10 Best Home Brewing Kits UK

If you are new to home brewing, some online listings may be misleading. Just because a kit is advertised as ‘complete’ or ‘everything you need’ doesn’t mean that this is always true. Beginners should look at the list of contents to ensure the kit includes all the essential home brewing equipment. Brewing beer at home requires:

• A plastic bucket with a lid, airlock and stopper


• A fermentation bucket


• Nylon bags for boiling grains and hops


• A thermometer


• A hydrometer


• A racking cane or siphon


• Food safe sanitiser


• A mixing spoon or paddle

You will also want bottles or a keg to store your beer in once it’s ready. You can, of course, buy additional equipment that may not come with the kit separately, but buying an all-in-one kit will ensure you have everything you need to start brewing straight away, and saves on added expenses.

More experienced homebrewers will already own the equipment needed to achieve a successful brew, so buying a full set is often unnecessary. That said, some kits may contain upgraded equipment, ones more suited to a particular brew style, or produces a different capacity, so they are worth considering regardless of experience level.

A recipe mix or kit will include grains, hops, and brewers yeast, although some will also include extra ingredients and flavourings. Grains provide a base for the beer; these are boiled in water to produce a sugary solution called wort. Hops provide much of the flavour - the variety of hops are important in influencing how your final beer will taste.

When you add the hops will depend on the recipe, so always refer to the kit’s instructions for guidance. Finally, brewers yeast is added to convert malt sugars into CO2 and alcohol. There are hundreds of yeast strains, and each one will influence the carbonation, alcohol content and aroma in different ways. Some kits require the purchase of extra ingredients, so always read the full product description.

The most popular and easy to master are light beers such as Amber or pale ales. IPAs are a home brewing kit favourite, although you may want to try a more exotic regional lager such as a Mexican “Cerveza”. Have a go recreating pub classics at home, or try your hand at a craft beer variety.

The higher the ABV percentage the more alcoholic the drink, which can be the difference between tipsy and blackout drunk. Check your kit to see how strong your beer will be before you inadvertently knock your friend's socks off with your homemade brew.

For kits with unspecified ABV, we recommend using a hydrometer to check the final alcohol percentage.

Avid beer drinkers, or those wanting to share their brew with friends and family, will benefit from a larger kit. Hobbyists wanting to experiment with various brews should go for smaller kits to avoid being inundated with more beer than they know what to do with – especially if it doesn’t turn out the way you planned!