Best home-made beer, wine, cider and grass equipment (2021)

In the early days the quarantine race last year as everyone went to supermarkets to supply flour and yeast homemade breads, my older brother and I had another thought: supply malt with barley.

For the past eight years, we’ve met almost every Saturday on his shady sidewalk to hang out with our dogs, have a barbecue for lunch, and boil a fresh bunch of beer. We’ve been constantly moving from beginners to experienced brewers, and lately we’ve been exploring fresh local ingredients (most recently, Oregon malt beer). But we would be lying if we said we did it for a stable star supply.

Like a barbecue or gardening, making your own drink at home is more than just a way to get a cheap drink. It also connects you directly to the cuisine and scientific history of mankind. Did you know, for example, that we have gone from hunter-gatherers to farmers? for our love of beer? What that is Louis Pasteur found pasteurization while he was studying spoiled wine he hated German beer?

One of the things I love is how easy it is to move forward with this hobby. You can probably do something drinkable on the first try, but you can do something professional if you do a little work. It mostly requires the ability to read instructions. When you’re done, your products can help you relax long day of doomscrolling.

Do you want to give it to him? It doesn’t take a lot of money. Here’s what you need to know to make beer, wine, cider and mead.

July 2021 Update: We’ve updated the links and prices, and added some tips for buying malt and hops in bulk.

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Key concepts

Making alcohol is easy. Take a liquid sugar, add sugar to eat yeast and wait.

As yeast eats sugar, it produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. Wait enough time (a few weeks) and you will be safe to drink the fermented drink yourself (probably). Here are some general tips to consider when fermenting your own drink for quality:

Sanitation

Sanitation is the most important part of any fermentation process. You want to make sure that everything that touches your pre- and post-fermentation liquid is completely sterilized with an unwashed disinfectant (see Star San section below). This removes bad taste yeasts and other contaminants and ensures the stability of the shelves.

Yeast Health

In the brewing community it is said that brewers are really famous porters: yeast is what makes beer. This could not be more true. Keeping your little biological friends happy is very important for a drink that tastes good. Make sure you shed a healthy number of yeast cells and keep the fermentation within the recommended temperature range for that yeast you are using.

Patience, Grasshopper

“Relax, don’t worry, take home food” is the most popular reason for home fermentation in the world. Making good drinks can take time, and it’s important not to rush things, even if you’re excited!

The tools you will need for everything

There is a good chance to have a supply store in your home. I recommend purchasing this tool as locally as possible, as store experts are invaluable resources. If you’re a little further away, we’ve included links to buy this equipment online. If you want to buy malt, hops or other ingredients in bulk, buying a local one is a great way to save on shipping. Pro Tip: Hops are harvested in August and September in the US, so you’ll often see good discounts on last year’s harvest at that time. Fresh hops entered the market in December.

• Thermometer for $ 11: You want a high-quality accurate thermometer to check the temperature of various liquids. I like it for a long time because you don’t steam your hand in the heater.
• Hydrometer for $ 33: The hydrometer is a nice little floating thermometer that measures the density of a liquid instead of temperature. By measuring the density before and after fermentation, you can get a fairly accurate idea about alcohol. To the extent that alcohol is present in the solution — a by-product of the yeast that eats the sugars — the liquid becomes less dense.
• Kitchen scale $ 20: A simple kitchen scale like this Etekcity model will help you measure everything from hops to honey.
• Siphon for $ 14: You will need a way to get your precious drink out of the container when you ferment it. A self-siphon allows you to do this without absorbing the hose, which would require re-sterilizing everything.
• Fermentation vessels at $ 28: Fermentation containers range from glass charcoals to elegant stainless steel tanks and beyond, but the best way to start is a simple plastic food grade container and a lid like this one from Home Brew Ohio. It has a cheap price, and you don’t have to worry about breaking the glass if you fall. Pro type: Use only the soft side of the sponge when cleaning. The wrinkled side can cause abrasions in the vessel that can stick to the yeast and bacteria during cleaning and sanitation.
• Airlock for $ 7: An Airlock is a simple device that enters the top of your fermentation and allows you to release carbon dioxide — the main byproduct of fermentation in addition to alcohol — while keeping the inside of the container closed from wild yeast and bacteria. Thanks to this package you have five cheaper ones.