Getting started
Before brew day, there are a handful of decisions to make — and they flow in a specific order. Getting these right from the start means you won't need to replace equipment unnecessarily. Unless you're already sure of what you want, the recommendation is to start simple and upgrade when and if you feel ready — packaging and carbonation follow that path naturally, but batch size is the one to get right first.
Batch size is the root decision. How much beer you're making determines everything else: which fermenter fits, how to split a kit between club members, and how many kegs or bottles you need.
Fermenter size follows directly from batch size. Although many fermenter types and materials exist — including glass carboys, stainless conicals, and various DIY options — BrewClub uses a polypropylene (PPPP — Polypropylene A semi-crystalline polyolefin plastic widely used in fermenter buckets, lids, taps, and airlocks. Excellent chemical resistance across all homebrewing chemical environments. EU Regulation 10/2011 compliant.) bucket-style fermenter. PPPP — Polypropylene A semi-crystalline polyolefin plastic widely used in fermenter buckets, lids, taps, and airlocks. Excellent chemical resistance across all homebrewing chemical environments. EU Regulation 10/2011 compliant. buckets are inexpensive, easy to clean, food-safe, and widely available. The commonly available sizes are 5 L (typically 5.5 L actual volume), 15 L (typically around 12 L usable fermentation volume), and 30 L (typically around 23 L maximum fermentation volume). Your batch size determines which one is right. More on this — including what to look for when buying one — on the Fermenter page.
Packaging is the next choice: keg or bottles. This decision is independent of batch size but shapes your brew day and how you serve and share the finished beer. The Packaging page covers both options.
Carbonation follows from packaging — how you carbonate largely depends on what you're packaging into. The Carbonation page covers the options and the trade-offs.
Sanitiser runs alongside all of the above. It doesn't depend on the other decisions, but it needs to be sorted before brew day. It's also worth thinking about as a club: nobody should need to buy a full bottle of sanitiser to do one or two brews. BrewClub recommends sharing sanitiser where possible — the Sanitiser page covers how this works in practice, and what to use.
Work through each section in order. By the end you'll have everything confirmed and brew day is just following the steps.
The fermenter sizes, sanitiser products, and kit options described in BrewClub reflect what is commonly available in Sweden. If you are running a club in another region, some specifics may differ — your club leader can advise on local equivalents.