To make beer at home you must have the desire and the energy to finish what you start. You can not leave halfway through and hope for the best. It is not hard or even difficult to brew at home, it just a mix of the right equipment, a good recipe, and some time.

When I started brewing at home, I did it simply because I thought it sounded cool. I was reading a copy of the “Nickle Ads” and saw that someone was getting rid of his equipment. I called my buddy and we went over. For less than $100 we got everything. As we struggled to put together our first batch, we were actually scared that we would kill ourselves, with bad beer. But as we read more books and articles on brewing, and when we actually tasted our first batch, we were surprised. Amazingly and thankfully, we did not die.

That was over twenty years ago, and today, the process nearly exactly the same. Buy grains, soak grains, throw away grains, use grain flavored water to start batch of beer. The first, and most important part of brewing is getting your equipment. Some people would like all new stuff, while others can deal with used equipment. It is a matter of choice. Today, the basic setup would include a glass carboy, or a seven gallon bucket. A large enough pot to hold at least two gallons of liquid. Some large stainless steel spoons and a colander.

I recommend visiting some of the bigger home brewing sites and looking at their started packages. This will give you a good idea of the kind of equipment that you will be needing. You do not have to buy it from them, just shop around and compare prices at different stores.

Here is a basic list of what you will need:

Brewing pot. You probably already have a pot that you can use, just make sure that it can hold two gallons of liquid with some space left over.

Five gallon carboy or five to seven gallon bucket. If you do decide to use a bucket, make sure that it is new and has never been used and that it has HDPE 2 under the lid. Make sure that the lid has a rubber gasket too.

Very Large funnel and a digital thermometer, which you can get very cheap at a well know kitchen appliance store. Next we need an airlocks. You probably should buy this from a home brewing catalog or store because they are very had to find and because they are very specialized piece of equipment. Most important, bottles. Bottles come in various sizes and colors. You should settle on brown or dark colored bottles. Not clear and not green. There is a debate raging on the color of bottles and if the colors affect the quality of the beer. Not sure, just play it safe. Go with brown. As for the number of bottles, you will be needing about 50-75 bottles depending on the amount each bottle holds. Do some calculations to get it right.

This is just a basic example of what you might need if you would like to try brewing at home. As you gain knowledge and skills your need for better, more professional equipment will increase. But for now, just be satisfied with the basics. Believe me, you can make some monstrously great beer with just a few basic items.