Homebrewing equipment laid out on a counter
Gear Guide

Equipment You'll Need

Everything required for 1-gallon BIAB brewing, from must-haves to nice-to-haves.

The Good News

You don't need to spend a fortune to start brewing. A basic 1-gallon setup costs $50-100, and you probably already own some of it.

$50-100 Budget Setup
$100-150 Comfortable Setup
$150+ Premium Setup
💡 Starter Kits Exist

Many homebrew shops sell 1-gallon starter kits that include most of what you need. These are often the best value for beginners. Look for "1-gallon BIAB kit" or "small batch brewing kit."

Must-Have Equipment

You cannot brew without these items.

🍲 Large Stock Pot

Your main brewing vessel. Everything happens here.

Minimum Size

3 gallons for a 1-gallon batch. Bigger is better—gives you room to avoid boilovers.

Material Options

  • Stainless Steel: Best choice. Durable, easy to clean, won't affect flavor.
  • Aluminum: Cheaper, lighter, works fine. Some say it affects flavor, most can't tell.
  • Enamel: Works but chips easily. Avoid if possible.

Price Range

Budget: $20-30 (aluminum, basic)
Mid-range: $40-60 (stainless steel)
Premium: $80+ (thick-bottom, handles, pour spout)

💡
Check your kitchen first—you might already have a large soup pot that works. Restaurant supply stores often have good deals on pots.

👜 Grain Bag (BIAB Bag)

The "bag" in Brew In A Bag. Holds your grains during mashing.

What to Look For

  • Fine mesh (so grain bits don't escape)
  • Large enough to fit inside your pot with room to spare
  • Drawstring closure is helpful but not required
  • Food-safe material (nylon or polyester)

Size Guide

For a 3-gallon pot: Look for bags around 24" x 26" or similar. Bigger is fine, smaller might be cramped.

Price Range

Budget: $5-8 (basic paint strainer bag)
Standard: $10-15 (purpose-made BIAB bag)
Premium: $20-30 (heavy-duty with handles)

💡
In a pinch, a large paint strainer bag from the hardware store works. Make sure it's unscented and chemical-free.

🌡️ Thermometer

Accurate temperature control is key to good beer.

Types

  • Digital instant-read: Fast, accurate, easiest to use. Highly recommended.
  • Dial thermometer: Cheaper but slower and less accurate.
  • Floating thermometer: Good for monitoring fermentation temps.

Accuracy Matters

A few degrees off during mashing can affect your beer. Digital thermometers are worth the extra cost for accuracy.

Price Range

Budget: $10-15 (basic digital)
Standard: $15-25 (quality instant-read)
Premium: $30+ (lab-grade, fast response)

💡
Kitchen thermometers (like meat thermometers) work fine for brewing if they're accurate and can handle high temps.

🫙 Fermenter

Where your beer ferments for two weeks.

Options for 1 Gallon

  • Glass jug: Classic choice. You can watch fermentation happen. Easy to clean.
  • PET plastic jug: Lighter, won't break. Works great.
  • Small bucket: Harder to find in 1-gallon but some shops carry them.

Airlock Required

You'll need an airlock and drilled stopper (or drilled lid) to let CO2 escape without letting air in.

Price Range

Budget: $8-12 (glass jug with stopper and airlock)
Standard: $15-20 (better quality, easier to clean)
Premium: $30+ (wide-mouth, PET carboy)

💡
Used apple cider jugs work great as fermenters. Just clean them thoroughly and add a drilled stopper and airlock.

🧴 Sanitizer

The most important thing you'll buy. Seriously.

The Standard: Star San

Most homebrewers use Star San. It's:

  • No-rinse (just let it drain, foam is fine)
  • Contact time of only 1-2 minutes
  • One bottle makes gallons of sanitizer
  • Safe and effective

Alternatives

  • Iodophor: Iodine-based, also no-rinse. Stains plastics.
  • One Step: Oxygen-based, no-rinse. Some debate on effectiveness.

