Kombucha, Wine & Cider

Many homebrewers branch into kombucha, mead, cider and wine. Much of the equipment overlaps, with a few specific additions like wine yeast and campden tablets.

Best Mead Making Kits for Beginners (2026)

Compare mead making kits: honey, yeast, and nutrient bundles plus fermenters, and what a complete kit needs for a smooth first batch of honey wine.

Best Fermentation Crocks for Home Fermenting (2026)

Find the right fermentation crock: stoneware water-seal crocks, weights, sizes, and durable vessels for sauerkraut, kimchi, and other fermented foods.

Best Wine Yeast for Home Winemaking (2026)

Compare wine yeast strains for home: red, white, and all-purpose options, alcohol tolerance and temperature range, and matching yeast to your must.

Best Swing-Top Bottles for Homebrew (2026)

Choose swing-top bottles for homebrew: flip-top gaskets, glass color and thickness, and reusable bottles that seal carbonation without a capper.

Best Continuous Brew Vessels for Kombucha (2026)

Compare continuous brew vessels for kombucha: dispenser jars with spigots, capacity, and food-safe materials for a steady, low-maintenance supply.

Best Campden Tablets for Home Winemaking and Brewing (2026)

Find Campden tablets for home use: sodium vs potassium metabisulfite, dosing, and using them to treat water and stabilize wine, cider, and mead.

Best Kombucha Brewing Kits for Beginners (2026)

Compare kombucha brewing kits: SCOBY, jar, cloth cover, and starter tea bundles, plus what to look for in a complete kit for your first batch.

Best Kombucha SCOBY Starter Cultures

Kombucha starter cultures judged on the spec that decides success: starter tea volume relative to batch size, live versus dehydrated culture, and organic sourcing.

Best Wine Making Kits

Wine kits explained: equipment starter kits versus ingredient kits, batch size in gallons and bottles, juice concentrate quality, and realistic timelines.

Best Cider Making Kits

Hard cider kits compared on batch size from 1 gallon to 23 liters, whether the fermenter is included, concentrate versus fresh juice, and fermentation time.

How to choose

Use food-safe glass or plastic vessels.
Use campden tablets and wine yeast for wine and cider.
Bottle carbonated drinks in pressure-rated swing tops.
Keep kombucha cultures separate from beer gear to avoid cross contamination.

Common questions

Can I use beer equipment for cider or mead?

Yes. Fermenters, airlocks, siphons and hydrometers work the same, as long as everything is cleaned and sanitized.

What is mead?

An alcoholic drink fermented from honey and water, sometimes with fruit or spices, often called honey wine.