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Best homebrew starter kit for beer and cider: Amazon picks

Starter kit equipment list completeness (fermenter, airlock, hydrometer, siphon, sanitizer, caps), bucket versus carboy fermenter included, whether a recipe kit is included, batch size in gallons and whether the kit includes a bottle capper and bottles determine which homebrew starter kit suits first-time home brewers.

By Pickspry EditorialUpdated 4 picks

The short answer

Northern Brewer Essential Brewing Starter Kit at $60 is the best homebrew starter kit for most first-time brewers: the 6-gallon plastic bucket fermenter with drilled lid accommodates standard 5-gallon homebrew recipes, the kit includes a hydrometer for measuring alcohol content, an auto-siphon for racking beer from fermenter to bottles and sanitizer for sanitizing equipment before use.

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Quick picks

How we chose

Homebrew starter kits are evaluated by equipment completeness (fermenter, airlock, hydrometer, siphon, sanitizer, bottle caps, capper), fermenter type and capacity, batch size, whether a recipe is included and price. Specs from manufacturer product pages. We did not test these products.

The picks, in detail

4 picks reviewed
01
Best homebrew starter kit for most beginners
Northern Brewer Northern Brewer Essential Brewing Starter Kit

Northern Brewer Essential Brewing Starter Kit

Brand: Northern Brewer

Best for

First-time home brewers who want a complete equipment kit for 5-gallon homebrew batches with all the essential equipment needed for fermentation and bottling, where Northern Brewer Essential includes the 6-gallon fermentation bucket, hydrometer, auto-siphon, bottle filler, bottle brush, bottle caps and sanitizer in a single purchase.

Skip if

A compact counter-top brewing experience is the goal. Northern Brewer Essential uses standard 6-gallon fermentation buckets for 5-gallon batch brewing, which requires significant storage space and produces approximately 48 12-oz bottles per batch. For first-time brewers who want a smaller, simpler system producing 2 gallons at a time, the Mr. Beer or Brooklyn Brew kit is appropriate. Northern Brewer is for brewers committed to the full 5-gallon batch scale from the start.

Check price on Amazon

Northern Brewer Essential uses a food-grade plastic fermentation bucket with a drilled lid for an airlock. The kit includes: 6-gallon fermenter, drilled lid, three-piece airlock, 5-gram packet of sanitizer (One Step), 1-ounce packet of sanitizer (Star San), auto-siphon with tubing, bottle filler, bottle capper, 50 crown bottle caps, bottle brush and a triple-scale hydrometer. Bottles are not included and must be purchased separately or reused from commercial bottles.

Northern Brewer is a Minneapolis homebrew supply company established in 1993. They sell homebrew kits, ingredients and equipment through their website and through Amazon.

At $60, Northern Brewer Essential is the best value full-equipment homebrew starter kit in this guide.

Specifications

Specifications for Northern Brewer Essential Brewing Starter Kit
Fermenter6-gallon plastic bucket
Batch size5 gallons (48 bottles)
HydrometerIncluded
Auto-siphonIncluded
Price$60

Specs from Northern Brewer Essential Brewing Starter Kit 6 gallon bucket fermenter hydrometer, siphon Amazon search

02
Best compact homebrew starter kit
Brooklyn Brew Shop Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit

Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit

Brand: Brooklyn Brew Shop

Best for

First-time home brewers who want a small 1-gallon all-grain homebrew kit that fits on a kitchen countertop and produces approximately 8 12-oz bottles per batch for trying homebrew before committing to a larger 5-gallon batch scale, where Brooklyn Brew Shop includes a 1-gallon glass fermenter, tubing, stopper, airlock and a grain and hop recipe kit for making one batch.

Skip if

Producing enough beer for sharing or regular consumption is the goal. Brooklyn Brew Shop 1-gallon kit produces 8 to 10 bottles per batch, which is adequate for personal tasting but not for stocking a home bar or sharing with guests. For brewing quantities suitable for sharing, the Northern Brewer 5-gallon kit produces 48 bottles per batch. Brooklyn Brew is specifically for learning the process at small scale before investing in 5-gallon equipment.

Check price on Amazon

Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit uses a 1-gallon glass fermentation jug that allows monitoring fermentation visually without opening the vessel. The kit includes: 1-gallon glass jug, airlock, stopper, auto-siphon tubing, muslin grain bag and one recipe kit with grain, hops and yeast for a single batch. The 1-gallon all-grain process uses the stovetop and a regular kitchen pot, requiring no specialized equipment beyond the kit contents and a standard pot.