Price Range

4 oz bottle: $8-10 (makes many batches)
16 oz bottle: $15-18 (lasts forever)
32 oz bottle: $20-25 (lifetime supply)

⚠️ Not Negotiable

Do not skip sanitizer. Do not substitute dish soap. One infected batch will convince you forever. Learn more about sanitation →

🍾 Bottles & Caps

Where your finished beer lives.

How Many?

1 gallon = about 10-11 twelve-ounce bottles, or 7-8 pint (16 oz) bottles.

Bottle Types

  • Swing-top (Grolsch-style): Reusable closure, no capper needed. More expensive.
  • Pry-off cap bottles: Standard beer bottles. Require a capper and new caps.
  • Twist-off bottles: DO NOT USE. They don't seal properly with a capper.

Where to Get Bottles

  • Homebrew shops (new)
  • Save from commercial beers you drink (free!)
  • Ask friends to save bottles
  • Goodwill/thrift stores sometimes have swing-tops

Price Range

Free: Save from beer you drink
Budget: $10-15 for 12 bottles
Swing-top: $20-30 for 12 bottles

Highly Recommended

You can brew without these, but your life will be easier with them.

🔬 Hydrometer

$8-15

Measures sugar content. Tells you when fermentation is done and helps calculate ABV. Can skip if you don't care about the numbers.

📏 Auto-Siphon

$12-20

Makes transferring beer so much easier. One pump starts the flow. Without it, you're trying to start a siphon with your mouth (not sanitary) or pouring (oxidation risk).

🔧 Bottle Capper

$15-25

Required if using pry-off bottles. Not needed for swing-tops. Wing cappers are cheap but handheld. Bench cappers are easier but cost more.

⚖️ Kitchen Scale

$10-20

For weighing grains, hops, and priming sugar. Essential if you're measuring your own ingredients instead of using a kit.

🥄 Long Spoon

$5-10

For stirring the mash without burning yourself. Any long spoon works—stainless steel is nice but plastic or wood is fine.

🧪 Test Jar

$5-8

Tall narrow container for hydrometer readings. You can use any tall glass but purpose-made ones are easier.

Nice to Have

Upgrades that make brewing more enjoyable, but totally optional for beginners.

❄️

Wort Chiller

Cools wort faster than an ice bath. Copper immersion chillers start around $40.

🧊

Fermentation Chamber

Temperature-controlled box for perfect fermentation. A cooler with frozen bottles works as a budget version.

📝

Brewing Journal

Track your recipes, notes, and results. A notebook works; brewing apps are nice.

🧫

pH Meter

For advanced water chemistry. Not needed for basic brewing.

🔭

Refractometer

Measures gravity with just a few drops. Faster than hydrometer but costs more.

🫗

Bottling Wand

Spring-loaded valve for filling bottles. Reduces mess and oxidation.

🚿

Bottle Rinser

Sprays sanitizer into bottles. Speeds up bottling day significantly.

🏷️

Bottle Labels

Makes your beer look professional. Fun for gifts.

Where to Buy

Best selection and often the best prices:

  • Northern Brewer — Great starter kits, reliable shipping
  • MoreBeer — Wide selection, frequent sales
  • Adventures in Homebrewing — Good prices, solid selection
  • Atlantic Brew Supply — Known for small-batch equipment
  • Austin Homebrew — Recipe kits and ingredients
  • Midwest Supplies — Beginner-friendly, good starter kits

Tip: Many offer free shipping over $50-75.

Worth visiting if you have one nearby:

  • Get advice from experienced brewers
  • See equipment before buying
  • Fresh ingredients (especially yeast)
  • No shipping wait time
  • Support local business

Search "homebrew shop near me" to find local stores.

Convenient for basic equipment:

  • Fast shipping (especially with Prime)
  • Good for thermometers, scales, basic items
  • Read reviews carefully—quality varies
  • Ingredients are often old or poor quality

Best for general equipment. Buy ingredients from homebrew shops.

Good for basics:

  • Restaurant supply stores: Stock pots, spoons, containers
  • Hardware stores: Tubing, fittings, paint strainer bags
  • Kitchen stores: Thermometers, scales, large pots
  • Grocery stores: Swing-top bottles (Grolsch beer), mason jars

Ready to Shop?

Download our printable equipment checklist to bring to the store.

Download Checklists