Essential Homebrewing Equipment (Reviewed in 2023)

On this list, you’ll find the equipment I recommend to everyone who wants to start homebrewing.

When I first started out I spent money on more than I needed and some equipment turned out to be rarely used, easily replaceable, or would wear out after a few batches.

So, I base all the equipment I recommend here on years of experience in brewing beers, meads, and ciders and will help you find everything you need, so you don’t miss on anything important but also don’t overspend before you are sure you’ll need particular equipment.

My favorite brewing method is BIAB (brewing in a bag) so I’ll recommend extra gear you’ll need for it which are basically just a few bags.

Northern Brewer Starter Kit

Homebrewing starter kits are the best way to kickstart your homebrewing journey as these kits contain all essentials you need.

It can be painful to buy every piece of equipment from multiple stores and shipping can stack up in additional expenses.

Fortunately, homebrewing is quite predictable when it comes to what equipment you’ll need and it’s universal, so once you get your equipment set, you can brew anything from beers and ciders to mead and wines.

Northern Brewer Start Kit is the best-reviewed homebrewing starter kit you can get online and for a good reason.

As a beginner homebrewer, you need all basic equipment before you can start brewing your first beer, and Northern Brewer company packs literally every single part of the equipment you’ll need to kickstart your journey. (Except for brewing and muslin bags which I recommend that you buy separately).

The set includes:

• 6.5 Gallon fermenter with spigot and airlock
• 6.5 Gallon Bottling Bucket with spigot
• 5 Gallon Stainless Steel Brewing Kettle
• Bottling Wand
• 5ft of tubing
• Lab Thermometer
• Hydrometer and a test jar
• Stainless Spoon
• Bottle Brush
• Cleaner and Sanitizer
• Crown Bottle Capper with 60 caps
• 5 Gallon CHINOOK IPA or HEFEWEIZEN Recipe Kit

I couldn’t believe that this kit includes so many parts of necessary homebrewing equipment for such a low price, but it does.

Receiving a 5-gallon stainless steel brewing kettle in the kit is already mindblowing to me, but the extra stuff like a hydrometer with a testing jar, lab hydrometer, bottles with caps, and a recipe kit all positively surprised me.

When I was starting out I couldn’t find such superior kits for beginners, so I had to buy each piece of equipment separately as my beginner kit included only a fermenter with a spigot, airlock, a bottling wand, a crown bottle tapper, and sanitizer.

The worse of all is that I paid twice as much money as this Northern Brewer kit costs to collect the included equipment.

Thus, this homebrewing starter kit is my number one recommendation.

Btw, the Chinook IPA recipe is a great introduction to homebrewed beers as you’ll immediately test your equipment and receive instructions to brew a delicious beer.

These days IPAs are super popular and everyone is brewing them, but you can also choose a wheat beer (hefeweizen) if you are not a big fan of IPAs, hoppy character.

Brewing and muslin bags

My favorite brewing method is BIAB (Brewing In A Bag) because it’s the easiest and most reliable technique for beginners but also works without any flaws for experienced brewers.

BIAB will save you lots of time and energy, and If you read my article on brewing beer at home you’ll see that I am brewing in a bag.

Thus, I’d recommend that you pick one, a cotton bag that’s wide and deep enough to fit a standard 6-gallon kettle like some of these you can find on Amazon or in local stores.

I mean, if you plan to brew more than 6 gallons, you’ll need something even bigger, but my batches are always 5 or 6 gallons and I believe that you won’t need anything larger either. Some brewers prefer brewing no more than 2-gallon batches and that’s fine too.

One big brewing bag will be enough for grain, but you’ll also need small muslin bags for hops.

Bottling equipment

First, I got to recommend bottle cappers as they are an essential part of the equipment on a bottling day.

The first recommendation I have is the Brewland Crown Bottle Capper as this is exactly what I tested and used for lots of time.

These cappers are good for beginners and are pretty affordable so that’s a plus. However, they can be quite clumsy as you’ll need to find the right angle and balance with both hands while pressing simultaneously.

You’ll also have to place a bottle on the floor and press from above making the process of bottling uncomfortable unless you are in the great physical condition and don’t have back problems.

If you don’t mind the price difference I’d invest in something that will make the whole process more enjoyable as bottling can be already exhausting on its own, so battling the equipment is an unnecessary struggle.

