We Researched the Best Homebrewing Kits—Here Are Our Top Picks

What to Look for in a Homebrewing Kit

By Colleen Graham

Expertise

Homebrewing systems can be very simple or rather elaborate. Some kits require little more than combining ingredients and letting the yeast work its magic until it’s time to bottle. Others are very involved and require a more hands-on approach for a successful batch of beer. If you’re not sure whether or not you’ll really enjoy the brewing process, it may be best to start with a basic kit to familiarize yourself with the process and work involved. 

At the fundamental level, the brewing process requires a few simple supplies and steps. It starts in a lidded kettle—some kits include these, though a large stockpot works just fine—with a long-handled spoon. Grains, malt extract, and hops are added to the pot of boiling water to create a wort. After cooling, the wort is added to the fermenter where more water is added along with the yeast. An airlock is inserted to let carbon dioxide into the tank while keeping oxygen out as the yeast converts the wort’s sugars into alcohol during fermentation.

Once complete, a racking cane and siphon help move the beer to the bottling bucket. For carbonation, a second fermentation is required. Called conditioning, this can be done by introducing a priming sugar to the entire batch or dropping a carbonation drop (or fizz tablet) to each bottle before capping. The entire brewing process typically takes a couple of months—fermentation takes two to four weeks, while conditioning requires another two to three weeks.

Malt Extract or All-Grain

The average starter brewing kit is designed for malt extract recipes. These can be hopped malt extract (HME), dry malt extract (DME), or liquid malt extract (LME). This is a convenient option for flavoring the wort and often works well in beginner beer recipes. The alternative is all-grain brewing; many brewers find it makes fresher-tasting beer. These kits are not as numerous but do include the essential equipment needed to cook the grains into a mash, giving the brewer more control over the beer recipe right from the start.

Fermenter Style

The fermenting vessel is a key component of any home brewing system. At its most basic, a food-grade plastic bucket works just fine, and many kits use these for both fermentation and bottling buckets. Some kits include spigots for easy drainage and do not require a siphon. There are also barrel-style fermenters and glass jugs (called carboys), which are a little less industrial-looking than their plastic bucket counterparts. For that mini microbrewery feel, conical fermenters are a good choice.

Capacity

Starter kits typically brew 1 gallon of beer per batch, and up to 5-gallon systems are available. This will affect not only how much beer you can brew at once but also the amount of space it will require in your home. Larger batches require larger vessels and may not be a good choice when space is limited. Though you don’t get as much beer, the smaller home brew setups do let you explore more beer recipes without a big commitment.

Beer Recipes

Many brewing kit manufacturers also sell ingredients for brewing beer. The kits often come with everything you need for one batch of a particular style of beer. Many companies also sell recipe kits that include all of the ingredients you need—grains, malt extract, hops, and yeast—for various styles. Or, you can buy the ingredients individually for custom recipes. With manual brewing systems, these ingredients are pretty universal, but more automated brewers may require proprietary ingredients. For instance, some will use a “pod” similar to those for single-cup coffee machines, which may limit the variety of beers you can brew at home. 

Types of Home Brew Kits

Homebrewing can be either a manual or automated process. The majority of kits are manual and require the home brewer to move the beer throughout the various stages. These require more individual pieces of equipment that must be sanitized but can also be upgraded individually. This hands-on approach is preferred by many homebrewers and is the most affordable way to get started.

All-in-one automated brewing systems are most often a single machine that does the majority of the work for you. The initial cost is higher, and some models require a significant investment. The primary benefit is convenience, as well as the fact that most of the variables are controlled with a precision designed to increase the chances of turning out successful batches of beer. Due to the internal workings, it is important to properly maintain the machines.

Brands/Manufacturers

Northern Brewer

Among home brewers, Northern Brewer is one of the most trusted suppliers. The company is dedicated to helping home brewers, offering brewing kits that cover all the basics as well as a vast range of equipment for upgrades. Recipe kits and individual ingredients are also available. It’s all reasonably priced, and the company provides good support for customers. Its website also includes very detailed tutorials that can help anyone get started or take their home brews to the next level. 

