Are you looking for the perfect Christmas gift for that special homebrewer in your life? Perhaps a gift for yourself? Well you are in luck because I've done the leg work for you by scouring the internet to find some of my favorite gear! I've even broken it down into price ranges to fit every budget!
*Disclaimer: Every link below supports the creation of new videos and blog posts. These are my Amazon Associate links and if you make a purchase using the links, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. Don't worry, I would never link you to something I would not use myself, so shop with confidence!
Keep in mind that prices may vary slightly. All pricing categories are based on the current Amazon prices at the time of writing (Nov. 22, 2022). Grab a homebrew and let's dive in!
I've made it easier to search this blog post by adding links to each section. This will allow you to go directly to any price category that fits your budget the best.
Special Purchases - For those homebrewers NOT on your naughty list!
Up to $15
Airlock: $7
These are used by homebrewers when they are fermenting beer. Airlocks ensure that the fermenting beer does not become contaminated by outside air while allowing Co2 to escape. This two pack is also small enough to make perfect stocking stuffers!
Hydrometers are essential for calculating your final gravity, or ABV percentage of the beer before carbonating. Made of glass, they can be fragile and easily broken so having an extra on hand is a great idea! Combine this with the included graduated cylinder and you will have everything you need to take a gravity reading of your finished beer. Check out my TikTok video here to see how to use this piece of equipment.
Kitchen Scale: $15
Kitchen scales are an invaluable tool to have around, but especially true during a brew day. This scale is small, lightweight, accurate, and most of all, it can measure as low as 0.03 oz! Having the capability to measure ounces down to two decimal points will come in clutch when accurately measuring out your hop additions.
Spray Bottle - 3 Pack: $13
Keeping equipment sanitized is incredibly important both during and after a brew day. These spray bottles work at any angle so no more fighting with the sprayer when you are trying to sanitize the posts on your keg while they are in the keezer! With three spray bottles in the pack, you'll always have one available.
Up to $25
Teku Glass: $17
This is my absolute favorite glass for all styles of beer. The long stem prevents warming the beer from your hand while the tapered shape allows all those amazing aromas to hit your nose just before your taste buds. I love this glass so much that I made a TikTok all about it!
Refractometer: $17
Similar to the hydrometer listed above, the refractometer allows you to measure the sugars you have extracted from the grains. The hydrometer is used post fermentation and before carbonating, while the refractometer is used to measure the sugar content of the mash and boil. Both pieces of equipment are necessary to make the best beer possible.
This book makes a great gift for both the beginning brewer and the more seasoned brewer. Packed with tons of info PLUS recipes, this book will prove to be a valuable resource for learning how to brew 80 award wining beer recipes. Bonus: the book is well written and extremely easy to understand!
Erlenmeyer Flask: $24
Erlenmeyer flasks are essential for making yeast starters. Made from borosilicate glass, this flask is resistant to high temperatures. Its 2000ml capacity ensures that you will be able to make yeast starters of any size! Perfect for the homebrewer in your life who loves to make lagers! Combine it with a stir plate and you are all set!
Up to $50
Stir Plate: $30
Stir plates are designed to constantly stir your yeast starter, ensuring that all that healthy yeast stays in suspension. Combine this with the Erlenmeyer flask above and you are all set to start creating yeast starters! This stir plate works great, but is not as heavy duty as the Maelstrom Stir Plate listed below.
Inline Thermometer: $26
This Blichmann ThruMometer is incredibly valuable when transferring your wort into the fermenter. It allows you to see exactly what temperature the wort is so that you can make adjustments to the temperature to match your preferred temp for pitching yeast. Bonus: it is also small enough to fit in a stocking!
Beer Faucet: $33
The Nukatap SS Forward Sealing Beer Faucet is one of the best faucets out there. It helps reduce first pour foam due to low thermal mass. The forward-sealing design prevents beer residue from gumming up the faucet. Overall, it just pours beer better. Tip: stick with the chrome plated ones because the painted ones will chip during cleaning, possibly leaving those paint chips in your beer.
The Inkbird Digital Temperature Control Unit is great for the homebrewer who has a fridge or deep freeze for temperature controlled fermentation. With this unit, you plug the fridge or deep freeze into the cooling side of the unit and set the temperature. The unit will then turn on the power when cooling is needed to keep the temperature stable. This unit also includes a heating plug to keep your fermenter at exactly the right temperature. TikTok video here.
