Best Beer-Making Kit Retailers For Home Brewers

Beer-making kits are widely available online and in-store. Some popular options include Northern Brewer, Mr. Beer, Craft a Brew, and MoreBeer. These kits range in price and quality, with some designed for beginners and others for more advanced brewers. Many kits include essential equipment, such as a kettle, fermenter, airlock, and hydrometer, as well as ingredients and recipes for your first batch. When choosing a kit, it's important to consider factors such as batch size, ease of use, and customer support.

Where to buy beer-making kits online

Beer-making kits are available at a range of online retailers, including Amazon, Rolling Stone, Wirecutter, and Midwest Supplies.

Amazon

Amazon offers a variety of beer-making kits, including:

• Mr. Beer 2 Gallon Beer Making, Complete Kit: This kit is great for beginners, with straightforward instructions and a quick, 30-minute brewing time. It includes all the necessary equipment and comes with a 4.4-star rating out of 5 stars from thousands of reviews.
• Craft A Brew Beer Making Kit: This kit is designed for first-timers and hobbyists, offering easy-to-follow instructions and all the necessary supplies to brew a gallon of German-style Hefeweizen. It has a 4.5-star rating out of 5 stars from over 3,500 ratings.

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone suggests the following online options for purchasing beer-making kits:

• Northern Brewer HomeBrewing Starter Set: One of the most popular beer-making kits, it offers a recipe for five-gallon batches, enough for 50 12-ounce bottles. The kit is highly recommended for beginners, as it includes all the necessary tools and equipment, along with clear instructions and tutorials.
• BeerDroid Fully Automated Beer Brewing System: This system is the world's first fully automated personal brewer, crafting 2.6 gallons of premium beer with the push of a button. It connects via WiFi, allowing you to monitor and control the brewing process through the BrewArt app.
• Brooklyn Brew Shop Bruxelles Blonde Beer Making Kit: This kit is ideal for beginners who want to learn the fundamentals of brewing. It includes seasonal ingredients and essential gear to make a gallon of a crisp, 6% ABV beer. The stylish glass equipment, including a reusable fermenter, makes it a great choice.

Wirecutter

Wirecutter recommends the following online options:

• Northern Brewer Brew Share Enjoy Homebrew Starter Kit: This kit is an excellent choice for first-time brewers, as it includes most of the essential tools and provides clear instructions. Northern Brewer also offers reliable support seven days a week to answer any questions.
• MoreBeer Premium Home Brewing Kit: This kit is ideal for those who are certain they want to dive into brewing. It offers bigger and better gear, including an 8.5-gallon stainless steel kettle, a copper immersion chiller, and a better fermenter.
• Northern Brewer Craft Beer Making Kit With Siphonless Fermenter: If you prefer smaller batches or are looking for a low-cost entry into home brewing, this 1-gallon kit is a great option. It includes almost all the essential tools and is backed by Northern Brewer's friendly customer service.

Midwest Supplies

Midwest Supplies is another online retailer offering a range of beer-making kits, such as:

• Essential Beer Making Kit - 1 Gallon: This kit is perfect for those living in tight quarters or looking to start with a smaller batch.
• Craft Beer Making Kit With Siphonless Fermenter - 1 Gallon: A step up from the essential kit, offering a siphonless fermenter for easier transfers.
• Essential Brew Share Enjoy® Homebrew Starter Kit: This kit includes everything you need to begin your home brewing journey, such as a 5-gallon kettle and a 21-inch stirring spoon.
• Brew. Share. Enjoy. Beer Making Starter Kit: A more comprehensive kit that comes with a kettle, testing equipment, a bottle filler, and clear instructions.

With a variety of online retailers offering beer-making kits, you're sure to find the perfect option to suit your needs and get started on your home brewing adventure.

The best beer-making kits for beginners

Beer-making kits are available at Northern Brewer and Amazon. Here are some of the best beer-making kits for beginners:

Northern Brewer Brew Share Enjoy Homebrew Starter Kit

This kit is recommended by Ben Keough, an editor at Wirecutter who has been brewing at home for nearly a decade. It includes most of the essential tools, providing a solid foundation for beginners to build on as they progress in the hobby. The kit also comes with clear instructions and reliable support seven days a week to answer any questions during the brewing process.

MoreBeer Premium Home Brewing Kit

This kit is ideal for those who are relatively certain they want to dive headfirst into brewing beer. It includes bigger and better gear, such as an 8.5-gallon stainless steel kettle with a ball-valve spigot and a wide-mouth, 7-gallon fermenter. It also comes with a copper immersion chiller, a Star San sanitizer, and all the items included in the Northern Brewer Brew Share Enjoy kit.

Northern Brewer Craft Beer Making Kit With Siphonless Fermenter

If you are on a tight budget, have limited space, or are unsure about brewing your own beer, this 1-gallon kit from Northern Brewer is a great option. It is the best 1-gallon kit available and makes the brewing process more foolproof than any other small-batch option. It includes a siphonless design, which makes transferring beer after fermentation extremely simple. This kit also comes with Northern Brewer's excellent customer service and your choice of four recipes.

