Hobbies give friends and family a starting point for gift ideas, but the head start may not be enough. For instance, my brother builds model cars and I’d be hesitant to even pick out a paintbrush for him. If you have a homebrewer on your gift list, you may have watched them brewing batch after batch, but still not know what they they’d like. We’re here to help you out. Here are some gift ideas at a variety of price points. They may already have a given item, but every homebrewer can use something on this list. Be generous and you’ll almost certainly sip the rewards.
Cleaning and Sanitation Supplies
Sanitation is the key to making good beer. Regardless of what your brewer usually uses, you can’t go wrong picking one of the standard cleansers or sanitizers. Cleansers like PBW are great for cleaning crud from carboys and kegs, while sanitizers like StarSan and Iodophor ensure that bacteria won’t get a foothold to spoil the beer. Small containers are cheap enough (under $10) to be stocking stuffers, but you can also buy larger volumes without going over $30.
Silicone Oven Mitts
When I first started brewing, I liberated a couple of padded oven mitts from the kitchen. It didn’t take long to realize that once they got soaked in water or wort, they weren’t much good at holding the heat at bay. Silicone oven mitts solve that problem and more. They don’t wear out as easily and they give you a firmer grip on things. I use mine to move pots, turn hot valves, and even to adjust a hot burner.