Mead, Wine, Cider & Hard Seltzer Brewing Made Easy
Beer isn’t the only thing you can make at home.
In fact, some of the easiest and most fun fermentation projects are actually:
- hard seltzer
- mead
- cider
- wine
- prison hooch experiments
- flavored alcohol projects
The great thing about Beyond Beer brewing is:
you can start VERY small and VERY simple.
That’s exactly what I recommend for beginners.
Start with small one-gallon kits.
Learn the basics.
Experiment.
Have fun.
Then later, if you enjoy it, upgrade to larger five-gallon setups.
This page covers the Beyond Beer kits, ingredients, and equipment I recommend for beginners and intermediate brewers.
— Big Robb
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the kits and equipment recommendations below contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Big Robb’s Quick Picks
Best Beginner Hard Seltzer Option
Craft A Brew Hard Seltzer Brewing Kit
👉 Check Price on Amazon
Best Beginner Mead Option
1-Gallon Mead Making Kit
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Best Beginner Wine Option
Craft A Brew Fruit Wine Making Kit
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Best Beginner Cider Option
Craft A Brew Hard Cider Kit
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The Best Way To Start Beyond Beer Brewing
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is going TOO BIG too early.
That’s why I recommend:
Step 1:
Start with one-gallon kits
Step 2:
Learn fermentation basics
Step 3:
Experiment with flavors and ingredients
Step 4:
Upgrade to larger five-gallon batches later
Small batches are:
- cheaper
- easier
- lower risk
- faster to experiment with
- less intimidating
And honestly?
One-gallon kits are FUN.
Hard Seltzer Kits & Equipment
Hard seltzer is one of the easiest things you can make at home.
It’s also one of the most customizable.
You can experiment with:
- fruit flavors
- carbonation levels
- sweetness
- alcohol levels
- cocktail-inspired flavors
Recommended Beginner Setup
If you’re brand new to hard seltzer, I’d start with a small complete kit rather than buying every piece separately.
My Beginner Pick: Craft A Brew Hard Seltzer Brewing Kit
It makes a 1-gallon batch and gives you the basic equipment and ingredients you need to learn the process without committing to a full-size setup.
It’s a good way to figure out whether making hard seltzer is something you actually enjoy before buying more equipment.
Ready To Upgrade?
Once you’re comfortable making small batches, the most useful upgrades are usually a larger fermenter and a better way to carbonate and serve the finished seltzer.
Need a larger fermenter or better temperature control?
👉 See My Fermentation & Temperature Control Equipment
Want to move from bottling into kegging and forced carbonation?
👉 See My Kegging & Kegerator Equipment
Mead Kits & Equipment
Mead is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in the world.
And surprisingly…
it’s VERY beginner friendly.
Most beginner mead makers only need:
- a fermenter
- honey
- yeast
- sanitizer
- patience
That’s it.
Recommended Beginner Setup
If you’re new to mead, I’d start with a simple 1-gallon kit rather than buying a bunch of separate equipment.
My Beginner Pick: Craft A Brew Mead Making Kit
It gives you the basic fermenting equipment plus the yeast, nutrients, sanitizer, and instructions you need to make your first batch without overcomplicating things.
A 1-gallon batch is also a good size for learning because you can experiment without tying up a pile of ingredients or equipment.
Ready To Upgrade?
Once you’ve made a few small batches, the most useful upgrades are usually a larger fermenter, better measuring equipment, and the right packaging setup for aging your mead.
Need a larger fermenter or better fermentation control?
👉 See My Fermentation & Temperature Control Equipment
Want better gravity, temperature, and ingredient measurements?
👉 See My Measuring & Testing Equipment
Ready to bottle and age your mead properly?
👉 See My Bottling & Packaging Equipment
Wine Kits & Equipment
Wine kits are one of the easiest ways to get into home fermentation.
Modern wine kits can make surprisingly good wine at home.
Recommended Beginner Setup
If you’re new to winemaking, I’d start with a simple 1-gallon kit rather than buying a bunch of separate equipment.