Mr. Beer 2 Gallon Beer Making, Complete Kit

This kit is designed for first-time brewers and includes simple ingredients and easy-to-use brewing equipment. It only takes 30 minutes to brew a batch of beer using Mr. Beer's hopped malt extract, and the ingredients are designed and crafted at Coopers Brewery in Australia. The kit comes with everything you need to brew your first batch, including a fermenter, bottles, a can of brewing extract, no-rinse cleanser, and carbonation drops.

Craft A Brew Beer Making Kit

Craft A Brew's beer-making kit is designed to help first-timers and hobbyists get the most out of their beer experience. This kit includes all the right supplies to brew beer, such as a glass fermenter, a racking cane, a funnel, a tube, a guide to craft brewing, and ingredients for a German-style Hefeweizen. The ingredients are sourced from the same suppliers as the American craft beer industry, and each kit is assembled by hand in Orlando, Florida.

The best beer-making kits for advanced brewers

There are several beer-making kits available for advanced brewers. Here are some of the best options:

Northern Brewer Brew Share Enjoy Homebrew Starter Kit

This kit is perfect for beginners and advanced brewers. It includes all the essential tools, such as a 5-gallon kettle, a 21-inch stirring spoon, and a hydrometer. The kit also comes with clear instructions and reliable support. Northern Brewer provides excellent customer service, with a staff of dedicated "brewmasters" available seven days a week to answer any questions. The kit offers a choice of three recipes: an amber ale, a hefeweizen, and an IPA.

MoreBeer Premium Home Brewing Kit

This kit is ideal for those who are certain about diving into brewing. It comes with bigger and better gear, including an 8.5-gallon stainless steel kettle with a ball-valve spigot and a wide-mouth 7-gallon fermenter. It also includes a copper immersion chiller and a Star San sanitizer, which are pricey add-ons that make the brewing process easier. The kit provides your choice of four extract-based recipe kits with detailed instructions.

Northern Brewer Craft Beer Making Kit With Siphonless Fermenter

This 1-gallon kit is perfect for those who prefer smaller batches or are looking for a low-cost way to start brewing. It includes almost all the essential tools needed for a small-batch brew, such as an airlock, bottling wand, tubing, bottle capper, and bottle caps. The kit comes with your choice of four recipes: a brown ale, a wheat beer, an IPA, and an Irish red ale. Northern Brewer also offers excellent customer support for this kit.

Anvil Foundry All-In-One Brewing System With Pump

This large-capacity brewing system is perfect for advanced homebrewers looking to upgrade their setup. It features a tall silo shape with low-density heating elements that prevent scorching the mash. It has two separate voltage modes for efficient boiling and a double-wall insulated kettle for better heat retention. The grain basket has extra side perforations for better flow, and the digital controls allow for precise temperature calibration.

Bräu Supply Unibräu 10-Gallon Electric Brew System

This high-end, all-in-one system is for serious homebrewers who want complete control over their brewing process. It automatically runs the entire brewing process, including a 10-gallon kettle, grain basket, heating element, and chiller. The computer control system allows for precise temperature control and programmable timers and alarms. While it doesn't include a fermentation vessel or ingredients, it is designed to work with other Bräu Supply products for easy customization and upgrades.

These kits offer a range of options for advanced brewers, from comprehensive starter kits to large-capacity brewing systems. Each kit provides its unique features, recipes, and support, so you can choose the one that best suits your brewing needs and preferences.

The best beer-making kits for small batches

Northern Brewer's 1-gallon Craft Beer Making Kit

Northern Brewer has been in the beer-making business since 1993 and is known for its quality beer-making kits. Their 1-gallon Craft Beer Making Kit is perfect for small batches and includes all the essential brewing equipment you need to get started. The kit features a siphonless design, which makes transferring beer after fermentation extremely simple. It also comes with a kettle, an airlock, a bottling wand and tubing, a bottle capper, bottle caps, an oxygen-based cleanser, and even some personalisable beer bottle labels. The biggest omission is a hydrometer, but this can be purchased separately for around $15.

Mr. Beer's 2-gallon Complete Beer Making Kit

Mr. Beer's 2-gallon kit is a great option for beginners looking for an affordable and straightforward setup. The kit replaces grains and hops with hopped malt extract, which cuts your brew day to around 30 minutes. The kit includes a 2-gallon fermenter with a spigot, a can of brewing extract, a yeast packet, a no-rinse cleanser, carbonation drops, and 11 25-ounce plastic bottles with caps and labels. The fermenter and bottles are made of plastic, which works fine but looks a little cheap next to stainless steel vessels and glass bottles.

Craft-A-Brew's 1-gallon Hefeweizen Beer Making Kit

Craft-A-Brew's 1-gallon kit is perfect for those who want to make their own German-style Hefeweizen. The kit includes all the right supplies to brew beer, such as a glass carboy, a funnel, an airlock, tubing, a racking cane, a bottle filler, a bottle brush, a thermometer, and a sanitizer. It also comes with a comprehensive guide to craft brewing, making it a great choice for first-timers.

