What is the simplest, most basic way to get started?
The beginning brewer will need some basic equipment to get started. The first item would be a stockpot. The smallest pot we recommend obtaining would be a 3-gallon stockpot. We do not recommend aluminum but stainless steel or an enamel-coated pot will work well. We offer a few different grades of stainless steel pots to fit virtually any budget. Next you will need at least a 6-6.5 gallon capacity fermenter, a fermentation lock, a bottling bucket, 5 feet of 3/8 ID siphon tubing, caps, a bottle capper, sanitizer, 2 cases of 12 oz bottles, and a set of ingredients. Midwest has three different starter kits, which provide varying degrees of the basic equipment. In addition to any of the equipment kits you will need a stockpot, empty bottles, and the ingredient with which to make the beer.
