Beer Making Kits: Steps, Process, and Common Questions

What are beer-making kits?

Beer-making kits are essentially homebrew projects that allow you to make your own beer from scratch. Many of these kits come equipped with ingredients, tools, and instructions to make your home brewing journey less intimidating and more smooth-sailing. Although the beer category is mainly split into ales and lagers, you’ll be happy to know there is a beer-making kit for every alcoholic variety, from bocks to stouts.

How long do beer-making kits take to brew?

Compared to ready-to-drink beers, beer-making kits need a while before you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. To start, you will need some time to prepare the equipment and mix the ingredients. Next, you will have to wait up to 72 hours for the mixture to ferment. After fermentation, it will take a few weeks for your beer to carbonate before it’s drinkable.

If you’d like to indulge in a cold one right now, Instacart offers same-day delivery/pick-up on alcoholic beverages!

Are beer-making kits more cost-effective than ready-to-drink beer?

Some say that beer-making kits give you the best bang for your buck. After all, a beer-making kit can produce anywhere between 1 and 5gal of beer. Fifty 12-oz bottles will last you for a long while compared to a 6- or 12-pack.

That being said, some kits may cost quite a bit, on account of high-quality ingredients and expensive equipment. You should also know that not all kits come with the essential tools to brew your hops. This translates into additional expenses when you purchase them on your own, although they may pay off as you can reuse them for future homebrew projects. On top of that, you will have to factor in the time and effort invested in the brewing process.

What do beer-making kits contain?

Not all beer-making kits are created equal. The type of supplies each kit contains may vary depending on the booze variety and manufacturer. There are even fully automated beer kits that are Wi-Fi-controlled to monitor every milestone of the brewing process.

Some kits may only contain the ingredients such as beer-making yeast, malt extract, and carbonation drops. More well-rounded kits may include the essential tools needed for home brewing. An all-in-one kit typically contains:

• Beer making ingredients
• Fermenter
• Spigot
• Spigot assembly
• Airlock
• Bottling bucket
• Stainless steel spoon
• Siphon tubing
• Bottle filler

Always check that you have all the supplies you need before embarking on the brewing process.

What is the alcohol content of beer-making kits?

The alcohol content of beer-making kits depends on the booze variety you intend to brew. In terms of alcohol by volume (ABV), beers may fall anywhere between 3–14%. Regular beers typically come in at 5–7% or so, while lighter alternatives hover at around 3–4%.

What should I look for when buying beer-making kits?

To ensure your beer-making kit is exactly what you are looking for, use this handy checklist:

• Beer varietal: You can choose to go with your favorite booze, whether it’s a classic lager or a sophisticated IPA. Or be adventurous and branch out into an untasted variety.
• Instructions: To make sure your beer-making kit is a success rather than a flop, clear, detailed instructions are key. If you are a novice at home brewing spirits, try a basic recipe first. Additional online tutorials and resources won’t hurt either.
• Supplies: As mentioned earlier, the supplies will make or break your beer-making kit. Make sure it comes with all the ingredients and tools you need. If not, you will have to purchase them separately.
• Quantity: Each beer-making kit will tell you the amount it produces. It’s a good way to measure cost-effectiveness, as well as determine if you need extra storage space or beer bottles later on.

If you are looking to have your groceries delivered, you can easily shop for beer-making kits via Instacart. After adding a product to your cart, use the “Instructions” option to notify your Instacart shopper about any preferences or specific directions on how to choose your favorite beer-making kits.

How to use beer-making kits

Before using your beer-making kit, read the instruction manual that comes with it. While different kits have their own guide, the general steps are as follow:

• Sanitize your equipment (some kits come with a no-rinse sanitizer for this purpose).
• Steep the grains as your water heats.
• Bring your kettle to a rolling boil.
• Cool the resulting wort (unfermented beer) quickly using an ice bath or wort chiller.
• Pour the cooled wort into your fermenter.
• Add water to the wort.
• Splash the wort around to aerate it (to inject oxygen into the wort).
• Add yeast to the wort.
• Seal the fermenter with an airlock.
• Store your brew in a cool, dark place.
• Bottle the fermented beer.
• Store the bottled beer at room temperature for roughly 2 weeks (or however long the kit states).

Once your beer has carbonated, it’s ready to be refrigerated and consumed.

What can I substitute for beer-making kits?

If you don’t have time to brew your own beer, substitute beer-making kits with instant alternatives instead. Instacart offers an extensive selection of ready-to-drink beers from more than 500 retailers and groceries in the United States. From pilsners and porters to wheat beer and fruit beer, you won’t run out of choices. You can also try other alcohol-making kits to make wine, liquor, and more.

It’s time to brew up a storm

While you can crack a cold one open any time you like, there’s nothing like the sense of satisfaction from sipping a home-brewed beer. Knowing the hard work you’ve put into it makes the taste all the sweeter.

And thanks to beer-making kits, you can effortlessly whip up a batch of your favorite spirits in the comfort of your own home. Simply put, there’s never been a better time to brew up a storm than now.

Instacart

Author

Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.