Gourmet Articles

Over the centuries the technology used in beer brewing has advanced considerably and so it has become much more refined. Even though there are several steps to be undertaken for beer brewing to take place a person can if they want actually do this at home. Of all the stages that go into beer brewing the most important one of them all is the fermentation process.

However, if you want to, today you can actually have a go at doing some home beer brewing for yourself. A quick search of the internet and you will find plenty of websites from which you can buy home a beer brewing kit. But there are certain other materials you will need to purchase first and we take a look at what these are below.

Item 1 - A large boiling pot that is made either from stainless steel or the steel has been coated with ceramic. You need a pot that is big enough to hold at least 3 gallons of fluid and still have some space available.

Item 2 - Along with the pot you also need to purchase a large glass bottle known as a Carboy. This look very similar to the plastic bottles in which spring water is sold. Although they look the same the plastic ones are unsuitable and it must be made of glass as the mixture being placed into it will be hot and will remain in this whilst the liquid is fermenting.

Item 3 - Next you will need a large funnel and some good quality plastic tubing (clear is preferable). This are what you use to transfer the beer mixture from the pot into the carboy and then into a bucket (see below) before it is then bottled.

Item 4 - You will need a six gallon food grade plastic bucket with lid as this is what the beer will be put into before bottling after it has been removed from the carboy. Also the same tubing used for moving the mixture from the carboy to the bucket is then used to put the beer into bottles.

Other items that one will need for brewing beer at home are a raking cane, this connects to the siphon tube and will be used to prevent sediment being transferred from one container to the next. Also you need a specialist valve that prevents the beer from being contaminated by outside elements but which also allows carbon dioxide to escape as it is fermenting. This should be one that fits comfortably into the top of the Carboy. Generally what you find when you buy your Carboy this valve will be supplied with it.

The other items that are essential to any home beer brewing kit are a large wooden spoon, a thermometer that has temperature ranges of between 40 degrees and 150 degrees Fahrenheit on it. The types of thermometers used most often by home brewers are either the stainless steel dial ones or the floating dairy ones. One more final item you need is a good brewer's iodine solution which you will use to sterilize all the equipment before and after it has been used.