Mr. Beer

For gifts and the most basic kits, Mr. Beer is a reputable company that can get any beer lover started in home brewing. The kits use a barrel design that takes up very little space, and they’re one of the most cost-efficient setups for people who aren’t sure if they’re ready to commit to home brewing. The refill kits let you explore a variety of beer recipes and they offer some rather unique and fun beers to try. Some users were underwhelmed with their results with Mr. Beer at first, but found that subsequent batches fueled the desire to pursue home brewing further.

BrewDemon

Craft beer lovers have found that the BrewDemon system is a nice upgrade. The company claims to be the first small-batch conical fermenting system producer. The design mimics that of commercial brewers and produces what many home brewers say is a better-tasting beer. It also simplifies the process slightly; plus, the company provides detailed instructions, and the system is a little more stylish if you want to brew in a visible area of your home. For all the perks, BrewDemon's systems retain an affordable price.

Maintenance

No matter which brewing system you purchase, cleanliness is of the highest importance. Everything that comes in contact with the beer after the boil—including the vessels, hoses, tools, bottles, and even the scissors used to cut open ingredient packages—needs to be sanitized before each use. It is a critical step that prevents bacterial contamination, which can produce unwanted flavors in the beer. Home brewing suppliers offer a variety of cleaners that are proven to work well with brewing equipment. Bottle and hose brushes will also help clean some of those hard-to-reach places. The second step is to sanitize the cleaned equipment; the food-grade sanitizers used for brewing are typically liquid, and many do not require rinsing. 

Automated brewing systems will have their own maintenance requirements outlined in the product’s manual. These instructions should also be followed without any shortcuts because there are many parts in these machines where bacteria can grow. Some manufacturers have cleaning tabs or solutions that they recommend, and some have automatic cleaning cycles. When using tap water, you may also need to descale the brewers regularly. As with the manual brewing kits, sanitization is required before each batch of beer.

Accessories

The nice part about starting your home brewing experience with a kit is that, for the most part, each piece can be upgraded individually. With any of the manual brewing systems, you can try fermenting beer in a glass carboy or conical fermenter rather than a bucket. Likewise, if you find that the airlock provided with a kit isn’t working as well as you hoped, you can purchase a separate three-piece or S-shaped bubbler replacement at a minimal cost. In most cases, pieces of equipment that get worn out or damaged are also available without the need to purchase a new kit and replace everything.

If you find that you really enjoy home brewing, there are many tools and accessories that you can add to your system to upgrade it. For example, though it is pricey, a wort chiller is convenient: It is significantly faster than an ice water bath for those times you need to quickly cool the wort after boiling. Adding heat mats or an electric thermometer will help regulate the beer’s temperature during fermentation. This is particularly important when brewing in a basement or garage that’s prone to seasonal temperature differences. Bottle racks can be helpful when cleaning bottles for reuse, and there are a number of small cleaning tools and solutions that will help ensure your equipment is properly sanitized.

FAQs

Do I need to buy a kegerator? 

If you’re only brewing a gallon or two of beer, you’re better off packaging your beer in bottles. But if you start brewing serious volume (5 or 10 gallons of beer, maybe two or three times a month), you’re going to want to look to invest in 5-gallon Cornelius kegs and a kegerator. (We suggest several great models.) Bottling large volumes of beer can quickly grow tedious.

What are great books on homebrewing? 

For a nuts-and-bolts primer on brewing, John Palmer’s "How to Brew: Everything You Need to Know to Brew Great Beer Every Time" (view at Amazon) is a terrific start to your homebrewing library. Charlie Papazian’s "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" (view at Amazon) is also a fundamental text, while Mitch Steele’s "IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale" (view at Amazon) is an excellent buy for any IPA fan.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Joshua M. Bernstein, the author of this piece, knows beer. He’s penned five books on the subject, as well as articles for The New York Times, Wine Enthusiast, Men’s Journal, and Imbibe. He interviewed three experts for this story.

Allison Wignall is a writer who focuses on food and travel. Her work has been featured in publications such as Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and Southern Living.