Introduction

One of the most rewarding things any beer drinker can do, is brew your own beverage, which is why we’ve decided to write about the best beer brewing kit for beginners just starting out. We all enjoy a drink down at the local bar where we get a choice of 3-6 different beers on tap.

Imagine experimenting with your own brew where you are the one in control of the end result. You don’t have to settle for the same beer every time either, there’s many different varieties of larger, bitter, stout, pilsner or pale ale for you to create.

Brewing your own beer from home became popular in the 1980’s and has not really declined. In fact, the equipment has only got much better, making the finished product much nicer to taste than what my father concocted!

It’s very satisfying to invite guests around, sit them on a bar stool in your man cave, and offer them your home brew knowing it’s already passed the taste test. Do make sure they will be suitably impressed before serving though.

If you’re building the ultimate home setup for serving your creations, check out our guide to creating the perfect home bar.

Anyway, here’s a guide so you know what to look for when buying your first beer brewing kit.

Beer Brewing Kit Buying Guide

When it comes to equipping yourself to brew your own beer, many factors come into play. How much supply do you intend to make, where are you going to access more ingredients, and how will you store and serve your beer.

Once you’re producing larger batches, you may also want to consider one of these best beer keg fridges for keeping your homebrew cold and ready to pour. So, with this in mind, here’s a few things to contemplate when searching for your first beer brew kit.

Equipment

Although you want to get stuck into brewing, you are first required to assemble your best brewing kit as a beginner. This is where it is advisable to get an easy to install kit with assembly instructions. The majority of home brewing kits will come with instructions, but just something to keep in the back of your mind.

Look for reviews to see how easy these brew kits are to put together. Some people make it really easy to make a decision as they sometimes upload videos to show how they’ve put their kits together. Some companies even include a DVD so you can see much clearer, how the kit is assembled. Any advice or instructions are all a bonus.

You also want your equipment to be of good quality. If you’re moving beyond a basic starter kit, it’s worth looking at beer brewing equipment designed for larger batches and more advanced home brewing. For instance, some things like the Brew Kettle come in Aluminum or Stainless-steel. You want the Stainless-steel option as its stronger and more durable, but it will cost you a little more.

Lastly with the equipment side of things, you might want to have a look around your house and decide if you want a small-batch homebrew kit or a larger one. You may have a decent size garage, but it may already be stocked full of car parts!

or some people it’s best to start small and build up.

Accessibility to More

By accessibility we mean, will you be able to purchase more of the exact some ingredients or equipment either online or in store. This basically comes back to brand reputability. If a brand is reasonably well known in the industry, then the chances are they will have their products and parts at various retailers. Either that or found easily online.

With newcomers into the market, you may not have this convenience. That’s not to say any new brands are not as good or you will not be able to resource their ingredients. We’re just advising a bit of due diligence.

Whilst we’re mentioning brands, it would always be advisable to determine if they offer a warranty. This is always a good way to confirm the quality of the goods.

Extras Such as Bottling

Bottles are generally not included in most beer kits, but some do come with a bottle capper and bottle tops. I find having a capper included is very beneficial as you’re eventually going to make a brew that will be good enough for storing. When this time comes, you’re going to have to buy a bottle capper anyway.

Oh, and when you do buy bottles for storing, make sure they’re glass. The beer will taste so much better. As a side not, he’s how to remove a bottle cap if you don’t have an opener on hand.

Alternatively, if you’d rather serve your homebrew straight from the keg, our guide to kegerators and draft beer is worth checking out.

Another item to look out for, as stated above, is an instructional DVD as opposed to a booklet. Watching how it’s done is always easier than reading how it’s done. Written instructions always tend to miss out something crucial, obviously not intended but it happens.

In our list of best beer brewing kits for beginners , we’ve given a variety of sizes and price ranges. Hopefully you can find something that suits.

If you’re after a brew kit to start immediately brewing your own beer right out of the box, then you couldn’t go too wrong with this first timer kit. Perfect for beginners, you’ll be crafting your own ales within no time.

It includes everything you require to start off and you’ll even receive a Block Party Amber Ale recipe kit. This Amber Ale is a great starter to share with your mates or neighbours.

The kit itself includes a 6.5-gallon fermenter with lid & bubbler airlock to allow gases to escape whilst keeping the atmosphere oxygen from entering inside. A bottling bucket and spigot assembly are also included to help with pouring your amber ale.

You’ll really benefit if you intend making more than a sample of beer, with the 5-gallon stainless steel brew kettle. This is usually the first big investment a brewer makes so to have a stainless-steel kettle included in this size is a great addition. In time you may opt for a larger kettle but as a beginner, this is the perfect size.