The bench cappers are easier to deal with as you can place a bottle on a bench and simply pull the lever. These benches are a great investment and can be adjusted to various bottle sizes.

You can also completely skip any bottling equipment and opt for flip-top bottles instead.

With flip-top bottles, you reuse everything and don’t need extra caps or a capper.

However, if you lose a bottle you’ll be disappointed and brewing for friends and family always comes with such risk.

Whenever you bring the bottles outside, you’ll have to bear them in mind, so you don’t lose them. When you add to this the problem of limited sizes and designs, there’s a good argument for not using them.

These bottles are also more expensive, but long terms end up being a great investment.

I believe that for many homebrewers these bottles will be a good choice, but I personally don’t use them since I have plenty of various beer bottles already and often lose them when I bring them to a party.

If you are not keen on the idea of flip-top bottles you can check my article on types of homebrewing bottles where I mention the important characteristics of each bottle type and give suggestions.

Fermenter/bottling bucket

I use fermenters with a spigot which technically also makes them a bottling bucket.

It’s useful to have multiple fermenters and they aren’t expensive if you are buying plastic or glass fermenters.

You can use them for primary fermentation and then rack them to another one for secondary fermentation or bottling as you’ll remove sediment this way.

These plastic fermenters are a great choice for beginners, but if your budget allows for it, you can buy one stainless steel fermenter instead. I have explained the difference between types of fermenters so check it out if you have more questions.

Don’t forget to buy an airlock along with the fermenter/bottling bucket. Airlocks are cheap, so buying a few of these can be smart in case they get dirty or broken.

Siphon/Bottling Wand

You can bottle with siphons or with a bottling wand that gets attached to the spigot on a bottling bucket.

In my opinion, it’s useful to have a siphon even if you won’t directly bottle with it because it’s the best way of racking brew from one container to another such is the case with racking to secondary fermenters. It’s not possible to avoid oxidation without siphons or bottling wands when racking or bottling, and this is extremely important as the oxidated brew is not something you want.

I use siphons for racking from one container to another, but bottle with a bottling wand and a bottling bucket.

and you can also buy the bottling wand which can get attached to the tubing and to the spigot.

Sanitizers and Cleaners

Sanitation is the most important and fundamental part of homebrewing, so don’t underestimate it!

Since day one I use Star San sanitizer as it’s just the best low PH sanitizer out there that effectively kills germs that could otherwise contaminate your precious brew.

You get one of these bottles and it will likely last for an entire year even if you brew regularly.

Now you have a sanitizer which is the most important thing, it can be useful to get a cleaner too.

Cleaners are not essential, yet they help remove the dirt and stains from brewing equipment and believe me there will be plenty of dirt.

You can use household cleaners but special homebrewing cleaners such as Five Star PBW are perfect for situations when you can’t easily remove the dirt but rather need to soak the equipment as after rinsing, the dirt is effortlessly removed.

It’s worth grabbing some homebrewing cleaners as there will be cases when you really be thankful to have one. The bottles of these cleaners will also last for quite some time just like sanitizers, so they aren’t expensive for the value they bring.

Thermometer

Temperature control is an essential factor in brewing, so you need a reliable thermometer, especially on a brew day.

I found a good recommendation on Amazon that can fit a kettle of any size and can easily be hung inside a brewing kettle.

Hydrometer with a testing jar

Hydrometer is a necessary item in every homebrewer’s kit who’s serious about brewing. It’s possible to start out without one, but they are so useful as you can monitor fermentation, check ABV, efficiency, and compare results you got with others or a recipe.

I’ve explained why gravity readings are super-important for homebrewers, so you can check it out.

I found a solid choice on Amazon that requires a minimal amount of liquid for a sample and is easy to clean.

Final take on

That’s it, the equipment I listed here is all the essential equipment you’ll need.

When you get some experience you can invest in a bigger, sophisticated stainless steel fermenter, get a chiller to chill the brew within 15 minutes instead of hours, and a few more useful gadgets.

I can also recommend that you get multiple bottles, caps, at least two plastic fermenters, and similar equipment if you plan to brew multiple brews regularly.

If you have more questions regarding homebrewing check my other articles on this blog and have fun and luck with your next brew!