Buying guides / Homebrewing
Focused guide hubHomebrewing and Fermentation Equipment Guides
Choose equipment around the job it must do: make wort, measure fermentation, control temperature, limit oxygen, and package the finished drink. These guides cover beer, mead and cider without presenting research picks as personal product tests.
Start and measure a batch
Best All-in-One Electric Brewing System
Compare three all-in-one electric brewing systems by batch size, voltage, pump, controller, and included chilling gear. See the tradeoffs before you buy.
Read the guide →The Best Hydrometer for Homebrewing
The triple-scale hydrometers that read gravity so you know your ABV and when fermentation is done.
Read the guide →The Best Refractometer for Homebrew Wort Gravity
The refractometer homebrewers recommend most for reading wort gravity, from Homebrewtalk and owner discussions. Top pick and what to look for.
Read the guide →The Best Wort Chiller for a 5 Gallon Batch
The wort chiller homebrewers recommend most for a 5-gallon batch, from Homebrewtalk and owner discussions. Top pick and what to look for.
Read the guide →The Best Fermentation Temperature Controller
The fermentation temperature controller homebrewers recommend, from brewing forums and owner discussions. Top dual-stage pick, a WiFi version, and a value option.
Read the guide →Mead and cider
Best Airlock for Cider Fermentation and Mead
Compare 3-piece and S-shaped airlocks for cider fermentation and mead. See cleaning, cold-crash, stopper-fit and long-aging tradeoffs.
Read the guide →Best Conical Fermenter for Mead
Compare three conical fermenters for mead by trub removal, pressure capability, capacity and cleanup. See when FastFerment is the right fit.
Read the guide →Best Fermenter for Cider
Compare conical and simple cider fermenters by capacity, trub handling, mounting, cleaning, and headroom. See when a conical is worth buying.
Read the guide →Best Cider Press for Small-Batch Homebrewing
Compare two cider presses for small-batch homebrewing. See basket size, preparation, cleanup and which manual fruit press fits a home cider setup.
Read the guide →The Best Mead Yeast for a Dry Traditional Mead
The mead yeast meadmakers recommend most for a clean dry traditional, from GotMead and owner discussions. Top pick and what to look for.
Read the guide →The Best Carboy for Aging Mead
The carboy mead makers recommend most for bulk aging, from mead communities and owner discussions. Top pick and what to look for.
Read the guide →Package and serve
The Best Bottle Capper for Homebrew
The bottle capper homebrewers recommend, from brewing forums and owner discussions. Top bench capper, a heavier-duty build, and a budget hand capper.
Read the guide →The Best Ball Lock Keg System for Homebrew
The corny-keg kegging kits that end bottling day, and why ball lock beats pin lock for parts.
Read the guide →The Best CO2 Regulator for Homebrew
The CO2 regulator homebrewers recommend most for kegging, from homebrew communities and owner discussions. Top pick and what to look for.
Read the guide →The Best Mini Fridge for a Kegerator Conversion
The mini fridge homebrewers recommend to convert into a kegerator, from brewing forums and owner discussions.
Read the guide →The Best Stainless Pressure Fermenter for Beer
The stainless pressure fermenter homebrewers recommend, from brewing forums and owner discussions.
Read the guide →