Other inclusions include a 21” stainless spoon for stirring and a bottle filler which allows for easy filling. Just simply insert the filler allowing it to depress on the bottom of the bottle and the flow will begin.

Your siphoning equipment includes a siphon, 5 ft. siphon tubing & siphon tube holder. A sanitizer/cleaner known as the ‘Oxygen Wash’ and a bottle brush for washing out your bottles also comes with this beer brewing kit.

You’re going to need to cap your bottled beer so a bottle capper with 60 caps have also been thrown in. Yes, you do get a complete set for starting out here and as a bonus they also give you a 20% OFF coupon code. This can be used for a subsequent purchase in the future should you require anything else.

The instructions for putting all this together are not as detailed as they could be, but there is a video explaining how to do this. In fact, we’ll include it below.

Features

Stainless Brew Kettle (5 gallons)

Block Party Amber Ale recipe kit

Bottle filler and capper

6.5-gallon fermenter

20% OFF coupon code

Why buy craft beer when you can become the bloke your mates blame for the next batch?

The BrewDemon Craft Brewing Signature Series is a fun way to dip your toes into the world of home brewing without immediately turning the garage into a science laboratory. Designed for home brewers, this kit gives you the equipment and guidance to start experimenting with your own craft beer from the comfort of home.

The compact setup makes it particularly appealing to beginners who want to learn the basics of brewing without investing in a mountain of equipment. And let’s be honest, there’s something pretty satisfying about handing a mate a beer and being able to say, “Yep, I made that.”

It’s also a great excuse to experiment with different flavours and brewing styles as your confidence grows. Your first batch might be brilliant, questionable or somewhere between the two—but that’s half the fun of home brewing.

The included bottles also mean you can package your finished creation rather than drinking directly from the fermenter like some sort of medieval tavern keeper.

Ingredients to create an evil Pilsner are included in this kit.

Give it a go, learn from your mistakes and eventually create a beer worthy of your own name. Just don’t expect your mates to leave without asking for another six-pack.

Features

Pro-style conical fermenter

New Zealand Pilsner Recipe

Include 1 quart bottles

This isn’t a home brewing kit that sits quietly in the corner—it looks like it has already hired staff and started taking beer orders.

This well sized 16-gallon/60L Beer Brewing System is designed for home brewers who want a more serious all-in-one setup. With 3000W of power, an anti-burn pump, wort chiller, digital controls, recipe memory, timer and removable mesh strainer, it packs a lot of brewing equipment into one stainless-steel system.

The 60L capacity gives you plenty of room for larger batches, while the liftable inner barrel makes separating wort from grains considerably easier. The quick-release liquid outlet also helps with cleaning, which is something every brewer appreciates once they’ve finished playing mad scientist.

The digital control system adds a little automation to the process, while the stainless-steel construction gives it the appearance of proper brewery equipment.

If your home brewing hobby is starting to get serious, this is the sort of upgrade that says you’ve officially stopped pretending it’s just a weekend experiment.

Features

Efficient brewing mechanisms

Large capacity brewing

Smart LCD panel

Made from food-grade 304 stainless steel

Apples went into this hobby minding their own business. Now they’re about to become the reason your mates keep coming around.

The BrewDemon Cider Demon Brewing Kit is aimed at anyone who wants to try making their own hard cider at home without needing a degree in fermentation science. It’s a compact introduction to home cider brewing that gives beginners the opportunity to learn the process while creating something they can eventually share with friends.

Cider is a particularly approachable place to start if you’re new to home brewing. There’s something wonderfully satisfying about taking a handful of simple ingredients and turning them into something that belongs in a cold glass on a warm afternoon.

The BrewDemon setup also keeps things relatively compact, making it easier to find a home for your brewing equipment. You don’t need a dedicated brewery building or a garage full of stainless-steel tanks to get started.

Of course, home brewing comes with an important responsibility: keeping track of what you’ve made. Otherwise, six months from now you’ll discover a mysterious bottle at the back of the fridge labelled “Batch 3” and have absolutely no idea whether it’s cider or a science experiment.

Give cider making a crack, learn the process and enjoy the satisfaction of creating your own brew. Just remember to save some for your mates—they’ll find out eventually.

Features

pro-style conical fermenter

Grown in the fertile orchards of New Zealand

Can be brewed in as little as 15 minutes

Include 1 quart bottles

When your home brewing hobby starts involving a 50-litre stainless-steel still, it’s probably time to admit this has gone well beyond making a few beers.

