Everyone always wants to know what you need to get started making beer and wine. Here is how I started and where I am now and I have been only brewing since last Spring. It will give you a chance to actually see the components you hear brews talk about. There is a lot of reading you need to do. I will eventually have all that here too. I started small with 1 primary fermenting bucket and 2 carboys.

<-You will need some space in a dark place to house your fermenting wines and beers. I have a closet that is just out of my brewing room. This also serves as my wine cellar.   ▼

<-You must keep accurate records, so you will need to maintain a very neat records section.

<-An uncluttered storage area is a must.

<-You will need a good propane cooker, a large stainless steel cooking pot, large long-handled spoon, thermometer, and strainer for cooking your beer.

<-You must maintain sanitization completely once the beer/wine enters the fermentation process to prevent off-flavors or wild yeast or bacteria from spoiling your batch. I use C-Brite which is a no-rinse sanitizer.

<-The cooked beer or mixed wine will go into a "primary fermenter. This will hold your cooked beer after is has cooled, along with yeast. Attach the sealed lid and install an air-lock. I have 2 of these.

<-This is an air-lock. Fill it about half full of water or vodka and it lets Co2 out and keeps air from coming into your fermenting product. I have 5 of these

<-Once the primary fermenting has finished, transfer your beer/wine into a "secondary" fermented. This is called a carboy. Always buy the 6 gallon size rather than the 5 gallon. You will be making 5 gallon batches and need the extra volume. I have 5 of these.

<-This is a "racking cane". It is used instead of your mouth to suction and siphon your beer/wine from one container to another. A couple of 4 foot pieces of clear vinyl hose is necessary also.

<-A "wine thief" lets you draw up beer/wine for taking specific gravity readings or sampling..

<-A "hydrometer reads the density or specific gravity of liquids to help get your water and sugar adjusted, and helps figure your alcohol content.

<-A "bottling bucket" is used to hold your beer/wine just before it goes into the bottles.

<-A "bottle-filler" is a spring-loaded valve that allows liquids to flow when pushed against the bottom of a bottle. Vinyl hose connects it to the bottling bucket. It prevents foaming during bottle filling.

<-You will need a way to drain and dry bottles during cleaning and sanitizing. OH, and you will need lots of bottles also.

<-Once your wine bottles are filled, you will need a "corker".

<-Once your beer bottles are filled, you will need a "capper".

<-You will need some labels to keep things straight->

<-You can also "keg" your finished beer/wine.

<-If you keg, you may want to invest in a "keg-cooler". This is a cheap freezer which I installed a thermostat that will allow a temperature setting for your beer/wine. The wooden collar is a prototype. I will purchase wider pieces of pretty stock and make a collar that will accommodate taps.

<-This cooler will hold 4 kegs and a small Co2 bottle. Kegged beer needs the Co2 for carbonation and propellant.

<-A simple gauge for the cooler is all you need. You only want to maintain about 5psi on your kegs.

<-To heavily carbonate a keg, I connect it to my larger cylinder of Co2 and put about 40psi on the keg. I also use this cylinder to dump Co2 into bottles to remove air before I cap/cork them.

<-2-liter plastic drink bottles with "carbonators" are perfect for carrying beer to a friends house. These drink bottles were all tested to 150psi and the only failures to occur were the original end caps blew off.  So you can add 40 or 50psi safely to your traveling bottles and keep them carbonated. You can also attach a tap right to the bottle for serving.

Now we are at the basic ingredient section. Wine and beer "kits" are great. They make it simple and I have never made a wine or beer kit that was not excellent.

Here is what's basically in a batch of beer.

<-"Grains".

<-"Hops"->

<-"Sugars". I now keep my own supplies of "DME" or dehydrated malt extract. This is the sugar that the yeast is expecting.

<-"Yeast". There are a wide verity of dry or liquid yeast for different style beer/wine. I keep several different strains cultured of my own.

<-"Kit" beers have all ingredients in one package. They are great. I have made many excellent beers from kits.

<-Once you have made your batch of beer/wine, you will need plenty of glasses and mugs. You will have lots of friends from that point on.

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