Getting Started with Home Brewing
Welcome to the world of home brewing! Whether you're drawn to wine, beer, mead, or cider, making your own fermented beverages is a rewarding hobby that blends science, creativity, and a little patience. This guide will walk you through what you need to get started, help you decide how you want to brew, and point you toward the resources to set you up for success.
What Would You Like to Brew?
🍷 Wine
Wine kits are one of the most popular ways to start home brewing. They come with pre-measured juice concentrate, yeast, and all the additives you need — making the process approachable even for complete beginners. Styles range from light whites to full-bodied reds, and most kits produce 23 litres (about 30 bottles).
Typical timeline: 4–8 weeks depending on the kit style.
🍺 Beer
Beer brewing is a fantastic entry point for those who love experimenting with flavour. Beer kits use malt extract and hops to produce everything from crisp lagers to rich stouts, and the process is faster than wine. Most kits come with everything you need to get started — the main exception is dextrose (corn sugar), which you'll need to pick up separately for bottle carbonation.
For beginners, we recommend starting with a kit like Tundra or Black Rock, which are straightforward, well-documented, and very forgiving. Once you've done a few kits and have a feel for the process, you might want to explore all grain brewing — a more involved method that gives you complete control over your recipe and is incredibly rewarding, but is best tackled after you've got some kit brews under your belt.
Typical timeline: 2–4 weeks.
🍯 Mead
Mead — made from honey and water — is one of the oldest fermented beverages in the world. It can be still or sparkling, dry or sweet, and flavoured with fruit, spices, or hops. Mead is simple to make but benefits from patience during aging.
Typical timeline: 4–12 weeks (longer aging improves flavour significantly).
🍎 Cider
Hard cider is made from fermented apple juice and is a great option for those who prefer a lighter, refreshing drink. Cider kits come in a wide variety of flavours — from classic apple to berry, peach, and more — so there's something for every palate.
Typical timeline: 2–4 weeks.
Supplies You'll Need to Get Started
Regardless of what you're brewing, the core equipment is largely the same. Here's a general overview of what every new brewer needs:
- Fermenter – A food-grade bucket or carboy where fermentation happens. Most kits require a 23-litre (6-gallon) vessel.
- Airlock & Stopper – Allows CO₂ to escape during fermentation while keeping oxygen and contaminants out.
- Hydrometer – Measures the sugar content of your must or wort so you can track fermentation progress and calculate alcohol content.
- Siphon & Tubing – Used to transfer your brew between vessels without disturbing sediment.
- Bottles & Caps (or Corks) – For packaging your finished product. Wine typically uses corks; beer uses caps.
- Bottle Capper or Corker – The tool to seal your bottles.
- Sanitizer – The single most important supply in brewing. Proper sanitation prevents off-flavours and spoilage.
- Ingredient Kit – Wine, beer, mead, or cider kit with everything needed for your chosen style.
Not sure where to start? Browse our Starter Kits — we've put together everything a new brewer needs to get going right away.
Home Brewing vs. Brew-on-Premises (BOP): Which Is Right for You?
One of the first decisions new brewers face is whether to brew at home or use a Brew-on-Premises (BOP) facility. Both have real advantages — it just depends on your lifestyle, space, and goals.
🏠 Brewing at Home
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Brew on your own schedule, at your own pace | Requires dedicated space for equipment and fermenting batches |
| Learn a hands-on skill you'll have for life | Higher margin for error, especially when starting out |
| Full creative control over your recipes and process | Upfront investment in equipment |
| Lower cost per bottle over time | Troubleshooting is on you if something goes wrong |
| Deeply satisfying to share something you made yourself | Results can vary batch to batch while you're learning |
🏭 Brew-on-Premises (BOP)
With our BOP service, you do two simple visits: come in to add your yeast and kick off fermentation, then return when it's ready to bottle. We handle everything in between — monitoring, temperature control, and all the in-between steps — so you can show up and enjoy the fun parts.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No equipment needed, except bottles, everything is provided | Less hands-on involvement in the process |
| We manage the fermentation; you just add the yeast and come back to bottle | You're working around the facility's schedule |
| Controlled environment means your kit is virtually guaranteed to turn out | Less opportunity to experiment or customize |
| No space required at home | Higher cost per batch compared to brewing at home long-term |
| Great for people who want the experience without the commitment |
Bottom line: If you have the space and enjoy learning by doing, home brewing is incredibly rewarding. If you're short on space or time, or just want to try it out before committing to equipment, a BOP is a fantastic option.
Ready to Dive Deeper?
Before you brew your first batch, it helps to get familiar with the language of brewing. Head over to our Wine & Beer Making Terminology page for a plain-language glossary of the terms you'll encounter along the way.
Run into a problem with your batch? Our Brewing FAQ covers common troubleshooting questions for wine, beer, cider, and mead.
