So, you're ready to brew your own beer — but where do you start? The good news: you don’t need a garage full of gadgets or a chemistry degree to get going. With just a few essential homebrewing tools, you’ll be equipped to brew your first batch of craft beer right at home.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the must-have homebrewing equipment for beginner homebrewers, break down what each tool does, and help you build your ideal setup — whether you’re brewing a simple 1-gallon batch or planning to grow your skills over time.
TL;DR: Homebrewing Equipment Checklist
If you’re wondering “what do I need to brew beer at home?” — here’s your quick guide. At minimum, a beginner beer brewing setup includes a stock pot, fermenter with an airlock and rubber stopper, funnel, thermometer, racking cane with tubing, sanitizer, bottling supplies, and of course, ingredients.
Each piece of brewing equipment has a specific role — the kettle is where you boil the ingredients, the fermenter is where your beer comes to life, bottles house and carbonate the beer to finish the job.
For a first-timer brewing 1 gallon of beer at home, you’ll need:
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Fermenter with airlock & stopper
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Brewing kettle (stockpot)
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Funnel (with filter screen)
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Sanitizer
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Thermometer
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Racking cane & tubing
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Bottling equipment
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Bottle caps & capper
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Ingredients (grain/extract, hops, yeast)
👉 Want to skip the hassle of sourcing gear individually? A Craft a Brew homebrewing starter kit includes nearly everything you need to get brewing right away (just add a stockpot and bottles).
Core Homebrewing Equipment Explained
We’ve compiled a complete beer brewing equipment list for you. We’ll explain what each of these DIY homebrewing supplies does and why it’s important. Most of these items are included in every Craft a Brew homebrewing starter kit to help you brew your first batch with ease! For offer every piece of additional homebrewing equipment you might need, from brew kettles to bottles, we’ve got you covered.
1. Fermenter with Airlock & Rubber Stopper
The fermenter is where the magic happens — the yeast converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. A fermenter should provide a sealed-off, oxygen-free environment for yeast to do their work. A 1-gallon glass carboy is ideal for beginners. The airlock lets CO₂ escape while keeping oxygen and bacteria out.
✅ Craft a Brew 1 Gallon Beer Making Kits include a 1 gallon glass carboy, rubber stopper & airlock.
2. Brewing Kettle
You’ll need a pot slightly larger than your batch size (a 2–2.5 gallon kettle works for 1-gallon brewing). Too small, and you risk boil-overs; too large, and you’ll lose too much liquid to evaporation. A stainless-steel stockpot with a lid works perfectly.
❌ Not included in kits — but if you cook pasta, you may already own the right size stock pot for the job..
3. Funnel
After boiling, you’ll need to transfer wort (unfermented beer) into your fermenter. A funnel prevents spills during this transfer. It’s important to strain your beer at this step to keep as much sediment out of the fermenter as possible. You can use a fine mesh strainer if you have one, or try a funnel with a built in mesh screen.
✅ Craft a Brew 1 Gallon Beer Making Kits include a 4” funnel.
👉 Prefer a funnel with a built in filter? Try our 8” beer brewing funnel.
4. No-Rinse Sanitizer
Sanitation is the #1 rule of brewing. Any stray bacteria on your equipment can contaminate your beer and make it undrinkable.. A no-rinse sanitizer keeps all your gear sterile before fermentation and bottling.
✅ Craft a Brew 1 Gallon Beer Making Kits include a pre-measured packet of sanitizer.
5. Thermometer
Temperature control is critical — from heating water to 155°F for steeping grains to cooling wort to 75°F before adding yeast. Consistent temps = better beer.
✅ Craft a Brew 1 Gallon Beer Making Kits include a glass lab thermometer.
👉 Prefer something more durable? Try a digital thermometer or a stainless steel clip-on thermometer.
6. Racking Cane & Tubing
Once fermentation is complete, you’ll need to transfer beer without splashing or stirring up sediment. A racking cane and tubing form a siphon that gently moves beer into bottles while minimizing oxygen exposure.
✅ Craft a Brew 1 Gallon Beer Making Kits include a racking cane and transfer tubing.
