What would I need to get started?
First, a brewing pot or kettle is where your brewing will begin. This doesn't have to be huge and you may already own something you can use. A 16 quart stock pot will work just fine if you're working on a stovetop. A 16 quart pot will have a working volume of about 3.5 gallons at the most - "but wait" you say, "I'm making 5 gallons of beer!" Your brew on a stovetop will create a still slightly concentrated version of the finished beer that you'll "top up" to 5 gallons with more water once you get it into the fermenter. This is an extremely common way to brew. It's where nearly everyone starts and many people brew like this for years and years.
If you have the option to use a propane burner and work outside, go for it. If you have a burner and pot that you use for crawfish boils, frying turkey, etc, you're ahead of the game! Make sure your kettle is stainless steel and not aluminum - aluminum (which is reactive to the lower pH of a brewing beer) is dull and often has a brushed appearance, stainless steel will be shiny. A propane burner will let you get to a boil more quickly and you won't worry about making a mess in the kitchen. One caveat, a larger boil volume becomes more work to cool so you might still want your first brew to be in the kitchen while you become accustomed to the process. You'll also have more work cooling a larger kettle which makes a wort chiller a very practical purchase.
If you have the option to use a propane burner and work outside, go for it. If you have a burner and pot that you use for crawfish boils, frying turkey, etc, you're ahead of the game! Make sure your kettle is stainless steel and not aluminum - aluminum (which is reactive to the lower pH of a brewing beer) is dull and often has a brushed appearance, stainless steel will be shiny. A propane burner will let you get to a boil more quickly and you won't worry about making a mess in the kitchen. One caveat, a larger boil volume becomes more work to cool so you might still want your first brew to be in the kitchen while you become accustomed to the process. You'll also have more work cooling a larger kettle which makes a wort chiller a very practical purchase.
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Second, there's some essential gear that is necessary and then some little things that just make the whole process easier. We offer an all-in-one starter kit that has everything to get you off on the right foot. Are there cheaper kits out there? Sure, but frustration is not an ingredient that you want in your first couple of batches of beer. For 2 stage fermentation, which is recommended for the best results, our kit comes with a 6.5 gallon bucket, a carboy, plus all of the tools to care for your beer until it gets to the bottle - a hydrometer, thermometers, a long spoon, siphon, thieft/test jar, bottle brush, capper, bottle filler, and plenty of sanitizer. |
Finally, this should be fun! Homebrewers everywhere know the name Charlie Papazian. He taught us to "relax, don't worry, have a homebrew!" This is likely a new hobby for you with unfamiliar processes, new gear, and new terminology, and it can be a little intimidating sometimes. But seriously, relax. Fermentation is a natural process and we're just steering it along the path where we want it to go with our ingredients and processes. Cleaning and sanitizing are the most important things you can do to ensure a good beer. Without those two nothing else matters, but those aren't difficult so embrace them from day one. Then you can go on to explore the huge range of malts, hops, and yeasts that you'll be using for years to come, brewing beers that you haven't even heard of yet. You can do this.
Here's a great link with introductory information from the American Homebrewers Association:
Have fun!
Relax!
Don't Worry!
Have a homebrew!
Below is a handy, downloadable conversion chart for recipes that you want to convert from grain to extract or vice versa:
Here's a great link with introductory information from the American Homebrewers Association:
Have fun!
Relax!
Don't Worry!
Have a homebrew!
Below is a handy, downloadable conversion chart for recipes that you want to convert from grain to extract or vice versa:
| Grain to LME to DME conversion chart |