any kit, so it’s not really a negative in our eyes.
Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit
What’ Great
This is the cheapest beer making kit on our list, but that certainly doesn’t mean it doesn’t make an awesome batch of beer or a great gift. Again, this beer kit is ideal for someone just getting started that doesn’t want to invest too much, or simply a beer lover looking for a fun afternoon project. If you can cook oatmeal, then you can follow their easy and fun instruction and make a tasty batch of beer that will satisfy even the most astute beer guru.
One thing that really helps a brew kit of this size stand out is that you don’t need a ton of space to get brewing. Some of our larger kits require quite a bit of space, but with this kit, you can move out of the garage and into the kitchen and brew right on the stovetop. Another big plus is the Everyday IPA kit uses all-grain, so there are no extracts that many beef aficionados tend to look down upon.
Things to Know
You will need to either purchase some extras or have them on hand to use this kit. This kit does not include the stainless steel pot, a funnel for easing pouring and transferring of liquids, a mesh sieve for processing the grain and of course bottles if you want to bottle your beer for easy storage and serving. The manufacturer also seems to have had an issue with the thermometers being damaged during shipping but is willing to replace it if you have trouble.
BrewDemon Signature Beer Kit
What’s Great
This BrewDemon beer kit is a truly unique system and perfect for someone looking to purchase an extremely convenient, easy to clean, easy to store, easy to brew solution. This system features the world’s first small batch conical fermenter, which professional brewers prefer because of how it collects the waste product made by the brewing process. In other words, you can brew beer like the pros do but in much smaller batches on your countertop. This is an excellent kit for someone looking to brew your own beer with as little fuss as possible.
The kit comes with everything you need to make multiples batches of a tasty top-of-line all-malt recipe (4.6% ABV). They definitely don’t skimp on the recipe kit as it comes with enough to make about two gallons of beer. You’ll also receive 8 reusable 1 Liter amber plastic bottles and bottle filler, making this kit a rarity and extremely convenient. Everything is completely reusable and made in the USA, m and the alts are handcrafted by their brewmaster in New Zealand at the famous Speight’s Brewery.
Things to Know
The only thing to be aware of is that this beer kit is made entirely out of plastic. While this has a lot of advantages for the casual brewer like no risk of breakage, easy to clean and reuse (including bottles), some people feel like using plastic parts to brew beer imparts an undesirable flavor into the beer. However, in our tests, this did not seem to get in the way of producing great tasting beer.
Strange Brew Best Homebrew Beer Making Starter Kit
What’s Great
Strange Brew comes out on top as sort of a cult favorite. They aren’t very widely known, but they have a rabid fan base of loyal supporters that love their high-quality brewing equipment and impeccable customer support. The Best Homebrew Kit comes with two large plastic bottling buckets (one for fermenting and one for bottling), a 5-gallon stainless steel brew kettle, a recipe kit for 5 gallons of home-brewed Ale, and in true Strange Brew fashion Zymurgy for the Home-Brewer and Beer Lover Book (available exclusively through Home-Brew) and a Strange Brew Home-Brew Bumper Sticker with Toll-Free Brewing Hotline.
Customers favor this kit because of the clear, well-thought-out instructions and the pre-packaged ingredients which really take the thinking out of it and help to ensure a perfect batch every single time.
Things to Know
Like most kits on this list, you will need to purchase, or have on hand, one long stainless steel spoon and a thermometer. You will also need to separately purchase bottles, caps, and a capper if you choose to bottle your beer.
BrewArt (BeerDroid & BeerFlo) Fully Automated Beer Brewing System/Kegging System
What’s Great
This is a one-of-a-kind beer brewing system. It’s fully automated and makes the process extremely simple. With this auto-brewer, you can brew about two and a half gallons of beer with the push of a button.
This setup includes everything you’ll need to get started brewing today, including an American Pale Ale recipe and ingredients. A cool thing about this auto beer brewing system is that it connects to wi-fi so that you can monitor your brew through the process. You’ll receive notifications at milestones and even be notified when your beer is ready! Pretty crazy!
Things to Know
First off, with a high-tech brewer like this, it’s going to be quite expensive compared to other brewing kits. But, if you take good care of it, you’ll have a great system forever.
MIDWEST SUPPLIES MASTER BREWER’S EQUIPMENT KIT WITH KEGGING SETUP
What’s Great
And so the student becomes the master. This is by far the most professional homebrew system on the list and is really reserved for those more experienced and serious about brewing beer. This Master Brewer’s Equipment Kit contains everything you would expect from a professional system like two glass carboys for double fermentation, temperature control, and all the other bells and whistles to ensure that you can brew anything your heart desires. You’ll also receive “How to Brew,” and instructional step-by-step DVD by John Palmer.