Brooklyn Brew Shop's 1-gallon Everyday IPA Beer Making Kit

Brooklyn Brew Shop's 1-gallon kit is a great option for those who want to explore a wide range of beer styles. The kit includes a 1-gallon glass fermenter, a thermometer, tubing, a racking cane and tip, a chambered airlock, a cleanser, and a screw-cap stopper. It does not include a kettle or bottles, but a full batch yields only 8 pints of beer, so you can easily pour it into a couple of screw-top growlers.

Northern Brewer's 1-gallon Essential Beer Making Kit

Northern Brewer's 1-gallon Essential Beer Making Kit is a great choice for those who want a foolproof and mess-free first experience of making craft beer at home. The kit includes all the specialised brewing equipment you need, such as a 1-gallon fermenter, a glass jug, a funnel, a racking cane, a bottle filler, tubing, a bottle brush, a screw-cap stopper, a cleanser, and a sanitiser.

The best beer-making kits for large batches

Homebrewing is a rewarding hobby that allows you to experiment and make something all your own. The payoff is great, too. Not only do you get to enjoy the process, but you also get to savour the final product – your very own beer.

Northern Brewer Brew Share Enjoy Homebrew Starter Kit

The Northern Brewer Brew Share Enjoy Homebrew Starter Kit is a great place to start your homebrewing journey. This kit has everything you need and more. It comes with a 5-gallon stainless steel kettle, a 21-inch stainless steel stirring spoon, and a hydrometer – three essential tools that other kits sometimes lack. It also includes a triple-scale hydrometer, which is crucial for determining your beer's ABV and ensuring fermentation is complete before bottling.

The kit features a siphonless design, making transferring beer after fermentation extremely simple. It also comes with a recipe kit and Northern Brewer's Homebrewing 101 course, a five-chapter seminar offering a great overview of the basics of the brewing process.

Northern Brewer provides excellent customer service, with a staff of dedicated "brewmasters" available seven days a week to answer any questions. They also offer a no-questions-asked replacement policy if anything goes wrong or if you're dissatisfied with the quality of the ingredients or equipment.

MoreBeer Premium Home Brewing Kit

The MoreBeer Premium Home Brewing Kit is a better initial investment if you're certain you want to dive headfirst into brewing beer. This kit provides a more durable, flexible, and complete starting point than the Northern Brewer kit, albeit at a higher price.

It includes bigger and better gear, such as an 8½-gallon stainless steel kettle with a ball-valve spigot and a wide-mouth, 7-gallon Fermonster fermenter with a ball valve, making transfers easier. The larger kettle lets you perform full-volume boils for 5-gallon batches without needing to top up.

The kit also comes with a copper immersion chiller, which makes cooling the beer after the boil much more efficient, and a Star San sanitizer.

MoreBeer offers a variety of support options, including toll-free phone support, live chat, and email.

Northern Brewer Deluxe Homebrew Starter Kit

The Northern Brewer Deluxe Homebrew Starter Kit is perfect for those who want to brew large batches of beer. This kit includes a 5-gallon stainless steel kettle, a 21-inch stainless steel stirring spoon, a triple-scale hydrometer, and a 6.5-gallon fermenter with a bubbler airlock.

It also comes with a bottle filler and capper, bottling bucket with a spigot, tubing, a bottle brush, and bottle caps. The only thing this kit doesn't include is the bottles themselves, which you will need to purchase separately.

Northern Brewer provides excellent customer support, with knowledgeable staff available seven days a week to answer any questions you may have during the brewing process.

With this kit, you get to choose one of three different beer styles – Hank's Hefeweizen, Block Party Amber Ale, or Chinook IPA – and you get the exact recipes of grain, yeast, and hops needed for 5 gallons of beer, enough to fill more than 50 standard 12-ounce bottles.

Brooklyn Brew Shop's 5-Gallon Large Batch Kits

Brooklyn Brew Shop offers a range of 5-gallon large batch kits that are perfect for aspiring brewers who want to make a sizable batch of homemade beer. Their kits include everything you need to get started, such as a 5-gallon glass fermenter, a bottle filler, a racking cane, tubing, a chambered airlock, a screw-cap stopper, a thermometer, and a sanitizer.

They offer a wide variety of beer styles to choose from, including collaborations with renowned craft breweries like Stillwater, BrewDog, and Mikkeller. Whether you're a fan of IPAs, stouts, porters, or something more experimental, Brooklyn Brew Shop has you covered.

Their kits are easy to use, even for beginners, and produce consistently high-quality, tasty beers.

Mr. Beer 4-Gallon Beer Making Kit

The Mr. Beer 4-Gallon Beer Making Kit is a great option for those who want to brew large batches without spending a fortune. This kit allows you to brew up to 4 gallons of beer, which is enough to fill approximately 45 12-ounce bottles.

The kit includes a fermenter, a can of brewing extract, a yeast packet, a no-rinse cleanser, carbonation drops, and 11 25-ounce plastic bottles with caps and labels. The brewing process is simple and only takes about 30 minutes, making it perfect for beginners or those who want a quick and easy brewing experience.

Mr. Beer also offers a range of refill kits in various styles, so you can experiment with different beers without having to purchase a new kit each time.

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