My Beginner Pick: Craft A Brew Fruit Wine Making Kit
It gives you the basic equipment you need to make a small batch of fruit wine and learn the process without committing to a larger winemaking setup.
A 1-gallon batch is also a good size for experimenting with different fruits and recipes before you start buying more specialized wine equipment.
Ready To Upgrade?
Once you’ve made a few small batches, the most useful upgrades are usually a larger fermenter, better measuring gear, and better bottling equipment.
Need a larger fermenter or better fermentation control?
👉 See My Fermentation & Temperature Control Equipment
Want better gravity, temperature, and ingredient measurements?
👉 See My Measuring & Testing Equipment
Ready to bottle and age your wine properly?
👉 See My Bottling & Packaging Equipment
Cider Kits & Equipment
Hard cider is another excellent beginner fermentation project.
It’s:
- simple
- affordable
- beginner friendly
- fast to make
And there are tons of flavor possibilities.
Recommended Beginner Setup
If you’re new to making cider, I’d start with a simple 1-gallon kit rather than buying a bunch of separate equipment.
My Beginner Pick: Craft A Brew Hard Cider Kit
It gives you the basic equipment and ingredients you need to make a small batch and learn the cider-making process without overcomplicating things.
A 1-gallon batch is also a good way to experiment with different juices and recipes before moving into larger batches.
Ready To Upgrade?
Once you’ve made a few small batches, the most useful upgrades are usually a larger fermenter, better measuring gear, and either improved bottling or a kegging setup if you want easier carbonation and serving.
Need a larger fermenter or better fermentation control?
👉 See My Fermentation & Temperature Control Equipment
Want better gravity, temperature, and ingredient measurements?
👉 See My Measuring & Testing Equipment
Prefer to keep bottling your cider?
👉 See My Bottling & Packaging Equipment
Want to move into kegging and forced carbonation?
👉 See My Kegging & Kegerator Equipment
All Recommended Beyond Beer Equipment
A lot of mead, wine, cider, and hard seltzer uses the same equipment you already use for beer.
Rather than recommend a second version of the same gear here, I keep the detailed recommendations in the equipment guides where they belong.
Fermenters & temperature control
👉 See My Fermentation & Temperature Control Equipment
Hydrometers, thermometers & scales
👉 See My Measuring & Testing Equipment
Sanitizer & cleaning gear
👉 See My Cleaning & Sanitation Equipment
Bottles, fillers & packaging equipment
👉 See My Bottling & Packaging Equipment
Small-batch equipment for 1-gallon experiments
👉 See My 1-Gallon Brewing Equipment Guide
The nice thing is that once you own the basic equipment, you can use a lot of it for beer, mead, wine, cider, and hard seltzer instead of buying a completely separate setup for every drink.
The Basic Beyond Beer Setup I’d Buy
If I were starting with mead, wine, cider, or hard seltzer, I would keep the equipment as simple as possible.
For most small-batch projects, I’d start with:
- A fermenter with enough headspace for the batch
- An airlock
- Sanitizer
- A hydrometer
- An auto siphon or fermenter with a spigot
- A bottling wand
- Bottles appropriate for whatever I’m making
Then I’d add any drink-specific ingredients or equipment the recipe actually requires.
For a first batch, a good 1-gallon starter kit is often the easiest route because it gives you most of what you need without buying a bunch of separate equipment.
Once you know which type of drink you actually enjoy making, then start upgrading.
Essential vs Optional Beyond Beer Equipment
A lot of mead, wine, cider, and hard seltzer brewing uses the same basic equipment.
What I consider essential:
- A fermenter with enough headspace for the batch
- An airlock
- Sanitizer
- A hydrometer
- A way to transfer the finished drink
- Bottles or another way to package it
Useful depending on what you’re making:
- A bottling wand
- An auto siphon
- Wine bottles and corks
- A corker
- Swing-top bottles
- Carbonation drops or priming sugar
- Nutrients for mead
- Clarifiers or stabilizers for wine
Optional upgrades:
- Larger fermenters
- Kegging equipment
- Advanced carbonation gear
- Specialty aging equipment
- More expensive bottling or corking equipment
Start with the equipment your recipe actually requires. You can add the specialty gear later when you know you need it.
