Home Brewing Equipment

Home breweries have become available to any consumer quite recently, after the staff of the National Institute of Brewing Canada in the late 80s of the last century developed and patented this peculiar and rather compact product. It should be noted that the first devices, remotely resembling modern mini-breweries, were invented in the 15th century, but were unprofitable and were soon forgotten about them.

Modern products are a real treasure for true fans of a foamy hop drink, having spent a certain amount, you will constantly enjoy a quality unfiltered drink of your own preparation and make friends for tasting. Potential consumers will find all the nuances and answers to questions of interest in this article.

What it is

Just note that brewing products exist amateur - for use at home and professional, to brew beer in industrial volumes, for example, for a beer restaurant or bar. A home brewing machine is a compact product with which anyone can provide themselves and their friends with freshly brewed natural beer.

The volume of finished products depends on the size of the tank in the mini-brewery, which will be used for the home, but this is no less than 10 liters. If you have a large refrigerator and a large company of lovers of this noble drink, you can purchase equipment with a working tank of 22 liters or more. You can not only use these recipes, but also subsequently, experimenting with different ingredients, create varieties of homemade beer.

Device and principle of operation

The mini-brewery for home use is equipped with a case made of fairly durable food-grade plastic, in shape it resembles a small beer keg. In the upper part there is a neck with a hermetic cover, through which all components are laid, and then pure water is poured.

If you want to get an excellent result, then use only perfectly purified water, and not from the tap. A safety valve is installed in the lid, which does not let the foam formed during fermentation out. A carbonization block or siphon is located in front of the product, its task is to saturate the beer with carbon dioxide, if for some reason it is too small.

An automatic household brewery is armed with such an important detail as a crane for filling finished products - this is very similar to a samovar. When unpacking the structure, be careful not to damage or scratch the parts, the assembly must be carried out strictly according to the instructions, it is quite simple and does not require technical knowledge and experience from the user - everything is designed for a simple consumer.

When the product is assembled, you can proceed to the first launch: pour the beer extract and yeast into the container, add water to the optimum level and close the lid. Now the main thing is to install the equipment in a dark and inaccessible place for curious children, otherwise the process can be frustrated by simply opening the drain tap.

About 5 days the beer ferments at a temperature of 18-23 degrees, the best option is to place the product at this time in the pantry or on the mezzanine in a locker. On the sixth day, transfer the device gently to the refrigerator, freeing up space for it in advance. Given the excellent compactness of the product, this will not be difficult, the temperature during the clarification period should not be higher than 0- + 3C.

In the refrigerator, a ripening and clarifying drink must be kept for at least 14 days, so that the beer is completely clarified, ripened and saturated with carbon dioxide, which dissolves in the drink, giving it a peculiar taste advantage. Now you know how mini equipment for making beer at home works.

When the long-awaited day comes, take out the product and set it on the table, let it stand for five minutes at room temperature, and then substitute a glass for the tap and taste the foam exclusive created by yourself. Having appreciated all its advantages over store products, call your friends and say: “I try home-made, unfiltered beer - come ...”, most likely, they will not listen to you to the end and will arrive as soon as possible.

Options

Breweries are created by manufacturers for the working conditions of the house, so the dimensions are strictly calculated - these products are placed in any secluded place during the fermentation, and then easily transferred to the refrigerator, without taking up much space, because the width varies from 25 to 30 cm, depth 28-45 cm, and height up to 25-40 cm.

An exception is a freestanding construction related to the type of cone with a height of up to 85 cm, for example, a domestic installation of the MAGARYCH brand. The main parameters are purely individual, and in more detail we will find out all similar details in the section, which will describe the best mini-breweries for use at home.

Advantages and disadvantages

Each product has individual characteristics, and in general, positive qualities can be as follows:

• constantly fresh beer with a low cost;
• quality ingredients from a trusted manufacturer;
• moral satisfaction from the cooking process;
• complete autonomy of the process;
• you can vary the taste and create your own beer;
• beer is obtained without preservatives, unfiltered, with maximum benefit for the body;
• An original gift to a friend who loves this drink.

Of the negative properties, only the fact that you have to wait a long time for the final result and, perhaps, the cost, which is beyond the power of the average Russian.

Criterias of choice

In order to choose the right mini-brewery, you need to find out in advance your personal preferences in terms of volume, which company you prefer, the availability of a wide variety and other important conditions. If you do not have any experience, then you should consult with friends who have already purchased and successfully operate similar products or surf the Internet to find out the exact dimensions and all the nuances, although many reviews are written quite illiterate and clearly ordered.

Volume

Any brewing equipment is based on a container in which all the basic processes take place: the grain structure is distinguished by the presence of a container where wort is brewed, for example, the famous German Bavaria brewery, which, by the way, is produced in Russia; and simple beginner breweries feature factory-prepared ingredients.

The beer fermentation tank has a capacity of durable plastic of at least 9 liters - all the basic processes of preparing homemade foamy hop drink occur there. Such products are compact and conveniently placed in a standard refrigerator during the ripening period of the product. Particular attention should be paid to the appearance of the product: 10-liter structures have a concise design, they are conveniently placed in any place in the kitchen for filling, and then put into a dark place.

