BIAB boil pot size

Bookem15 · 08-09-2011, 10:39 PM

I am about to start doing BIAB and get away from doing extract all the time and need to know what size pot is best? Thanks for the help

**wilserbrewer** · 08-09-2011, 10:42 PM

for five gallon batches a 40 qt (10 gallon) ahould serve you well

http://cgi.ebay.com/Thunder-Group-ALSKSP007-40-qt-Aluminum-Stock-Pot-/250756324335?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a623d dbef

Changeduser123 · 08-09-2011, 10:50 PM

quoted from biabrewer.info, in the thread "FAQ: What are the pros & cons of varying kettle sizes?":

Quote:

Small Pot/Kettle - 30lts (8 US gal)

If you already had a pot of this size, then consider using this for your first few brews. You can still mash a standard 5% ABV beer in this pot but you will need to use considerable top-up water during the boil and also in your fermenter. If your tap water tastes fine, then this need not be a big issue especially when you are just starting out in all-grain. If your tap water is not great, then boil enough for top-up water the night before.

Medium Pot/Kettle – 50lts (13 US gal)

This is a comfortable size kettle with which to brew single batches even those with very high ABV. In some countries, kegs of this size may be bought cheaply which makes this size quite popular but you will still need to keep a close eye on the kettle to avoid boil-overs and double batches in this size pot is stretching the limits – you will need a lot of top up water.

Large Pot/Kettle – 70lts (18.5 US gal)

For those who have decided to purchase a kettle then BIABrewer highly recommends this size. A 70lt pot will give you peace of mind brewing a single batch – no top-up water, very low chance of boil-overs and is still an easy size to handle. It will also allow you to you to brew a double-batch with minimum of discomfort though you will have to watch the pot somewhat and add may have to add a tad of top up water during the boil. This pot is a great all-rounder.

I went for the 15.5g Bayou Classic, and I am very happy to have the extra room even though I am only brewing 5g batches.

jmestayer · 08-10-2011, 04:32 PM

I use a 7.5 gallon turkey fryer setup. I've not exceeded 13 pounds of grain yet, but I suspect I could fit up to maybe 15 pounds. Boiling can be a little tricky (i.e. have to watch for boil overs the whole time), but is possible. I would go bigger if you can, but if you are limited for some reason or already have a smaller setup it is useable.

**TopherM** · 08-10-2011, 05:28 PM

I started BIAB doing partial water volume mashes in a 7.5 gallon pot and heating sparge water in a 4 gallon pot then batch sparging back into the 7.5 gallon pot for a full-volume boil. Easy to do, but a bit more complicated than BIAB is supposed to be due to the multiple pots.

I then made a keggle, which is 15.5 gallons. Did a 5 gallon batch in the 15.5 gallon keggle, and found it very difficult to keep 10+ lbs. of grain in the bag under the water during the mash, just because the pot was so darn big. I have not done it yet, but the 15.5 gallon keggle would be perfect for 7+ BIAB batches, but it is just a bit too big for 5 most of the time IMO.

THEN I got an 11 gallon pot. PERFECTO for 5 gallon BIAB. 10 gallons would be almost perfect as well. I got the Bayou Classic 44 qt SS with a SS basket. The basket sits 3" above the bottom, which is perfect for BIAB so the bag doesn't take direct heat. It is also perfect because it was simple to install a bulkhead and ball valve fitting in the space below the bag. The pot is plenty big for full boils without worrying about boilovers. Also, handling the bag is simple because I attach it to the basket instead of the pot, which makes it easy to drain before the boil.

Here was the cheapest I found it, basically $100.00 shipped, and it showed up 4 business days after I ordered it:

http://www.everydaykitchenneeds.com/stockpot-p-231315.html

**cg17** · 08-10-2011, 05:48 PM

I have an odd sized kettle (22 qts) and us it to brew 4 gallon batches.

johnodon · 08-10-2011, 06:47 PM

I already had a 15g pot so I am just sticking with that for my 5.5g batches. I like a lot of headroom just in case I want to do a REALLY big beer. On average, my total water volume for a moderate beer (10 lbs of grains) is ~8 gallons. With the displacement of the grain bag, it typically jumps up to about 9 gallons.

Of course extra headroom can also make it harder to manage mash temps.

John

**schmoe** · 08-10-2011, 08:28 PM

My 10 gallon pot works great for BIAB

cyclonite · 08-11-2011, 05:03 AM

I have an 8g turkey fryer pot and a 5g pot. I do the mash and boil in the 8g pot and do a single dunk sparge in the 5g pot (usually 5g water for the mash and ~ 1.5-2g for the sparge). This puts the boil pretty high in the pot, but I do a pretty soft boil and haven't had problems boiling over. I would go for a larger pot, but haven't been able to justify the expense to myself since this setup works perfectly fine

Bookem15 · 08-11-2011, 06:54 AM

I just bought a 42 qt pot with the steamer pot now all I have to do is get a grain bag big enough to hold all that grain. Any suggestions on size of bag or is it bigger the better?