Homebrewing beer kits are the best way to learn the art of home brewing. These kits are simple to use and can go a long ways with introducing someone to the theory of home brewing. The brewing kits available today include everything you will need to get through the entire process of making your own beer at home. This means there’s no need to search around for different parts and ingredients. So don’t worry about not knowing what is needed to get started. Brewing beer from these extract kits has been compared to making soup from a can. This is because the basic process is simply this:
Heat tap water or bottled spring water
Add the hopped extract and sugar (or other fermentable) and mix
Add cold water, ensure wort is cooled to the proper temperature, then add yeast and seal in Fermenter
Let your wort ferment for about 5 to 7 days
Bottle and add sugar or carbonation drop
Enjoy beer after about 14 days (the longer the better)
As you can see, there are just a few steps to brewing beer from an extract kit. Here’s some of the homebrew equipment included in most kits:
Detailed instructions booklet or a DVD. These will give you a step by step procedure on how to put together your first batch of beer. They also help educate you on the simple chemistry behind beer brewing.
Primary fermenter. This is the vessel that fermentation takes place in.
Beer Bottles. These are simply where you beer will be stored after you take it out of the fermenter.
Air lock. An airlocks function is to let CO2 out and to keep outside air from entering your fermenter.
Hydrometer. This tool measures the specific gravity of a liquid relative to water, it can also tell you the sugar content and the expected alcohol content.
Yeast. This is the micro-organism that feeds on the sugar in your wort. The by-product of this is alcohol and CO2.
Extract kit. This is typically a liquid extract that usually has hops added.
Carbonation drops for bottle conditioning. These are included in some kits, others specify to add table sugar. This is what gives your homebrew its carbonation in the bottle.
These brewing kits are put together and designed for ease-of-use, so you can enjoy brewing multiple beer batches and enjoy the hobby for years to come. Homebrew beer kits include detailed instructions so you will learn how the entire process of homebrewing actually works. Another wonderful thing about these kits is that, for the most part, you can utilize this same equipment for more advance methods of beer brewing as well as wine making. These kits can turn into a fun activity that you and your friends can enjoy. I’ve had a lot of fun drinking my homebrews with my friends and showing them the process. You’ll be surprised how much brewing knowledge you’ll have to share after doing your first batch of homebrew.