what do I need to brew beer at home?

Question

Just the basic tools and a rough recipe...

Answer 1

There are several kits available starting around $80. The kits should include some food grade buckets, one with a spout, one or two "ccarboys" they should be plastic in case of explosion, a cypher pump, thermometer and a hydrometer. Additional item that can be purchased is a wert cooler which speeds up the process.
After you have these main things local brew shops sell all kinds of different beer kits in all types. These kits can make up to 5 gallons of beer at a time and have all the grains necessary to brew the beer. Instructions are always included.
You can then by 12oz bottles or 1 liter bottles and cap them yourself. It takes bout 3 weeks until the beer is ready to drink. We calculated the cost as being about $.40 per 12oz beer. Well worth it!

Answer 2

The easiest way is from a kit with malt extract. These are sometimes refered to as "Liquid Kits" or "No Boil Kits," and come with all the ingredients you need (except priming sugar). You will need:

- A bucket for primary fermentation
If using a 6 to 7.5 gallon, it will need a hole for an airlock in the lid.
If using a 10 gallon, a loose fitting lid is fine. This is what I use - the loose fitting lid allows CO2 to escape, and because so much does during the primary phase that contamination is rarely a problem. No outside air seems to get in...
- A long spoon
- A 4-5' length of 3/8" clear hose for siphoning (practice with water first - it can be tricky... and never use your mouth!!)
- A racking cane (a clear plastic tube that is shaped kind of like a long candy cane)
- 66 beer bottles (for a 6 gallon batch)
- A capper and 66 bottle caps (or use plastic bottles with twist on lids)
- Priming sugar (usually dextrose, but syrup, honey, and others can be substituted [this is more advanced, however]) - add on bottling day to the whole batch to carbonate your beer.
- A beer kit - they usually cost between 25 and 30 bucks
- Sanitizer - can be reused for 2-3 months. Your local beer or winemaking store will carry it.
- A cool, dark place for your beer to ferment and clarify - between 65 and 75 F for ales, and between 40 and 55 F for lagers.

Optional Equipment

- A 6 gallon glass carboy for secondary fermentation. Secondary is not necessary, but will drastically improve the clarity and quality of your beer. Needs an airlock - after primary, contamination becomes more of a concern.
- A bottling bucket with spigot (makes bottling less messy)
- Yeast (your kit will come with yeast, but you can kick-start the fermentation by adding additional yeast and making a "yeast starter" - a solution of yeast and warm water to hydrate it first rather than just tossing it into the wort).
- A large stainless steel pot (usually 5 gallons or more) for boiling (this is an advanced technique - try the no boil kits first - you'll be gald you did).
- A wort chiller - only if you have a boiler. Not needed for no boil kits.

Most places sell kits to get you started, but you can piece together your own equipment from scratch if nothing is available. check out www.midwestsupplies.com to see everything for yourself.

Also, check out this site - www.howtobrew.com/intro.html - it has full instructions for several types of brewing.

Answer 3

The easiest/cheapest way to start brewing is as follows
put a post on Freecycle asking for beer brewing stuff of large buckets.
Start saving lemonade bottles
You need a large bucket that can hold 40 pints, a length of plastic tubing and enough lemonade bottles for 40 pints.
Buy a kit from Wilkinsons and a bag of sugar and follow the instructions on the kit.
You really don't need any expensive stuff.
If you like it, then you could raid bottle banks or save up empty beer bottle and use them instead of lemonade bottles.
A small plastic tap in the plastic tubing also makes life alot easier.
The beer making equipment if you can't get any free can be bought in wilkinsons as well.
Good luck and its worth it as it makes some very cheap pints.

Answer 4

I really suggest finding the episode of Food TV's Good Eats that deals with home brewed beer ... it's a little bit of an investment, but it tells you every step of the process you will need, including a basic IPA style brew, and you can learn a lot in a half hour.

Answer 5

Any edition of "The Joy of Home Brewing" by Charles Papazian is the first thing you need. It will tell you how to do the rest. If you have the knowledge, you can make a great brew with limited equipment.
It's a great hobby. Enjoy.