Making beer at home is simple if you learn how to brew beer at home using a beer kit as an introduction to the beer making process. This is why so many people who are new to the homebrewing process begin by brewing their first batch of beer with a beer kit of some kind.

Home Beer Brewing Kit: (LEFT) Midwest Supplies Brewing Basics Equipment Kit – (RIGHT) Mr. Beer 8 Liter Extra Kit

In this article, we’ll take a look at beer kits, what is included in a beer kit, which beer kits are best, and where you can purchase a beer kit for either yourself, a family member, friend, co-worker or loved one. Because beer kits are low in cost, they make for an affordable way to get started with homebrewing beer, and they make for excellent gifts as well!

Beer Kits – What is a Home Beer Brewing Kit?

A beer kit is a package of multiple beer making equipment (and sometimes, ingredients) into a well-packaged and relatively low cost grouping of items necessary to brew a simple batch of beer. Beer kits, as they are most commonly called, come in a variety of shapes, sizes and names. For example, a beer kit might also be refereed to as:

No matter what you choose to call it, your typical home beer brewing kit will come with at least some (but not necessarily all) of the following items:

Some beer kits also come complete with beer making ingredients (such as malt extract, hops, yeast, sugar, etc.), empty beer bottles, beer bottle labels, and a whole host of additional beer brewing basics.

The Best Beer Kits For Beginners

There are tons of different beer kits out there, from those available at mass-market retailers like Walmart and Amazon.com, to those sold at your local homebrew store. Of all the homebrew kits in the world, however, these three (sold by Northern Brewer, Mr. Beer, and Midwest Brewing) are easily the best selling beer kits in the world.

Even though the Northern Brewer Essential Brewing Starter Kit is the most expensive of these three home beer brewing kits, it is just a bit more popular than the other two beer kits mentioned here: Mr. Beer’s 8 Liter Extra Kit and Midwest Supplies’ Brewing Basics Equipment Kit. The popularity of this beer kit might have to do with the high quality of the product and the speedy and reliable shipping that Northern Brewer provides with all of their beer making equipment and ingredients.

Bigger / Best Beer Kits – With Ingredients Included

While the beer kits listed above are great for getting started in the home brew world of beer making, they do not come with any of the ingredients you are going to need to brew your first batch of beer. So, if you want to buy a beer kit that comes with everything you need (including ingredients) to brew your first batch of delicious homemade beer, then one of the following home beer brewing kits might serve you best.

The beer kits from Mr. Beer and Northern Brewer are quite similar here. Both come with all the necessary gear and equipment to brew several batches of beer, but they also come with the ingredients you’ll need to make your first batch of homemade bubbly.

You will note, however, that there is a major difference in price between the Mr. Beer / Northern Brewer beer kits and the one Master Brewer’s Equipment Kit sold by Midwest Supplies. The difference in price here is justified in this instance, however, because the Master Brewer’s Equipment Kit comes with something that is not included with the other two beer kits – kegging equipment!

That’s right! The Midwest Supplies Master Brewer’s Equipment Kit comes with not only all the equipment and ingredients you’ll need to brew your first batch of beer, but also all the gear you’ll need to keg your beer

once you are finished brewing! This is a huge step up in homebrewing equipment that is not necessary for home brewers just getting their start in the world of beer making. But if you feel that you are going to be serious about brewing your own beers in the future, the Master Brewer’s Equipment Kit (with a complete kegging setup) from Midwest Supplies is an excellent beer kit to posses.

Beer Kit Reviews

Now it’s your turn! Do you have experience with any of the beer kits mentioned on this page? Is there a beer kit that should be listed here, but isn’t? Leave a comment below and let me know what you have to say about home beer brewing kits, beer kits or anything related to the subject of beer making kits!