Welcome to Homebrew Extreme - Your beer brewing home! Want to brew some beer? We'll show you how. Everything you need to know to brew great beer, at home.

Actually, you don't need all that much "STUFF" to brew your first batch of beer. You'll find that HOBX.COM disagrees with many other homebrewers about what you REALLY NEED to get started. I feel that you should be able to try the hobby out without spending a ton of money on equipment. It's kind of like if you try taking up golf. You don't go out to the golf store before your first day on the links and buy a several thousand dollar set of clubs with a Callaway driver that runs $300+ by itself. You are more likely to buy the Wilson set from Walmart for $150, or borrow your buddy's clubs.

We want you to try it, and make sure it's something you are going to stick with before you open your wallet too wide. There are MANY products that make homebrewing easier, more fun, etc. But, for this first batch, we'll keep it to a minimum.

Here's a list of the basic equipment requirements, and where you might find them. Let me also state that you can check out any number of Brick and Mortar or Online homebrewing stores to buy all of these items. But, they can often be found for less, or free. Another great source for ANYTHING you may need is Ebay.

1. A brew kettle (boiling pot)
   All beer batches, regardless of how advanced you might become, must be boiled. The process of boiling the ingredients does many things, not the least important of which is kill off any bacteria that may be in your batch of beer that can spoil the flavor. During the boil is primarily when you will use various ingredients to make different styles and flavors of beer, but more on that later. The brew kettle must have an absolute minimum capacity of 7 quarts (just under two gallons). However, as you get better at brewing, and learn more, you will need to start boiling more and more liquid to make beer. Try to find as large of a "kettle" as you can. Most homebrewers use stainless steel pots. A lobster pot works great. Check kitchen stores, restaurant supply houses, home improvement stores, or the kitchen and hunting departments of your neighborhood superstore (i.e. Walmart, Target). The reason I suggest the hunting department is you will often find pots designed for cooking wild game, such as turkey.

   DO NOT USE ALUMINUM. Stainless steel works best. Aluminum kettles tend to pass on a metallic taste to your beer.

2. A fermentation vessel
   Fermentation, in basic terms, is the process of allowing yeast to turn sugar into alcohol. This process must be done in a completely air tight, sanitary vessel. Remember that we will be making about 5 gallons of beer. So, your fermentation vessel must have a capacity of AT LEAST 5 gallons. Many homebrewers use 6 gallon vessels or more.

   There are two different types of fermenters used most commonly. The first is a 5 gallon (or larger) food bucket. The only place other than homebrew shops that I know of to find these are at restaurants. Most buy things like pickles, peppers, etc., in 5 gallon FOOD GRADE buckets. Keep in mind that if you use a plastic bucket, it MUST BE FOOD GRADE. Don't try to use a bucket that spackle came in or anything other than buckets made for food. The interior surface must be completely free of imperfections and scratches, where bacteria can live and breed, ruining a perfectly good batch of beer. (See FAQ, bad beer can't hurt you, or make you sick, but it can taste bad)

   The other commonly used fermentation vessel, and the one I prefer is a 5-6 gallon glass carboy. What's a carboy you ask? Well, it's the big huge type of bottle used on top of water coolers. Glass ones are very seldom used these days by water suppliers as plastic is much lighter, cheaper, and easier to get from place to place. But, glass ones are still available. I have found them at stores such as "Old Time Pottery" and "Garden Ridge".
   The key is that they be sanitary, without scratches on the interior.

3. Bottling bucket
   This will commonly be the same type food grade plastic bucket that can be used as a fermenter. The only difference is that a small tap is installed in the bottom of the bucket to allow draining your finished beer into bottles. Again, this is something you will want to pick up at your favorite homebrew supply store.
4. Air Lock and Cork, or plug
   An airlock is also something that you are going to need to buy from your local homebrew store or from an online one. They are very inexpensive little devices, that allow air (excess carbonation) to escape from your fermenter, without allowing oxygen (and nasty bacterial critters) from getting in. Air locks attach to both plastic and glass fermenters with a rubber cork, with a whole drilled into it. Make sure to get a cork that fits the fermenter your using. If you are using a "pickle bucket" you can by the cork, then drill a whole in the lid so that it will fit well.
5. Empty Bottles
   Ok, I know this seems obvious, you need a place to put the beer after it's ready. But, there are some things to consider. "Brew your own Beer" kits come with clear plastic 2-liter bottles, like soda bottles. Can you use these? Yes. Should you? No. Decent beer is negatively effected over time by light. That is why almost all beer is sold in green or brown bottles. Also, a perfectly airtight seal is crucial. Plastic simply isn't completely airtight. Some CO2 (carbon dioxide, aka carbonation) will escape from a plastic bottle. The best bottles to use are glass beer bottles. But, it's still not that easy. You don't want bottles that are screw on types. Screw cap bottles are capped by huge machines in big factories to provide airtight seals. You are not likely to get a perfect air tight seal on a screw cap bottle. Also, screw cap bottles are in general thinner than non-screw cap bottles. So, you have a better chance of breaking them during capping, or during final fermentation (we'll talk about that later).

   I get my non-screw cap bottles from a local bar. I pay the bar owner a buck or so over the deposit he pays for them, comes out to like $3 a case. And don't forget, you can use them over and over. There are also a few commercial beers that still use non-screwcap bottles only. Beck's is one that comes to mind, as well as Newcastle Brown Ale (yum). Another good type of bottle to use is wine bottles. But, again, they must not be screw caps, only the cork type will work.

6. Bottle Caps
   Unfortunately, this is one item that you are going to have to buy from you local homebrew shop, or online. You can't use old caps, and expect them to seal, they must be new.
7. Bottle Capper
   Just like it sounds, this a device which will allow you to securely cap the bottles with the new caps you have purchased.
8. Tubing or Racking Cane

   You are going to need to syphon the beer out of the fermenter, into the bottles at some point. During this process it is very important that the beer not be disturbed any more than possible. So, if using standard plastic tubing (cheap at Lowes/Home Depot type stores), you'll want a very thin tube. I'd say 1/4 to 1/3, no thicker. The best option, but one that can, if necessary, wait til a later batch, is a bottle filler (aka racking cane). This device connects to your siphoning tube, but can be inserted into the bottle, releasing the beer into the bottle when it is pressed against the bottom of the bottle. Bottom line is that when taking the beer from the fermenter to the bottle, you need to avoid any shaking or stirring. How to siphon will be covered later.

Once you can get your hands on these items, you will have all you need to brew a great batch of beer. Well, except some ingredients, let's talk about that next.