But where the Master Brewer separates itself is the inclusion of a kegging system! Say goodbye to bottles and hello to draft beer at home. Included in the kit are a fully functional pin lock kegging system and aluminum CO2 tank (ships empty), and a dual-gauge CO2 regulator. This kit is truly next-level and will definitely impress some people at your next party.
Things to Know
This brewer’s kit is not for the casual brewer, or someone just looking to start out. This system is designed for someone well versed in the art of Homebrewing and ready to take it to that next level. That being said, it’s an incredible deal and super high-quality gear for the price.
Some Beer Brewing Extras You May Want
While every homebrew kit is going to do it’s best to get you started out of the box, there will generally be some essentials missing if you aim to brew beer long-term. Here are some of the things that you may want to consider buying at some point.
Steel Brew Kettle
If you’re going to buy a steel kettle for brewing, you don’t want to compromise on quality. Spend a little more here, and you will have made an investment that is going to last you a lifetime and reward you with many great batches of beer. The Bayou Classic is the best-reviewed, highest quality kettle you are going to find for under $100.
Outdoor Gas Cooker
These brew kits can get quite large and produce a strong odor so some people prefer to brew outside or in an open-air area. If that’s the case then you will need solid equipment to boil with. Again, you want to invest a little here simply because having a huge boiling kettle on an unstable surface is ill-advised for obvious reasons. We again recommend going with the Bayou Classic brand because of their solid craftsmanship, reputation, customer service, and buyer satisfaction ratings.
Brew Thermometer
This thermometer is going to last you and give you an immediate, accurate reading every time. It’s designed for serious home brewers and is designed to side mount a stockpot and the large 3-inch face makes quick readings and easy temperature monitoring a breeze.
Stainless Steel Brewing Spoon
Luckily you don’t have to spend a fortune to end up with a quality spoon for stirring during the brewing process. This is a 21-inch spoon is a bestseller and customer favorite.
Beer Bottles, Growlers, and Caps
Once you become a little more serious about your home brewing, you’re going to want to start bottling your beer for easy storage and serving. Only one of the brew kits on our list comes with containers, so this is something you’ll most likely have to buy at some point.
If you are going to go with traditional bottles, we like the 24-Pack Monster Brew Home Brewing Amber Beer Bottles. They are a great price for what you get.
Don’t forget to pick up some caps and a capper.
If you are more of a growler person (we are) go with the Set of 12 16-Ounce Glass Brewing Bottles from California Home Goods. One of the advantages here is they come with EZ Caps that are attached to the bottle so you don’t have to worry about buying and throwing away caps. It all comes down to preference and what you like so we suggest trying different options along your homebrew journey.
Some of Our Favorite Homebrew Recipe Kits
As you become more and more experienced as a homebrewer, you’re naturally going to want to try some different styles of beer with different flavor profiles. Here are a few of our favorites.
Belgian Style Amber Ale Homebrew Beer Recipe Kit
The Fat Tire Brewery is world-famous, and their Belgian Style all is an all-time classic in our book. This recipe kit includes 6 lb. Light liquid malt extract, 8 oz. Special B, 8 oz. Caramel 120L, 8 oz. Bolander Munich specialty grains, 1 oz. Northern Brewer, 1 oz. Saaz pellet hops, grain bag, priming sugar, and yeast. Makes 5 gallons and finished beer and works with any 5-gallon beer brewing starter kit.
Dead Ringer IPA Homebrew Beer Recipe Kit
Dead Ringer IPA is a huge American IPA with a deep aroma that is unforgettable. American base malt creates a full body and sweetness while the Centennial hops finish the beer with a citrus aroma and flavor. The recipe kit includes malt extract, yeast, 5 oz. priming sugar, 5 oz. of premium Centennial hops, and specialty grains with muslin sack.
Hefeweizen German Wheat Beer Recipe Kit
A Favorite Beer Brewing Book
The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Fourth Edition
Affectionately known as the “Bible of Home Brewing,” Charlie Papazian’s essential home brewing guide is now in its most recent edition. This guide is definitely the most popular and referenced piece of literature within the homebrew community, and the third edition is fully updated with new instructions, recipes, charts, and guidelines. This book makes an awesome gift to yourself, or as an add-on to a homebrew beer kit.
Our Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to start homebrewing beer, any of these beer brewing kits will do a great job. Unless you’re sure you’ll love homebrewing, we suggest starting out with a smaller kit and working your way up to the big leagues. But, if you’re all-in on beer brewing, one of the larger sets will do the job forever. You’ll be well on your way to becoming the next Anheuser Busch… or maybe something more flavorful.
Cheers!