Brooklyn Brew Shop was founded in 2009 in New York, producing small-batch homebrew kits sold in retail stores and through Amazon.

At $35, Brooklyn Brew Shop is the best value small-batch all-grain homebrew starter kit in this guide.

Specifications

Specifications for Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit
Fermenter1-gallon glass jug
Batch size1 gallon (8 to 10 bottles)
Recipe includedYes (grain and hops)
TypeAll-grain brewing
Price$35

Specs from Brooklyn Brew Shop beer making kit 1 gallon glass fermenter recipe grain all-grain, beginner Amazon search

03
Best conical fermenter starter kit
FastFerment FastFerment 3-Gallon Conical Fermenter Kit

FastFerment 3-Gallon Conical Fermenter Kit

Brand: FastFerment

Best for

Intermediate home brewers who want a conical fermenter that allows collecting yeast and trub at the bottom of the vessel without siphoning, where FastFerment 3-Gallon uses a cone-shaped bottom with a removable collection ball that catches settled yeast and solids for removal or harvesting without disturbing the beer above.

Skip if

Starting homebrew for the first time with a tight budget. FastFerment 3-Gallon at $55 provides more advanced fermentation features (conical design, yeast harvesting) than a standard bucket fermenter, but at higher cost than the Northern Brewer bucket kit and without the complete set of bottling accessories. First-time brewers benefit more from the Northern Brewer bucket kit's complete accessory set. The FastFerment is better suited to brewers moving from bucket fermenters who want to reduce sediment in the finished beer.

Check price on Amazon

FastFerment 3-Gallon uses a clear plastic conical fermenter that attaches to a wall-mount bracket. The cone bottom guides yeast and protein sediment (trub) into a removable collection ball. Removing the collection ball after primary fermentation settles the yeast allows continued fermentation in cleaner beer without the sediment contact time that can add off-flavors in bucket or carboy fermenters. The collection ball can be used to harvest and re-pitch yeast for subsequent batches.

FastFerment is a homebrew equipment brand focused on conical fermenter designs for home brewing. Their products are sold through Amazon and homebrew supply retailers.

At $55, FastFerment 3-Gallon is the best value conical fermenter starter kit in this guide.

Specifications

Specifications for FastFerment 3-Gallon Conical Fermenter Kit
Fermenter shapeConical with collection ball
Capacity3 gallons
MountWall-mount bracket included
Yeast harvestingYes (collection ball removal)
Price$55

Specs from FastFerment 3 gallon conical fermenter kit wall mount trub collection, yeast harvesting Amazon search

04
Best beginner kit with recipe included
Mr. Beer Mr. Beer Complete Beer Making 2-Gallon Kit

Mr. Beer Complete Beer Making 2-Gallon Kit

Brand: Mr. Beer

Best for

Absolute beginners who want the simplest possible homebrew process with pre-measured ingredients that require no grain mashing or hop additions, where Mr. Beer Complete uses extract-based refill cans (malted barley extract, hops and yeast pre-combined) that are added directly to the 2-gallon fermenter with water, eliminating the mashing and boiling steps of all-grain brewing.

Skip if

Learning the full brewing process including grain mashing, hop additions and yeast management is the goal. Mr. Beer extract kits simplify the brewing process to the point where many of the actual brewing skills (hop timing, mash temperature control, yeast pitching rate) are not practiced. For brewers who want to learn the complete craft, the Brooklyn Brew Shop all-grain kit or Northern Brewer 5-gallon kit provides a more complete learning experience.

Check price on Amazon

Mr. Beer Complete uses a 2-gallon plastic fermenter shaped like a small keg. The kit includes the fermenter, a pre-measured hopped malt extract can, yeast packet, two reusable PET plastic bottles with caps and a sanitizer packet. The extract brewing process requires no grain mashing: boil 4 cups of water, add the malt extract can contents, stir to dissolve, pour into the fermenter and fill to the 2-gallon line with cold water. Fermentation takes 1 to 2 weeks.

Mr. Beer was established in 1993 in Arizona. Their extract-based homebrew kits are among the most sold beginner homebrew kits in the US due to their simplified process.

At $45, Mr. Beer Complete is the best value beginner extract homebrew kit in this guide.