7. Bottling Supplies
After fermentation, you’ll need to transfer beers into bottles. Not only are bottles used for storage, but they’re essential for carbonating your brew. Here’s what you’ll need to bottle and carbonate your beer:
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Priming Sugar - the yeast in your beer will convert this sugar into carbon dioxide in sealed bottles. You have options when it comes to priming your beer:
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Use white table sugar. For a 1 gallon beer, boil 2 Tablespoons in 1.5 cups of water to make a priming sugar syrup.
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Use pre-measured priming sugar packs. Dextrose (corn sugar).
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Try carbonation drops. Just add 1 drop per 12-16 Oz bottle before filling - no measuring or boiling required.
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8 - 10 Bottles & Caps
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Recycled pry-off beer bottles - yes, you can reuse bottles from 6-packs you enjoy at home thanks to our Capping Kit (includes a capper + caps). 1 gallon of beer fills about ten 12 Oz bottles.
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Deluxe Bottling Kit - includes everything you need to bottle a gallon of beer (Ten 12 Oz beer bottles, capper & 30 caps)
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16 Oz Flip-top Bottles - no capper or single-use caps needed! You’ll need about eight 16 Oz bottles per gallon of beer.
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Optional Bottle Filler -this handy spring-loaded tool allows for better control and the perfect fill every time.
❌ Bottles & caps are included in select Craft a Brew gift sets, but do not come standard in all 1 Gallon Beer Making Kits.
Optional (But Helpful) Extras
Once you’ve brewed a few beers, you’ll start to wonder “what do I need to brew beer faster?” You’ll start to understand how additional tools can make certain steps easier or more efficient. Whether you dread starting siphons or want to know the precise alcohol content of your brew, here’s the best homebrewing equipment to help:
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Hydrometer – Measures gravity (sugar content) of liquids, helping you calculate the alcohol content of your brew. Take a sample on brew day and another sample on bottling day to see how much sugar was converted into alcohol.
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Mini Auto-Siphon – A handy alternative to a racking cane for quicker, stress-free siphons. A few pumps of this tool will get a siphon started in a snap.
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Carboy Brush – This bendable wire brush helps you clean hard-to-reach nooks and crannies of your carboy. Scrub off stubborn gunk in seconds.
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Immersion Wort Chiller – Quickly cools your wort (unfermented beer) to yeast-safe temperatures after brewing. Faster cooling = reduced contamination risk.
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Hop Straining Bag – Keeps hops contained on brew day for less sediment in your finished beer. Can also be used inside your fermenter for dry hop additions
While these homebrewing tools aren’t essential for your beginner beer brewing setup, any combination of these items can help you get the best possible results from a craft beer homebrew kit
Want to Skip the Guesswork?
You could source all of your homebrewing equipment individually — or you could grab a Craft a Brew Beer Kit that includes all the brewing equipment for beginners (except for a kettle and bottles). An all-in-one kit helps you start brewing faster with fewer variables to worry about.
Each Craft a Brew 1 Gallon Beer Making Kits includes:
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1 Gallon Glass Carboy Fermenter, Rubber Stopper & Airlock
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Funnel
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Racking Cane & Transfer Tubing
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Thermometer
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Sanitizer
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Ingredients for your first batch
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Beginner-friendly instruction manual
All you need is a stock pot to brew in and bottles to store and carbonate your beer!
👉 Prefer a kit that includes bottles? Try our First Time Homebrewer Gift Package.
👉 Want a kit that includes bottles AND a hydrometer, carboy brush, mini auto-siphon and ingredients for your next batch? Try our Craft Beer Obsessed Gift Package.
Recommended Kits for Beginners:
Each kit includes real ingredients, reusable equipment, and step-by-step instructions.
Final Thoughts
Starting your brewing journey doesn’t require a huge investment — just the right homebrewing equipment and some patience. With a simple homebrewing starter kit, you’ll have nearly everything you need for a successful first batch.
Whether you want to explore flavors, learn a new skill, or just enjoy craft beer in a whole new way, brewing at home is a rewarding hobby that gets more fun with every batch.
👉 Browse All Beer Kits Now and start brewing your first beer today.
