Brewing Supplies

Brewing supplies are simple products that can often be found around the house or at a nearby hardware store. The most basic home brew system involves two large containers, one is typically stainless steel for mixing the brew and is called the brew pot. The other is typically slightly larger, made of glass and seals at the top. This is the fermentation carboy. On top of this is an airlock that lets gas escape while keeping the container sealed.

Other brewing supplies such as hoses and tubing are used to transfer the beer from the brew pot to the fermenter and then from the fermenter into the bottles. These are basically siphons that allow the beer to be distributed into the bottom of the container first so oxidation and bubbles do not occur prematurely.

Other than the equipment the most important brewing supplies are the ingredients themselves. Typically a beer contains barley malt, hops and water though sugar is another common addition that can increase the alcohol content of the beer. Yeast eats sugar and excretes alcohol, so the more sugar involved the higher the alcoholic content typically is.