How to Home Brew Beer The Easy Way With an Ingredient Kit

Over one million beer lovers in the US have begun brewing their own beer at home. But odds are that even more are curious about home brewing, but have yet to try it because they’re overwhelmed with where to begin.

Even if you’ve been home brewing for years, you probably remember that initial confusion when you decided to start brewing beer. Before I started home brewing, it just didn’t seem possible that you could throw a bunch of ingredients into a pot, let your concoction sit for a couple weeks and have it turn into good tasting beer. Twenty years later, I’m happy to say that it most definitely is possible. 

One of the best ways to jump into home brewing is by using a pre-made ingredient kit for your first batch of beer. With these kits, you don't have to go anywhere near your oven to brew beer. These concentrated malt kits are sort of similar to making orange juice from concentrate. Just add water, mix in your yeast, and let your beer ferment and in two to three weeks you'll have your own home made beer.

In this article, we'll go over how to brew beer using a pre-made ingredient kit. We'll be using Munton's Gold Beer Equipment Kits as our example since these are some of the more popular kits out there.


To start brewing your own beer, you’ll need some basic equipment – some of which you probably already have. Visit your local home brewing supply store or check out Beer College’s Starter Home Brewing Kit for $39.95.

Here’s the equipment you need:

* Plastic siphon hose
* Fermenter with Airlock
* Bottling bucket with spigot
* Hydrometer
* Mixing Spoon
* Sanitizer Powder

Step 1 Picking Which Type of Beer to Brew at Home

Once you have all your equipment, it's time to choose which type of beer you'd like to brew. Muntons has lot of different styles of beer you can choose, from but here are the most popular ones.

CONTINENTAL PILSNER 1718
Continental Pilsner - Continental Pilsner embodies the full character of European lager style beers - light and delicate, yet richly satisfying. This beer preserves the delicate balance of natural hop bitterness with the sweetness of malt and is best served cold.


OLD ENGLISH BITTER 1720
Old English Bitter - This fine Old English beer rekindles the full bodied, rich ales of Victorian Britain. Enjoyed best when served at cellar temperature - 13°C, 56°F. This quality beer combines premium brewing malt and the choicest hops, to follow a centuries old tradition of fine brewing. In keeping with this tradition, you can now recreate the taste enjoyed by Victorian England, with this excellent Old English Bitter - a taste which improves and matures with age, if you can bear to store a few bottles for six months or so!


DOCKLANDS PORTER 1722
Docklands Porter - At the end of the 19th century a beer was brewed especially for the dockyard workers of the bustling Port of London. Docklands Porter was named after these strong men, who unloaded the cargoes of sailing ships and schooners birthed at the many wharves along the Thames. Porter had a uniquely rich and satisfying flavor which quenched the thirst of dockers after long shifts loading and unloading vessels from around the world. You can now recapture the unique flavor of traditional Victorian Porters - a light hop character and full malt flavor under lie a rich color, possible by the subtle use of the best roasted malts.


IMPERIAL STOUT 1724
Imperial Stout - As Imperial Russia extended its territories into the Baltic States during the early 1780's, Catherine the Great, Empress of all the Russians fell in love with strong British Stout. Imperial Stout captures the essence of this truly classic beer, with its full body, rich black color and distinctive dry bitterness. Capped by a smooth, creamy head, it is a brew to be savored, and enjoyed at its best when served chilled - approximately 5°C or 41°F.


HIGHLAND HEAVY ALE 1726
Highland Heavy Ale - In the Highlands of Scotland, centuries ago, small breweries began producing rich, dark, hoppy ales know locally as "Heavy". In addition "Light" beers were also brewed, known south of the border as Milds, but it was a pint of "Heavy" which typified the highlanders' preference. You can now recapture this distinctive rich bitter flavor, with its dark, malty brew, balanced by a generous helping of hops. To enjoy Highland Heavy Ale at its best it should be served at cellar temperature.


INDIA PALE ALE 1728
India Pale Ale - Keeping the British troops supplied with fresh beer out in the British East Indies proved to be a problem during the 19th Century. The lengthy journey by sailing ship caused the beers to spoil and a special brew therefore had to be supplied - India Pale Ale. This was brewed to a high alcoholic strength to keep bacteria at bay during the voyage. Upon arrival the beer was watered down to normal pub strength for the troops. Of course the officers had access to the non-diluted version! However you have a choice. Recreate India Pale Ale, brewed to the Troops Tipple at approximately 1041° strength or the Higher Ranks Reserve version in its higher strength form.