The 50L Alcohol Still is a substantial piece of home brewing equipment designed for enthusiasts interested in distillation. The stainless-steel unit has a 13.2-gallon/50L capacity and comes with a thumper keg, dual-scale thermometer, water pump and ten 16oz glass jars.

The dual-scale thermometer covers temperatures from 50°F to 400°F (0°C to 200°C), while the stainless-steel construction gives the unit a suitably robust appearance. The sealing ring, sturdy buckle and leak-proof connections are designed to provide a secure setup during operation.

The included glass jars are a handy touch, particularly for anyone who wants an organized way to collect and store results.

This is definitely aimed at the more serious home enthusiast rather than someone looking for a casual weekend hobby.

It’s impressive equipment—but remember to check your local laws before distilling alcohol. The only thing worse than a bad batch is explaining your hobby to the authorities.

Features

13.2 gal Large Capacity

Built-in thumper keg helps increase alcohol purity

Improved condensation efficiency

Made of food-grade stainless steel

Equipped with a dual-scale thermometer

There are two types of people who try home brewing: those who make great beer and those who make something they politely call “experimental.”

The Craft Brew Home Brewing Beer Kit is designed to help aspiring brewers get started without needing to buy every piece of equipment individually. It’s a straightforward way to learn the fundamentals of brewing your own beer and start experimenting with different styles and flavours.

Home brewing is one of those hobbies that’s surprisingly rewarding. There’s something different about opening a bottle you’ve made yourself compared with grabbing one from the fridge. Even if the first batch isn’t destined to win any awards, you’ve still made beer—and that’s worth a small celebration.

The compact nature of a home brewing kit also makes it easier for beginners to find a place for their equipment without sacrificing half the garage. Once you’ve got the basics down, you can start experimenting with different recipes and styles and work out what suits your taste.

It’s also an excellent project to tackle with a mate. Just remember that brewing together means you’ll eventually have to decide who gets credit for the good batch—and who gets blamed for the one that tastes suspiciously like lawn clippings.

Start small, learn the ropes and work your way towards brewing a beer you genuinely can’t wait to share.

Oh, and there’s a variety to choose from.

• American Pale Ale
• Chocolate Mint Stout (each to their own….)
• Hard Cider
• Oktoberfest Ale
• Single Hop IPA
• White House Honey Ale

Features

Designed to help first-timers

Craft a Brew Guide to Craft Brewing

Home brew recipe kits

Why spend your weekend babysitting a brew when you can let the machine do some of the heavy lifting while you concentrate on the important stuff—like deciding what to drink?

This Automatic Home Beer Brewer is a compact all-in-one home brewing machine designed to make brewing your own beer a little less hands-on. With a 3.43-gallon capacity and 1500W of power, this electric beer brewing machine combines mashing and boiling in one stainless-steel setup, making it a handy option for home brewers who want more control without filling the garage with equipment.

The 304 stainless-steel internal tank gives it a suitably robust feel, while the automatic temperature and pressure controls take some of the guesswork out of the brewing process. There’s also a digital control system that lets you manage the brewing process rather than standing over the pot wondering whether you’ve just created beer or an extremely expensive soup.

I like the all-in-one approach here. It’s compact enough for a home setup but still gives budding brewers the opportunity to experiment with recipes, ingredients and different beer styles.

It’s a particularly appealing choice for beginners and hobby brewers who want to move beyond basic brewing kits without jumping straight into commercial-sized equipment.

Brew your own beer, experiment with different recipes and enjoy the satisfaction of pouring a pint you’ve made yourself. Just remember who gets the first taste—you’re the brewer, after all.

Features

Automatic Beer Brewing System

One-Touch Smart Brewing

Precision Fermentation Control

2.64 Gallons Per Batch

Automatic Cooling & Beer Dispensing

Conclusion

Crafting your own beer is a fun hobby and extremely satisfying when you create a brew that tastes close to what you expected, or even better. All these brew kits are going to do the job, it’s basically a matter of size and convenience as to which is your preference.

I’d advise against the smaller kits unless you have a smaller living space. They are a lovely convenient kit but if you want to expend in the future, the larger sets have more going for them.

I’d also look at how easy these kits are to assemble. I really like the idea of an instructional DVD, but not all beer brewing kits for beginners include this. Written instructions are fine, some are not so fine. But a DVD adds a whole different perspective to what your trying to achieve. It is so much more explanatory.

Once you’re on you way and are crafting out some brews, it’s it’s worth using brewing software to help with recipes, ingredient calculations and keeping track of your favorite creations. You’ll also be able to share your recipes with friends and check out how other brewers are achieving great results.

Good luck with your choice of brew kit and happy brewing.

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