Instant read thermometers are great for measuring the temp or your wort during a brew day. This model is accurate and very quick! No need to drop a thermometer in the wort and wait a few minutes to read the temperature. The magnet on the back is also handy for keeping the unit nearby like on the fridge or stove. It is also small enough to make a great stocking stuffer. Every homebrewer needs one of these!
Up to $100
Keg & Carboy Washer: $99
The Mark II Keg and Carboy Washer is perfect for the homebrewer who hates long hours of cleaning kegs and carboys. This simple piece of equipment allows you to fill the base with your preferred keg cleaner (I recommend PBW), then flip the keg or carboy upside down and let the spray wand do all the work! Genius! Tip: Make sure you use hot water for both mixing with the PBW AND for rinsing. PBW will be slick to the touch so keep rinsing until the surface is no longer slick. My keg cleaning video is here.
Growler Tap System: $99
Serving beer at homebrew meetings, events, and parties is always a dilemma. Hauling out kegs and Co2 tanks is cumbersome. Bringing beer in growlers can be risky as the beer can get flat very quickly. Bottling beer takes time and requires even more equipment. This Growler Tap System is the solution! It allows you to keep the beer carbonated so you can serve it straight from the attached tap, just like at a brewery!
Over $100
Mini Keg: $107
You might ask, "Why would I need a 1.5 gallon mini keg if I'm brewing 5 gallon batches?" I use mine to run sanitizer through beer faucets and tap lines to keep them ready for next use. You could also use this mini keg to make small, experimental batches. Dumping 1.5 gallons of beer because the experiment did not turn out is much better than dumping 5 gallons!
Possibly the slickest invention in modern homebrewing, the Tilt Wireless Hydrometer & Thermometer allows the homebrewer to get gravity and temperature readings throughout the entire fermentation process displayed on a phone app. Simply sanitize the Tilt and drop it into the fermenter. Boom! Jobs done! You no longer have to open your fermenter to take a sample for gravity reading. It also comes in several different colors, but you won't see it inside stainless steel fermenters so that might not matter much to some.
Stir Plate: $160
I know, I know. I already posted a stir plate. The first stir plate I listed here works well, but not as powerful. You get what you pay for right? With the Maelstrom Stir Plate, you won't be sacrificing quality at all! This thing will make a complete vortex in 2000ml of liquid. Why you ask? Because Tim Allen said, "More Power!" This beast has enough power to keep even the largest yeast starters growing!
Special Purchases
Kegs: $250
Every homebrewer could use more kegs! Buying brand new kegs ensures that you won't have to worry about damaged posts and gaskets. These kegs are sturdy, durable, and will last a very long time if taken care of. What is better than one keg full of beer? Two!!! This two pack has got you covered.
Kegerator: $750
Has your homebrewer been extra good this year and avoided the naughty list? Reward them with their very own kegerator! This two tap set-up has everything you need to serve beer in your own home just like a brewery. It includes a Co2 tank, temperature control, drip tray and rail, adjustable shelving, and space for up to 2 five gallon kegs! This kegerator also includes wheels so moving it to a different room for parties is easy peasy!
The Grainfather Brewing System is absolutely wonderful! It is the system that I use exclusively and I highly recommend it. This system has everything you need to brew a 5 gallon batch of beer. Just add a fermenter and you are good to go! The Grainfather is electric and can be plugged into any outlet in your house or garage. It is perfect for brewing inside when the weather is too cold or hot!
Conical Fermenter: $695
The Grainfather Conical Fermenter is the perfect companion to the Grainfather All-in-One Brewing System. This fermenter features double walled insulation and integrated cooling/heating sleeves for use with a glycol system. The digital read out on the front allows you to see the current temperature of your beer as well as what temperature you have it set to, ensuring your beer will be kept at exactly the right fermentation temp. Note: this fermenter does not require use of a glycol system and can be used with any brewing set-up. I recommend the Grainfather products because they are easy to use and help me make consistent beer.
Merry Christmas and Happy Homebrewing!!!
*Images by Freepik and Amazon
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