Halloween is over, which means it’s time to transition from Pumpkin to Holiday beers, as well as start thinking about gifts for the homebrewers in your life. We put our heads together and compiled a list of some of our favorite brewing items we think any homebrewer would be thrilled to receive as a gift, whether novice or garage professional!

22 Great Gift Ideas for Homebrewers

1. CARBONATION CAP

This nifty little gadget allows brewers to quickly carbonate small amounts of beer as well as travel with carbonated beer under CO2 pressure, reducing the chances of oxygenation and losing carbonation. Simply fill a 2 liter bottle with however much beer you like, screw on the carbonation cap just as you would the original cap, connect your gas disconnect to the post, and give the bottle a good shake as the CO2 saturates your beer. Within a couple minutes, your once still beer will be nicely carbonated. When the foam dies down, you can open the bottle and sample your fizzy beverage, or store it in a cool place to take with you on the road. Available in plastic and stainless steel models, carbonation caps are currently only capable of being used with ball lock disconnects.

2. FINAL GRAVITY HYDROMETER

Is it necessary to know the exact specific gravity at which our beer finishes? No. But if you’re a numbers nerd like me, it certainly is appreciated!

Final gravity hydrometers have a much narrower range compared to standard hydrometers, allowing for more precise measurements of finishing gravity. While it’s nice to know whether our beer has 5.5% ABV or 5.35%, this tool is also helpful when doing side-by-side exBEERimentation.

3. PRECISION DIGITAL BLADE SCALE

On a purely price to usage ratio, precision blade scales are an absolutely incredible value. There’s not a brew day that goes by where mine doesn’t get used for 2 main purposes– hop and mineral additions.

Being able to precisely measure these ingredients is crucial for homebrewers who wish to better hone their recipes and improve their overall brewing consistency.

4. VACUUM SEALER

Buying hops in bulk can significantly cut down on costs, though it’s imperative they be stored in an ideal environment in order to ensure lasting freshness. Since oxygen is a prime enemy of our beloved flower, one of the easiest ways to prolong their life is to vacuum seal them and store them in the freezer.

No need to purchase a high-end expensive model, I’ve had this Rival Seal-A-Meal for nearly 2 years, it gets used at least 6 times per month, and it’s still working beautifully. I also like to purchase large rolls of vacuum bags and cut them to size, they work just like the name brand bags but cost significantly less!

5. pH METER

Of all the xBmts we’ve completed, the one variable that has consistently produced significant results is water chemistry (1, 2), an important aspect of which has to do with monitoring and manipulating mash pH. In order to accomplish this, some brewers rely on paper strips that provide a general pH range, which simply isn’t accurate enough for the person set on crafting the best beer possible. pH monitoring is arguably even more crucial when the focus is on sour beer. In order to get the most precise pH readings, a digital pH meter is required. While I prefer the Milwaukee MW-102 pH and temperature meter, other less expensive options exist that are highly reviewed including the Milwaukee MW-101 pH meter and Milwaukee pH55 waterproof pH tester. Finally, there’s the very cost-friendly Etekcity pocket-sized pH meter, which I found to be quite accurate despite its shorter lifespan. Remember, pH meters require fairly regular calibration, so don’t forget to pick up a calibration solution kit, they’re cheap and last a long time.

6. DIY PERSONALIZED TAP HANDLES

If you’ve got something in the general shape of a typical tap handle that you’d like to be a part of your beer serving process, all you need to do is install an inexpensive threaded insert then screw it onto your faucet. Voila, personalized tap handles! Old yeast vials, childhood action figures, pretty much anything with about the girth of a pickle works beautifully. Brülosophy contributor Ray Found used a few attractive chunks of wood that make his keezer look great!

7. RECIPE KITS

Pre-made beer recipe kits are a great and cost-friendly gift idea. As fun as designing recipes can be, sometimes it’s nice to brew up something tried-and-true, and with the growing number of fantastic online shops offering their own unique and clone recipe kits, the options are nearly endless!

Check out all of the great kits offered by the following rad online shops:

8. BREW KETTLE

For the brewer who has been doing partial boils in a small kettle with extract, upgrading to a larger kettle with ball valve will allow them to start performing full boils, which is believed to drastically improve the quality of homebrewed beer. It also makes transitioning to other brewing methods, such as Brew In A Bag, much easier. Perhaps you’re looking for a gift to buy a more experienced homebrewer, someone who has been making 5 gallon full boil batches and is looking to up their game a bit. The excitement you’ll see on their face when opening a present containing a beautiful new 15 gallon Ss Brewtech kettle will no doubt prove you made a great choice!

9. KEGGING GEAR

I don’t know of a homebrewer who wouldn’t love to be done with bottling their beer and move into kegging. Significantly easier packaging, a reduction in carbonation times from 2-3 weeks to a day or 2, and the ability to pour any amount of draft quality beer from one’s own taps are just a few of the awesome aspects of kegging. Unfortunately, all of the parts and pieces required for this upgrade are pretty cost prohibitive for many homebrewers, which is why it makes for such awesome gift options! If you or the person you’re looking for are considering moving from bottling to kegging, check out my Simple Keezer Build and Slightly Less Simple Keezer Build articles for ideas.

There are also many great options for those who are already kegging or in the middle of a build such as more kegs, a secondary regulator, or new faucets.

10. BRÜLOSOPHY APPAREL

What homebrewer wouldn’t kill for a way to express their love of beer and brewing in a fashionable way? None, of course! All of our t-shirts are currently available on Amazon.com with FREE shipping for Prime members. Choose from our standard “motto,” My Kind Of Science, HopBeat, and IPA Is In My DNA designs, all of which come in various colors and sizes to suit your style!

11. GRAIN MILL

One of the best homebrewing gifts I’ve ever received is a grain mill because it allowed me to start purchasing grains in bulk, which has ultimately saved me quite a bit of money and made spur of the moment brew days possible. A mill makes for an ideal gift option for the all grain homebrewer who demands more control over their operation and consistency in the finished product. I started with a Barley Crusher mill, it’s a fantastic option for those who are brewing up 1-3 times per month, though I recently switched to the much heftier Monster Mill MM3… it truly is a monster!

12. BYO MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION

Brew Your Own magazine has been providing homebrewers with interesting brewing related content written by knowledgeable industry pros as well as homebrewers for 2 decades, profoundly impacting our understanding of the beer making process.

A BYO subscription also grants access to online articles for reading on the go. This is a gift sure to please the homebrewer in your life… and may even help them make better beer!

13. AMAZON PRIME

Besides free 2 day shipping on a large majority of homebrewing and other merchandise, an Amazon Prime membership also gives members access to a wide variety of free videos, music, and books.

| OTHER GREAT GIFT IDEAS |

One of the great things about homebrewing is the vast array of gadgets, gizmos, and gear available to assist in the beer making process, we hope this guide helped to ease your decision making process. If you’ve any questions about products included on this list, or even those we didn’t discuss, please do not hesitate to ask.

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