Equipment Every Home Brewer Needs (Beginner Checklist)
This is the gear that makes your first 5-gallon batch smooth, safe, and delicious—plus smart upgrades when you’re ready.
Must-Have Equipment (5-Gallon Batch)
- Brew kettle: Minimum 5 gal (19 L). If you can, 8–10 gal allows a safer, full boil with fewer spillovers.
- Fermenter with airlock: 6–6.5 gal bucket or carboy (the extra headspace prevents blow-offs).
- Stopper/bung + airlock: To seal the fermenter while CO₂ can escape.
- Thermometer: 32–212°F (0–100°C) range to monitor mash/boil and fermentation temps.
- Autosiphon + food-grade tubing: For clean transfers without splashing (3/8″ ID is common).
- Sanitizer: No-rinse preferred. Anything that touches cooled wort must be sanitized.
- Cleaner: PBW or a brewery-safe cleaner for pre-sanitizing cleaning.
- Bottling bucket with spigot + bottling wand: Makes consistent fills and reduces oxygen pickup.
- Bottle capper + crown caps: About 50 caps for a 5-gal batch.
- Bottles: 48–50 × 12-oz (clean, label-free) or swing-tops.
- Stir spoon + funnel/mesh bag: To dissolve extract and keep hops/grain contained (less trub).
- Hydrometer (optional but helpful): Confirms fermentation is finished.
Nice-to-Have Upgrades (High Impact)
Immersion Wort Chiller
Rapid cooling improves clarity and flavor, reduces infection risk, and speeds up brew day.
Fermentation Temp Control
“Swamp cooler” (tub of water + frozen bottles) or a fridge + controller = cleaner, more consistent beer.
Auto-Siphon & Bottling Wand
Cleaner transfers, fewer spills, more consistent fill levels = better carbonation.
Kegging Kit
Skip bottles entirely—faster packaging, instant pouring, and finer control over carbonation.
Digital Scale & Timer
Accurate hop additions and boil timing for repeatable results.
Stainless Fermenter (Later)
Durable, oxygen-tight, often with dump valves and thermowells for pro-level control.
Glass vs. Plastic vs. Stainless (Fermenters)
- Plastic bucket (HDPE): Light, cheap, easy to clean; can scratch—use soft cloths only.
- Glass carboy: Great clarity and low oxygen permeability; heavier and breakable—use handles/straps.
- PET carboy: Lighter than glass, clearer than buckets; replace if scratched.
- Stainless: Premium, long-term investment with excellent oxygen protection; costs more.
Starter Budget (Typical Ranges)
- Essential kit (one-time): ~$120–$220 (kettle, fermenter, siphon, bottling gear, sanitizer/cleaner).
- Per 5-gal batch: ~$28–$55 (extract, hops, yeast, priming sugar).
- High-impact upgrades: Wort chiller ($35–$70), auto-siphon ($12–$20), hydrometer ($10–$18).
Recommended Starter Bundles (Optional)
Starter Equipment Kit
Includes fermenter, airlock, autosiphon, bottling bucket, capper, sanitizer.
Immersion Wort Chiller
Drop-in coil for faster, safer chilling and cleaner flavor.
Free Download: Home Brewer’s Quickstart Guide (PDF)
Get the printable checklist, sanitation tips, and an easy first recipe—so your first batch is drinkable and delicious.
Sanitize Like a Pro (Mini Guide)
- Clean first, then sanitize. Residue blocks sanitizers.
- Anything touching cooled wort/beer must be sanitized (fermenter, lid, airlock, autosiphon, tubing, spoon, bottling wand).
- Mix sanitizer per label; respect contact time; air-dry on a clean rack.
- Use soft cloths; avoid scratches inside plastic gear.
What to Buy First vs. Later
Buy First
- Kettle (5+ gal), fermenter (6–6.5 gal), airlock/bung
- Autosiphon + tubing, bottling bucket + wand
- Sanitizer + cleaner, thermometer, capper + caps, bottles
Add Later
- Wort chiller, hydrometer/refractometer
- Kegging kit, fermentation fridge/controller
- Stainless fermenter, hop spider, digital scale