Cooler https://amzn.to/2C9JkPR
Kettle https://amzn.to/2sh4gjl
Burner https://amzn.to/2VIx55Q
Carboy https://amzn.to/2RCKAEN
Thermometer https://amzn.to/2VGvptq
Hydrometer https://amzn.to/2VFjg81
This is my basic home brew set up. You can get deep into equipment and automation. Electric pumps and chillers. Crazy stuff. I like keeping it simple and non technical. the most tech thing I use is the Beersmith app for recipes.
I have an email group that I rarely send out emails to. But when I do they have awesome info and giveaways. If you want to sign up just use the link http://eepurl.com/gduY0n
If you are a beginner home brewer and looking for a system that will work for you this is one of the best ways to go. If you want to brew all grain you need a mash tun and a kettle. If you are only going to brew extract you can skip the mash tun. As a beginner you have to decide between Extract and All grain brewing. I wanted to start with all grain.
I have never made an extract batch of beer. I hear the quality can be just as good now as an all grain. Years ago it was a little bit of an issue. It was harder to make a great beer with extract. The extract now is so good that there isn’t as much of a difference.
All grain brewing also gives you more control over the brewing process. You can adjust your recipe and have more options. There are hundreds of different grains you can choose from if you all grain brew.
Using a cooler REALLY helps when you are mashing. Coolers are designed to hold temperature so they do a great job keeping your mash temperature steady for an hour. It’s a lot easier to use a cooler than just keep a steady temperature in a kettle with a burner running the whole time. Trust me. You will be playing with the flame the whole time while the temp bounces up and down if you try and do it in the pot. Once you close the lid on the cooler you can walk away for an hour and go clean and sanitize a carboy.
Let me know in the comments how you have your beer system set up. I would love to see how everyone else brews beer. I used to brew one gallon batches. That got annoying though cause it only made like 6 beers. I don’t want to spend 6 hours to only make 4 beers.
If I’m doing a crazy experimental beer then I might do only one gallon. If I really dont know how the beer is going to turn out.
Otherwise I’m always brewing 5 gallons. I’ve run into guys at the brew shop who do 50 gallon batches. They have an insane set up they made themselves. They also don’t experiment too much.
Let me know what you decide to do with your homebrewing set up.