What I Would NOT Buy When Starting Beyond Beer
You can spend a pile of money making mead, wine, cider, and hard seltzer, but you absolutely do not need to.
If you’re just getting started, I would skip:
- Huge fermenters — Start with the batch size you actually want to make. There’s no reason to buy a giant fermenter for 1-gallon experiments.
- Expensive corking equipment right away — If you’re just trying wine for the first time, keep the setup simple until you know you’re going to stick with it.
- A full kegging setup just for hard seltzer or cider — Bottling works perfectly well when you’re starting out.
- A pile of specialty additives before you understand what they do — Buy nutrients, stabilizers, clarifiers, and other additions because the recipe calls for them, not because somebody online has a shelf full of them.
- Separate equipment for every type of drink — A lot of the same fermenters, airlocks, siphons, hydrometers, and bottling gear can be used for beer, mead, wine, cider, and seltzer.
- Advanced aging equipment when you’re still learning the basics — Make a few good batches first.
Start simple. Use the equipment you already own where it makes sense, and add specialty gear only when it solves a real problem.
Solve problems instead of collecting equipment.
Looking for equipment for the rest of your brewing setup?
👉 See My Complete Beer Brewing Equipment Guide
Frequently Asked Questions About Mead, Wine, Cider & Hard Seltzer Equipment
Can I use the same equipment for beer, mead, wine, cider, and hard seltzer?
A lot of it, yes. Fermenters, airlocks, hydrometers, siphons, sanitizer, and much of your bottling gear can usually be used across different types of homebrewing. You may still need some drink-specific equipment depending on what you’re making.
Do I need separate fermenters for different drinks?
Not necessarily. As long as your fermenter is properly cleaned and sanitized, you can use the same fermenter for different types of drinks.
Is a 1-gallon kit a good way to start?
Yes. For mead, wine, cider, and hard seltzer, a 1-gallon kit is a simple way to experiment without committing to a large batch or buying a pile of equipment.
Do I need a hydrometer for mead, wine, cider, and hard seltzer?
I recommend one. A hydrometer lets you measure starting and finishing gravity so you can track fermentation and estimate alcohol content.
Do I need a kegging system?
No. Bottling works perfectly well for beginners. Kegging can be useful later, especially for carbonated drinks like cider and hard seltzer, but it is not something you need to buy right away.
What equipment should I buy first?
Start with a fermenter, airlock, sanitizer, hydrometer, a way to transfer the finished drink, and bottles. If you’re brand new, a good beginner kit is often the easiest way to get most of that equipment in one purchase.
Do I need special equipment to make mead?
Not much. Mead can be made with the same basic fermentation equipment used for beer, wine, and cider. The biggest differences are usually in the ingredients, yeast nutrients, and fermentation process rather than the basic equipment.
Keep It Simple
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is overcomplicating fermentation.
You do NOT need:
- expensive setups
- giant batches
- professional equipment
Start small.
Experiment.
Learn fermentation.
Have fun with it.
That’s the whole point.
Join The Free Beginner Brewing Bootcamp
Want help learning homebrewing and fermentation faster?
Join my free Beginner Brewing Bootcamp where I walk you through:
- beginner mistakes
- sanitation
- fermentation
- brewing basics
- equipment
- troubleshooting
👉 Join the Free Beginner Brewing Bootcamp
Get My Top 5 Brew Pub Recipes
These are the exact recipes customers kept coming back for at my brew pub.
👉 Get My Top 5 Brew Pub Recipes
Watch Make Beer Easy On YouTube
I post:
- brew days
- Beyond Beer experiments
- hard seltzer projects
- mead brewing
- cider brewing
- wine kits
- fermentation experiments
- honest brewing mistakes
👉 Watch Make Beer Easy on YouTube
Final Advice
Don’t overthink it.
Start with small batches.
Use beginner kits.
Experiment often.
Upgrade gradually.
That’s how great brewers are made.
Cheers,
Big Robb
Make Beer Easy
Simple Brewing. Better Beer. Made Easy.