The Best All Grain Brewing Equipment For Homebrewers
If you’ve mastered beer kits and partial mash brewing, all grain brewing is the next logical step.
All grain brewing gives you complete control over your recipes, ingredients, and brewing process.
You can control:
- body
- color
- flavor
- fermentability
- efficiency
But before you start spending a fortune on equipment, let me tell you something.
You do NOT need a professional brewery to make great all grain beer.
In fact, many homebrewers start all grain brewing with a very simple setup.
Let’s start there.
Basic Brewing Equipment You’ll Still Need
Before upgrading to all grain brewing, you’ll still need the basic equipment every homebrewer uses, including fermenters, sanitizer, hydrometers, siphons, and bottling or kegging equipment.
If you’re missing any of those items, check out my complete beginner equipment guide.
👉 View Recommended Beginner Brewing Equipment
The Easiest Way To Start All Grain Brewing: BIAB
Before we talk about all-in-one brewing systems, I want to mention the simplest and least expensive way to get into all grain brewing.
It’s called BIAB (Brew In A Bag).
All you need is:
- a kettle
- a brew bag
- a heat source
- your regular fermentation equipment
That’s it.
Many homebrewers brew fantastic beer using BIAB.
If you’re looking for the most affordable path into all grain brewing, I highly recommend starting here.
👉 View My Recommended BIAB Equipment
My Recommended All Grain Brewing Upgrade Path
Most brewers don’t buy everything at once.
This is the path I recommend:
Step 1
BIAB Brewing
Step 2
All-In-One Brewing System
Step 3
Wort Chiller
Step 4
Kegging Equipment
Step 5
Advanced Brewing Upgrades
Focus on making better beer first.
Upgrade equipment second.
All-In-One Brewing Systems
Once you’ve decided you enjoy all grain brewing, an all-in-one brewing system is one of the best upgrades you can make.
Benefits include:
- easier brew days
- built-in temperature control
- simpler cleanup
- less equipment clutter
- improved consistency
My Recommendation
BrewZilla Gen 4
Why I Recommend It
The BrewZilla gives you:
- excellent value
- built-in pump
- easy operation
- compact footprint
- scalability for future growth
It’s one of the best all grain brewing systems available for homebrewers.
Grain Mill
A lot of all grain brewers eventually buy a grain mill.
Personally?
I don’t own one.
And honestly, I don’t feel like I need one.
This is Make Beer Easy after all.
I simply have my homebrew supplier crush my grain for me.
It’s one less piece of equipment to buy, store, clean, and maintain.
That said…
If you want maximum control over your brewing process, fresher grain, and the ability to fine tune your mash efficiency, a grain mill can be a worthwhile upgrade.
It’s not something I would recommend buying right away, but it’s definitely something advanced brewers may want to consider.
My Recommendation
FERRODAY Malted Grain Mill
Why I Recommend It:
- adjustable crush settings
- durable construction
- excellent reputation
- built specifically for homebrewers
Wort Chiller
One of the first upgrades I recommend after moving into all grain brewing is a wort chiller.
Fast chilling helps:
- improve beer clarity
- reduce contamination risk
- improve cold break formation
- speed up brew day
A Quick Note About The Included Wort Chiller
Most BrewZilla packages include an immersion wort chiller, so if you’re upgrading from BIAB to a BrewZilla, you may already have your wort chilling solution covered.
That said, my biggest complaint about the BrewZilla package is the included immersion chiller.
It works.
But in my opinion it’s a little undersized for the system.
You can absolutely start with the chiller that comes with the BrewZilla, and that’s exactly what I would recommend for most brewers.
However, if you’re looking for faster chilling times and a more efficient brew day, upgrading to a larger immersion chiller is something worth considering down the road.
For most brewers though, the included chiller will get the job done just fine while you’re learning the system.
My Recommendation
Stainless Steel Immersion Wort Chiller
Why I Recommend It:
- affordable
- reliable
- easy to clean
- simple to use
Kegging Equipment
Most all grain brewers eventually move to kegging.
Benefits include:
- easier packaging
- easier carbonation
- less cleaning
- faster serving
My Recommendation
Cornelius Kegs
CO2 Regulator
CO2 Tank
Serving Your Kegs
Once you’ve moved into kegging, you’ll need a way to keep your beer cold and serve it.
There are three common ways homebrewers do this.
Option 1: Use A Fridge
This is how I got started with kegging.
If you already have an extra fridge, beer fridge, or bar fridge, you may be able to convert it into a simple kegging setup.
Personally, I started with a small bar fridge, one Cornelius keg, a five-pound CO2 tank, and a picnic tap.
Depending on the size of the fridge, you may need to remove shelves or door racks to make everything fit.
The biggest advantage is that you may already own the fridge, making this the cheapest way to get started.
I started with something like this:
Bar Fridge
Picnic Tap
Option 2: Chest Freezer Conversion
This is what I use today.
My current setup uses a chest freezer and picnic taps.
For many homebrewers, this is the sweet spot between cost, flexibility, and performance.
Add an Inkbird temperature controller and you have excellent control over serving temperatures.
Benefits include:
- room for multiple kegs
- affordable upgrade path
- excellent temperature control
- easy future expansion
Chest Freezer
Inkbird Temperature Controller
Picnic Taps
Option 3: Kegerator
If you want a purpose-built draft beer system, a kegerator is a great option.
Benefits include:
- built-in taps
- professional appearance
- easy serving
- turnkey setup
Recommended Kegerators
Single Tap:
Dual Tap:
My Recommendation
If you’re just getting started, use a fridge you already own if possible.
When you’re ready to upgrade, I think a chest freezer conversion offers the best combination of value, flexibility, and capacity.
And if you want a polished, ready-to-go draft beer system, a kegerator is hard to beat.
Cleaning & Sanitation
No matter how advanced your brewery becomes, you’ll always need good cleaning and sanitation products.
Star San Sanitizer
PBW Cleaner
These are two products I never brew without.
My Recommended Upgrade Order
If I were starting all grain brewing from scratch today, this is the order I’d upgrade:
- BIAB Equipment
- BrewZilla
- Wort Chiller
- Inkbird Controller
- Chest Freezer
- Kegging Setup
- Grain Mill
- Water Chemistry Equipment
This path gives you the biggest improvements for your money.
Final Advice
Don’t try to build the perfect brewery overnight.
Start simple.
Focus on fermentation.
Upgrade gradually.
And remember:
Great beer comes from process, not just equipment.
Cheers,
Big Robb
Make Beer Easy
Simple Brewing. Better Beer. Made Easy.
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- beginner mistakes
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- fermentation tips
- sanitation
- recipe selection
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Recommended All Grain Brewing Products Summary
BIAB Equipment:
View My Recommended BIAB Equipment
All-In-One Brewing System:
BrewZilla Gen 4
Grain Mill:
FERRODAY Malted Grain Mill
Wort Chiller Upgrade:
Stainless Steel Immersion Wort Chiller
Sanitizer:
Five Star Star San Sanitizer
Cleaner:
PBW Cleaner
Cornelius Kegs:
Cornelius Ball Lock Kegs
CO2 Tank:
5 lb CO2 Tank
CO2 Regulator:
CO2 Regulator
Fridge Serving Setup:
Bar Fridge
Chest Freezer Setup:
Chest Freezer
Temperature Controller:
Inkbird Temperature Controller
Picnic Taps:
Picnic Tap / Beer Faucet
Kegerators:
Single Tap Kegerator
Dual Tap Kegerator