Specifications

Specifications for Mr. Beer Complete Beer Making 2-Gallon Kit
Fermenter2-gallon plastic keg
Process typeExtract brewing (no mashing)
RecipeIncluded (extract can)
BottlesReusable PET bottles included
Price$45

Specs from Mr. Beer complete beer making kit 2 gallon fermenter recipe extract beginner, bottles Amazon search

Homebrew starter kit comparison

Product Fermenter Batch Size Process Price
Brooklyn Brew Shop 1-gal glass 1 gallon All-grain $35
Mr. Beer Complete 2-gal plastic 2 gallons Extract $45
FastFerment 3-gal conical 3 gallons Fermenter only $55
Northern Brewer Essential 6-gal bucket 5 gallons Full kit $60

Compare the picks

Side by side comparison of every pick
Specification
Northern Brewer Northern Brewer Essential Brewing Starter Kit
Northern Brewer Essential Brewing Starter Kit
Brooklyn Brew Shop Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit
Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit
FastFerment FastFerment 3-Gallon Conical Fermenter Kit
FastFerment 3-Gallon Conical Fermenter Kit
Mr. Beer Mr. Beer Complete Beer Making 2-Gallon Kit
Mr. Beer Complete Beer Making 2-Gallon Kit
Our verdictBest homebrew starter kit for most beginnersBest compact homebrew starter kitBest conical fermenter starter kitBest beginner kit with recipe included
Fermenter6-gallon plastic bucket1-gallon glass jugNot listed2-gallon plastic keg
Batch size5 gallons (48 bottles)1 gallon (8 to 10 bottles)Not listedNot listed
HydrometerIncludedNot listedNot listedNot listed
Auto-siphonIncludedNot listedNot listedNot listed
Price$60$35$55$45
Recipe includedNot listedYes (grain and hops)Not listedNot listed
TypeNot listedAll-grain brewingNot listedNot listed
Fermenter shapeNot listedNot listedConical with collection ballNot listed
CapacityNot listedNot listed3 gallonsNot listed
MountNot listedNot listedWall-mount bracket includedNot listed
Yeast harvestingNot listedNot listedYes (collection ball removal)Not listed
Process typeNot listedNot listedNot listedExtract brewing (no mashing)
RecipeNot listedNot listedNot listedIncluded (extract can)
BottlesNot listedNot listedNot listedReusable PET bottles included
BuyCheck priceCheck priceCheck priceCheck price

Questions people ask

What equipment do I need to start homebrewing beer?

The minimum equipment for 5-gallon homebrew batch brewing includes: a fermentation vessel (6-gallon plastic bucket or glass carboy), an airlock and stopper, a hydrometer for measuring original and final gravity to calculate alcohol content, an auto-siphon and tubing for transferring beer without splashing, a bottle filler for filling bottles, a bottle capper and crown caps, a bottle brush for cleaning bottles, sanitizer (Star San or One Step) and a large brew kettle (minimum 4-gallon capacity for extract brewing, 8-gallon for all-grain brewing). Bottles can be reused from commercial beer bottles (pry-off caps only, not screw-off) or purchased new. Northern Brewer and other homebrew supply companies sell complete starter kits that include all of these items at a lower total cost than purchasing each item separately.

How long does it take to brew beer at home?

The full homebrew process from brew day to drinkable beer takes 4 to 8 weeks for most standard beer styles. Brew day (the day of actual brewing, boiling and fermenting setup) takes 3 to 6 hours for a 5-gallon batch depending on the process. Primary fermentation takes 1 to 2 weeks for ales and 3 to 6 weeks for lagers at their respective fermentation temperatures. After primary fermentation, the beer is transferred (racked) to a secondary fermenter or directly to bottles. Bottle conditioning (carbonating in the bottle using residual yeast and priming sugar) takes 1 to 3 weeks. Ales are ready to drink after approximately 4 to 6 weeks total. Lagers require longer cold conditioning and may take 6 to 12 weeks. Some high-alcohol styles benefit from additional aging.

All-grain versus extract homebrewing: which should beginners start with?

Extract homebrewing is recommended for beginners. Extract brewing uses pre-made malted barley extract (concentrated wort) as the base ingredient, skipping the mash step where grain starches are converted to fermentable sugars. This reduces brew day from 5 to 6 hours (all-grain) to 2 to 3 hours and eliminates the need for a mash tun and temperature control equipment. Extract beers can produce excellent results and cover all major beer styles. All-grain brewing provides more control over fermentable sugar profile, mash thickness and grain bill composition, giving the brewer more ability to fine-tune a recipe. Most experienced home brewers eventually move to all-grain. Starting with extract allows learning fermentation, yeast management and sanitation (the most important skills) without simultaneously managing mash temperature control.

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