Jeff Flowers on July 23, 2014 4 Comments Having the right equipment is crucial to a successful home brewing. Rather than attempting to search for all of the necessary components individually, choosing to get a comprehensive Equipment Kit is the best place to start. That way, you know you’ll have everything you need right there and won’t be scrambling for parts come brew time. We’ve put together an assortment of equipment kits that range from basic to complete, all created with the needs of all types of homebrewers in mind. We’ll take you through each package to help you decide which equipment kit is the perfect one for both your brewing style and your wallet. Equipment Kit Staples No matter which kit you decide is right for you, all of them include the following seven components: True Brew Handbook — excellent primer for brewing with our equipment kits. Beer Bottle Brush — bristle brush for the easy cleaning of 12 – 22 ounce bottles. Double Lever Clapper — for quick and easy bottle capping. B-BRITE™ Cleanser 8oz. Tub — for proper sanitation of all beermaking equipment. Adhesive Thermometer — for monitoring temperatures within buckets and carboys. 3-Piece Airlock — used with the fermentation bucket and carboy, allows the release of CO2 produced through fermentation while preventing external air from altering the process. Triple Scale Hydrometer — to measure specific gravity before and after fermentation. Basic Homebrew Kits Maestro Kits The Maestro kits are the perfect starter kits for the aspiring home brewer. In addition to the staples mentioned above, these kits are also equipped with: 6.5 Gallon Fermenting Bucket (w/ Lid): an airtight storage vessel, the perfect receptacle for fermentation to take place. 6.5 Gallon Bottling Bucket (w/ Spigot): the intergrated spigot makes filling bottles a breeze. Auto Pump-Action Siphon & 5 ft. of Tubing: allows for a simple, one-motion transfer of brew from one vessel to another. 3/8″ Dual Function Bottle Filler: insert into the bottle and push down to fill, lift up to stop – it’s that easy! Maestro Kits Comparison Chart Take a look at our comparison chart to help give you a better idea of which equipment kit would be best for you. BasicKits CompleteKit IncludesBottling Kit Pieces of Equipment K3 K3BPKIT K3COMPKIT K3BABTLKIT K3BPBTLKIT 6.5 Gallon Fermenting Bucket (w/ Lid) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 6.5 Gallon Bottling Bucket (w/ Spigot) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 20 Quart Brew Pot – ✔ ✔ – ✔ Plastic Spoon – 24″ – – ✔ – – Mesh Straining Bag – – ✔ – – Floating Thermometer – – ✔ – – 48 Beer Bottles (12 oz.) – – – ✔ ✔ Silver Bottle Caps – – – ✔ ✔ ViewKit ViewKit ViewKit ViewKit ViewKit Gold Kits The Gold kits are a great choice for those who want to get a bit more from their homebrew kit. The basic versions of the Gold kits will, in addition to the staples, include: 7.8 Gallon Fermenting Bucket: This large-capacity bucket can double as a bottling bucket. Bottling Spigot:Designed for use during primary and/or secondary fermentation as well as bottling. Auto-Siphon: Allows you to easily transfer your brew from vessel to vessel. 6 Gallon Glass or PET Carboy: Perfect for secondary fermentation and clarification of your beer. Gold Kits Comparison Chart Take a look at our comparison chart to help give you a better idea of which equipment kit would be best for you. BasicKits CompleteKit Pieces of Equipment K6 K6PET K6BPKIT K6PETBPKIT K6COMPKIT 7.8 Gallon Fermenting Bucket (w/ Lid) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 6 Gallon Glass Carboy (w/ Stopper) ✔ – ✔ – ✔ 6 Gallon PET Carboy (w/ Stopper) – ✔ – ✔ – 20 Quart Brew Pot – – ✔ ✔ ✔ Mesh Straining Bag – – – – ✔ Stainless Steel Spoon – 24″ – – – – ✔ Bi-Metal Dial Thermometer – – – – ✔ Auto-Siphon ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ViewKit ViewKit ViewKit ViewKit ViewKit Complete Homebrew Kits The Maestro Complete and Gold Complete kits have everything included in the basic kits with added accessories that, if you don’t already own, will definitely be needed when brewing. As you may have noticed in the above charts, these complete homebrew kits have been upgraded with the following components: 5 gallon brew pot: Essential for the mash and boiling process of brewing. Brew Spoon:A heavy duty long-handled spoon for stirring, preventing boilover, whirlpooling and even yeast activation. Straining Bag: A reusable nylon fine-mesh bag that’s perfect for holding grain during the mash process. Upgraded Thermometer:An easier to use and more precise measuring tool for monitoring temperatures during the brew. Bottling Kits To help you avoid the hassle of finding, collecting, and cleaning old bottles, we offer Maestro kits that include all of the bottles and caps you’ll need. Maestro kits upgraded with: (48) 12oz. Beer Bottle, Case of 24 (x2) (144) Silver Bottle Caps Now that you’ve got your equipment kit narrowed down, it’s time to learn more about beer ingredient kits.
george martinez says August 9, 2014 at 5:24 pm Hello Jeff , Do you know of any Home Brew Classes in AZ ? I can read for days but i dont retain ……. I have to see and do ? thanks Reply
Jeff Flowers says August 12, 2014 at 10:23 am Hi George, I don’t know of any personally. However, the American Homebrewers Association has 19 different homebrew clubs listed for the state of Arizona. Check them out on the link below: http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/community/clubs/find-a-homebrew-club/ From there, you can find all of the contact information that you need to get involved with each club. You may also be able to find one not listed there with some strategic searching online. Good luck to you! It’s a great hobby to get into. Jeff Reply
Scott says January 25, 2016 at 12:12 pm I am looking to start brewing but want to go the keg direction since I have a kegorater. I have been searching on line for deluxe brewing kits and I see you don’t have one on here. What do you think is the best way to go Reply
Jeff Flowers says January 29, 2016 at 4:58 pm Hi Scott, You can find all the brewing equipment and kits you need here – http://www.kegerator.com/homebrew-supplies Reply