The Right Tools?

It's been said that the right tools are half of the job and when it comes to brewing Root Beer it is considered gospel. Every person that brews has their own list of equipment that they consider necessary for the job to be done right. Some lists might be the barest of basics while others might include that rare item that you might, if you're lucky, use once a year. Here is the Gunslinger's Right Tools.

Brewing Kettle: If you're going to be brewing using natural ingredients than a place to heat up the water to pull out the essences and flavors of your ingredients is absolutely necessary. My brew kettle is a 4 qt. kettle that I can place on the stove. This size is convenient enough to simmer my natural ingredients as well as dissolve powdered ingredients (sugar and malto-dextrin).

Fermenting Bucket: After you have created your wort (pronounced wert-it is by definition unfermented beer and in our case it is uncarbonated Root Beer) you want a place where you can add more water if you need to as well as a place to let it cool so that you can pitch your yeast. You can either purchase a plastic bucket or glass carboy for this. Make sure that whatever you purchase is food grade and has never been used to store anything toxic.

Bottle Filling Device: This can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. It could be a funnel that you put in the bottle and pour from your Fermenting Bucket or it could be a siphon and filler tube. Filling your bottles will be the most tedious part of the brewing process, in my opinion it is worth the extra bit of cash to make the job easier. I use a siphon and filler tube and have never had any problems (unless I'm not paying attention and get Root Beer all over the floor).

Bottles: Generally we think of either plastic or glass bottles, but in reality there are more types of bottles than we have space to discuss. Bottles are what contains and closes the fermenting system which creates the carbonation for our Root Beer. Due to the fact that this carbonating process (fermentation) builds up pressure, enough to break a glass or plastic bottle, it is advised that you use plastic bottles. It is easier to know when your Root Beer is carbonated and is not as dangerous if it does explode. Make sure that your bottles are food grade PET.

Sanitizing Bucket: Sanitizing will soon become your new motto, if not be prepared for some bad batches of Root Beer (consider this ample warning). What you want is a large bucket that you can fill with sanitizing solution to sanitize all of your equipment for brew day. I have a large, six gallon bucket that I use.

Thermometer: Pitching your yeast must be done at the right temperature or you may kill the yeast. A thermometer will make it that much easier to know when you can pitch the yeast safely.

Nuts and Bolts: This includes measuring cups and spoons, stirring spoon, funnels, any little thing that will help you on brew day.

With this list of tools you have the first step in equipping your home brewery and making your brew day less complicated than it needs to be.