THE FIRST BATCH
Our founder, Kyle, brews his first batch. A new hobby plants the seed for what comes next.
Turning Curiosity into Craft. Since 2010.
IT STARTED WITH A HOMEBREW.
We started with a simple idea: help craft beer drinkers become craft beer brewers. Today, that same hands-on spirit goes far beyond beer. We create kits, source quality ingredients and develop equipment that help people experience the satisfaction of making something themselves.
A Little Curiosity. A Whole Lot of Possibility.
A FIRST BATCH. A LIFELONG OBSESSION.
In college I wanted to brew my own beer. The kits were the problem. The good ones cost more than a student could justify, and the cheap ones weren’t really brewing at all: open a can, add water, wait, and hope it tasted something like beer.
So I learned to brew, then spent months testing recipe after recipe and scaling the process down to one gallon until I had the kit I’d wanted in the first place. Real craft brewing, with real ingredients. Small enough for a dorm room or a kitchen counter and simple enough for a first-timer to try without the commitment.
I gave the first batch of kits away as gifts for friends to try, sold the next batch at local farmers markets, and coded a website to begin selling the rest. That first holiday season, enough people bought one to keep me going. That was 2010.
Today we make a lot more than beer, but the idea is the same: real ingredients, instructions you can actually follow, and a first batch you’ll be proud of. Every kit is still assembled by hand, under one roof, here in Orlando. And I still brew at home, just like that first batch more than 15 years ago.
Thanks for brewing with us.
Kyle Westfall - Founder & President
Look what’s been brewing.
Our story, one batch at a time
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2008 -
2010–2011 CRAFT A BREW IS BORN
We launch in 2010 to turn craft beer drinkers into craft beer brewers, moving into our first warehouse in 2011.
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2014–2017 MAKE ROOM FOR MORE
Extra Fermenter and Deluxe Beer Bottling kits launch in 2014, followed by Hard Cider kits in 2015. In 2016, the Catalyst reaches its Kickstarter goal as we expand into 5-gallon brewing and wine making.
More from 2014–2017
In 2016, the Catalyst Elite kit brings our fermenter and 5-gallon brewing equipment together.
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2018 NEW CULTURES. NEW RITUALS.
The Craft Society subscription and Kombucha kits bring fresh fermentation projects to the kitchen.
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2019 KEEPING OUR COOL
The Stasis reaches its Kickstarter goal in 5 hours. We introduce Gin and Hard Seltzer kits.
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2021–2022 BETTER EQUIPPED. GIVING BACK.
Mead Making Kits launch in 2021. Brew kettles, Clover wort chillers and a Backsweetening Mead Kit follow in 2022, when we fully fund our first charity: water project.
More from 2021–2022
In 2022, Wine Bottling Kits, flip-top bottles and malt extracts give brewers more ways to keep making.
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2023–2024 MORE TO MAKE
Root Beer kits bring homemade soda to the lineup in 2023. Fruit Wine, Craft Cola and Apple Cider Vinegar kits follow in 2024.
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2025 OUR NEW CUSTOM WAREHOUSE
After 4 warehouses, we designed and built our own from the ground up. A major upgrade, with more room for what comes next.
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2026 MORE ROOM TO EXPERIMENT
5-gallon all-grain kits expand the range. We add 70 new ingredients and brewing blends, including 24 new hops that bring our selection to 64 varieties.
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Today STILL LISTENING. STILL GROWING.
Your feedback shapes what comes next, helping us develop new kits, expand our ingredients and improve the tools you rely on.
Made for Makers.
YOU DON'T NEED TO BE AN EXPERT.
Our kits are designed to make brewing, fermentation and DIY food and beverage projects approachable for beginners while still giving experienced makers room to experiment. We break complex processes into manageable steps and provide the ingredients, equipment, instructions and support needed to take a project from start to finish.
Want to learn before getting started? Explore our Brewing Guides for step-by-step resources covering beer, wine, mead, cider, kombucha, soda, vinegar, hot sauce and more.
The People Behind Your Next Batch.
MEET THE TEAM
Kyle W
Founder & President
Kaley K
Customer Experience & Marketing Manager
Aren B
Senior Designer & Creative Director
BC
Head of Video
David K
Ingredient Manager
Tyler R
Director of Operations
Josh O
Fulfillment Manager
What Goes Into Every Batch.
THE DETAILS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Quality Ingredients
We obsess over quality ingredients because a great batch starts with what goes into it. From beer and wine to mead, cider and other fermentation projects, we select and handle ingredients with freshness and flavor in mind. For beer brewers, we source from suppliers serving the craft brewing industry and nitrogen-flush hops and grains to help preserve freshness and flavor.
Purposeful Design
The process should feel as thoughtfully designed as the finished product. We work with graphic designers, illustrators and product engineers to create kits, equipment, instructions and packaging that are approachable, functional and enjoyable to use. From the artwork on the box to the tools inside it, every detail has a purpose: to make brewing and fermentation easier to understand, more satisfying to explore and more rewarding to do yourself.
Sustainability
We’re always looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact, from how we operate to the suppliers and materials we choose. Our website runs on a carbon-negative server, our glass supplier uses more than 50% recycled material, and our boxes contain more than 35% recycled material. We also recycle all of our corrugated packaging material. These choices are part of an ongoing effort to reduce waste and make thoughtful improvements wherever we can.
Your Next Hobby Starts with One Batch.
MAKE ROOM FOR SOMETHING NEW
Pick something you’re curious about. We’ll help you take it from an idea to something you made yourself.
