Gear: Homebrewing Equipment

Few hobbies yield results as delicious as home brewing. There’s a dizzying amount of gear available, from wort chillers to sparge arms, so we rounded up some of the most helpful equipment, whether you’re looking to upgrade your existing system or brew your first batch.

Brew Share Enjoy Homebrew Starter Kit
The sheer number of hoses and vessels required for the home-brew process can be daunting, making this starter kit from Northern Brewer a great option for first timers. From the brew kettle to the bottle caps, this kit has everything you need to turn your ambition into drinkable beer, including the ingredients for one 5-gallon recipe. $99.98, northernbrewer.com

Brix Refractometer
Improve accuracy and feel like a real home-brew scientist by using a refractometer to measure the brix (sugar level) in your wort. A brix reading enables you to calculate original gravity (a beer’s boozy percentage potential) to keep recipes on track. Just place a few drops of wort on the prism face and look toward the light to get a precise reading. $27.50, homebrewing.org

Fermentasaurus Snub Nose Conical Fermenter
For more experienced home brewers, one of the biggest gear upgrades you can make is a conical fermenter— basically a small-scale version of what the pros use. The conical shape allows detritus to settle
on the bottom for crystal-clear beer without transferring to a secondary vessel, which also cuts down on unwanted oxygenation. The Fermentasaurus is made with PET plastic for lightweight durability and can hold up to 35 PSI for pressure transfers. $129.99, midwestsupplies.com

Komos Pro Stainless Steel Draft Jockey Box
For pouring perfectly chilled draft beer anywhere, it’s hard to beat the convenience and portability of this two-faucet jockey box. Simply add ice to the cooler box and hook up your keg of home brew and CO2, no electricity needed. And with a marine-grade cooler and all stainless steel coils and fittings, the Komos Pro is as sleek as it is durable. $499.99, kegoutlet.com

The Barley Crusher Grain and Malt Mill
You grind your own beans for better coffee, so why not crush your own grain for better beer? Not only does buying bulk, unmilled grain equal big savings, but dialing in grind size per recipe can improve overall efficiency. The Barley Crusher holds seven pounds of grain in the hopper, utilizes adjustable steel rollers and can even be hooked up to an electric drill for speed. $149.99, morebeer.com

PicoBrew Model C
The PicoBrew is an all-in-one countertop brewing machine for those wanting to make beer at the push of a button, or without the space for a full rig. The Wi-Fi enabled, steam- heated Pico C brews from pre-packed inserts, either with a customized recipe or calibrated to replicate favorite commercial brews. Just pop in a PicoPak and in as little as seven days you’ll have five liters of fresh home brew. $399, picobrew.com