Making your own beer at home
Brewing your own beer can be an enjoyable hobby, rewarding your hard work with incredible beers that rival commercial results. Whether you’re thinking of taking up the hobby for pleasure or you dream of starting your own microbrewery, you’re in the right place.
We know it can be a bit overwhelming when you’re starting out. It can seem very complicated at first but we promise – if you can follow a recipe, you can make your own beer.
Beer making help
We’ve been helping homebrewers make beer at home since 1971, and love to share our top tips and tricks to get the perfect pint. We’ve put together a full starter guide to help you learn the basics, but if you get stuck – Just drop us an email or give us a call.
We’ve also set up the Purebrew Facebook group. It’s filled with like-minded beer makers of all levels – many of which are CAMRA officials, commercial craft brewers and home brewers with extensive experience. They’re a friendly group, who are happy to share their expertise with anyone looking to master the craft (and of course, we’re there too – and we’ve seen every kind of problem in our 50 years in the business).
Saving money by brewing beer
Sure, when you start your brewing journey, things are a little more expensive as you will need to buy some new equipment but that is usually a one-off cost. As soon as you’re set up you will be saving a huge amount compared to buying beer or popping to the pub. Even the most expensive kits will produce fantastic-tasting beer at under £1 a pint (most kits will cost around 50p per pint to produce).
Brewing Equipment
It can be tempting to think that you need a full microbrewery set up to make beer, but that’s really not the case. The very basic equipment that you’ll need is:
- A fermenting bucket
- Sanitiser
- An airlock
- A tap or siphon
- A long stirrer
- Caps and a capper
- A beer kit or ingredients
- Something to boil water in
That’s it!
The only other thing you need before getting started, you’ll is space and somewhere to brew around 20 litres of water. The kitchen is the obvious choice, but you can also set up in the garage with a gas burner and some worktop space.
Choosing brewing equipment
The golden rule is to always buy good quality equipment from a reputable homebrew retailer.
The easiest (and cheapest) way to get to your first brew is with a Starter kit – which generally come in three ranges: basic, mid-range, and deluxe.
Basic brewing starter kits
These kits are a great starting place for beginner brewers who wants to keep costs down as they explore different recipes and techniques. They contain the absolute bare necessities to brew a beer kit and you’ll need to buy a kit or ingredients to brew your first beer.
You will need to buy either bottles or a keg to store the beer or cider in once it is made.
Price range: £20 – £30
Mid-range brewing starter kits
These kits usually contain a beginner beer kit as well as basic brewing equipment. They’re an excellent choice if you want to use an extract beer kit to start your new hobby. You’ll need to buy brewing sugar to complete your first brew.
Price Range: £30 – £45
Deluxe brewing starter kits
These kits include the essential equipment, maybe a beer kit to get started a few extras – like bottles, heating pads or beer enhancers. Every kit is different, so be sure to check what’s included.
Price range: £45 – £80
