Now that you have signed on, I can either assume you are already a hobbyist, or want to become one. For the beginner, I want to assure you that the art of fermentation can be a relatively simple process if a few basic procerures are followed. Those procedures will be listed later in the appropriate section (beer, wine, mead, cider). As you advance, you will have the opportunity to keep the process simple, or as complex as your budget will allow.
Here are some other tools which can be useful but you can get by without them if you choose to do so. Some may not apply to all types of fermented beverages.