When the beer is ready, the container harmoniously fits into any interior, whether it is a dormitory room, a gazebo of a country cottage or an urban kitchen studio. For a larger volume, it is better to purchase a similar product for 20-30 liters, but for it you need to have a large house, for example, a country cottage with a well-equipped basement and a large refrigerator, for example, Side-by-Side.

Equipment

Each company seeks to complete its equipment completely, but there is another difficulty: the more detailed the list, the higher the cost of the product. For example, the basic set of the American mini-brewery brand BeerMachine, considered the leader in the domestic market of Russia, looks like this:

1. Wort fermentation tank or fermenter with strong clamping system.
2. Tap for bottling beer and two options for decorative pens to it.
3. Carbonization unit and carbon dioxide containers, for example, cans.
4. Pressure gauge built into the tank and safety valve.
5. Packaging a mixture of malt extract, which is enough for 10 liters of beer, a similar set for 9 liters of kvass.
6. Thermometer built into the tank.
7. Device for bottling beer.
8. Ceramic bottles with clogging.
9. Tank Cleaner Neodisher Cl.
10. Instruction plus recipe DVD.

It is not easy to answer the eternal question of users how much such equipment costs: it all depends on the configuration. Experts advise taking products at a middle-class price, because everything is already debugged here and there are practically no fakes.

Manufacturers

Each company packs its equipment in different ways, so get acquainted with different models before buying to find a compromise. The most popular places for today are as follows: BeerMachine, InPinto and Beer Zavodik are leading, BrewDemon and Mr. Beer are behind a little.

Other features

Pay attention to products with the ability to use liquid wort: this option is much more effective, because there will be no lumps that adversely affect the cooking process. The construction is also important, the best options are the monolithic brewery, because its tightness is checked in the factory, and this is an excellent guarantee of 100% quality of the final product.

Prefabricated option - it all depends on your attentiveness, you need to carefully check the correct location of the seals so that air does not leak from the outside, which turns the beer into a low-alcohol mash. By choosing the right model, you guarantee the production of excellent beer.

Here are the unspoken rules:

• too cheap products are alarming with their quality, and high cost is not a guarantee that you buy excellent quality and reliability equipment;
• it is better to consult with specialists in the service center: they really know for sure which models are their frequent guests, and which ones appear very rarely;
• it is necessary to approach the selection without haste, having repeatedly checked the reviews: if there are a lot of laudatory, but neutral, then this does not say that the product is super, it is better to pay attention to average reviews where specific users write.

Many products with the same parameters have different costs, it depends on the manufacturer and the volume of equipment.

Ranking 2019 - Best Mini Breweries

BeerMachine 2000

• Material: food grade plastic
• Minimum cooking time: fermentation - 3-5 days, t = not higher than 23C, clarification - up to 10 days at t = 0- + 3C
• Volume: 10 L
• Carbonization: Artificial
• Gas cartridges: 3 pieces
• Type of extract: dry mix
• Pressure gauge: built-in
• Dimensions: 260x390x310 mm
• Weight: 5 kg (empty)

On the equipment from Germany, you can use any dry beer mixes from well-known manufacturers such as Europe (Pilsner), Wild West (Canadian Dark) and Slavonic (Slavonic Light).

InPinto Standart

• Material: durable plastic
• Preparation time: fermentation - at least 5 days, clarification - 16 days, can be bottled
• Volume: 9 L
• Carbonization: Natural
• Type of extract: liquid
• Dimensions: 210x450x250 mm
• Weight: 2 kg

Inpinto breweries from the Czech Republic are equipped with a robust tank, at the bottom of which there is a sludge tank, and a wide neck ensures convenient washing of the tank. The surface is styled like oak beer barrels.The product is ideal for use with any beer mixes.

MAGARYCH 32 l cone

• Material: food grade stainless steel
• Volume: 32 L
• Carbonization: Natural
• Water lock: available
• Thermometer: built-in type
• Pressure gauge: integrated in the middle of the housing
• Two taps for draining: at the bottom of the cone - sediment, at the side - finished beer
• Dimensions: 300x300x830 mm
• Weight: 7 kg

Professional equipment from Chelyabinsk plant, Russia. The cone is used in world-class industrial breweries. Thanks to this design, the finished product does not come into contact with the precipitate, and the result is a live beer of excellent quality.

BrewDemon Fermenter

• Material: food grade plastic, brown and transparent
• Minimum cooking time: fermentation - no more than 5 days, clarification - up to 10 days
• Volume: 11 L
• Carbonization: Natural
• Type of extract: liquid
• Dimensions: 220x220x400 mm

BeerMachine DeLuxe 2008 Expert

• Material: durable plastic
• Minimum cooking time: fermentation - 4 days, clarification - up to 10 days
• Volume: 10 L
• Carbonization: Artificial
• Gas cartridges: 9 pieces
• Type of extract: dry
• The presence of bottles in the kit: plastic - 4x0.38 l, ceramic - 3 pieces
• Dimensions: 260x390x310 mm
• Weight: 2 kg

findings

Miniature brewery models for home use is a rather exclusive and unusual topic for the mass Russian consumer, but the true gourmets of this foamy drink will be glad of such an acquisition, because the quality of beer will depend directly on their ability to properly organize production. You can experiment with the ingredients to get a drink with a special flavor, and even patent this beer under a personal name.