I purchsed a Mr Outdoor brand turkey fryer on sale from Cabelas online, when it was shipped I noticed it didn't have a spigot, and didn't list the quart capacity, it just says "up to 18lb turkey" Is it better to have one with spigot to more easily transfer wort to the fermenter? or do most fryer users just dump it in? I filled the pot with water and it appears to hold 6.5 gallons, is this the satandard size or too small? I am thinking after adding extract, and having enough H2O for a full boil I will be right around 6 gallons total, and 6.5 sounds like a boil-over waiting to happen. Any thoughts on needing a spigot, or pot size?
Opinions on turkey fryer type and size
- Thread starter nasmeyer
- Start date
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I never actually used the pot that came with my fryer kit for boiling wort. I just wanted and used the burner. But, a lot of people DO use the pots that come with them.
Are you brewing all grain or extract? For a 5 gallon AG batch, you'll often have 6-7 gallons of wort at the start of the boil, so 6.5 gallons is kind of small and you'll need to watch it like a hawk.
Many fryers come with 8 gallon pots, and those can be used, but still need to be watched carefully.
If you are brewing extract, you can always just start the boil with 5 gallons and then top it off at the end of the boil to get back to 5 gallons.
It's possible to install a spigot in the thing yourself, but I wonder about how well it would work. I suspect a lot of heat from the burner directly hitting the spigot, which could cause problems.
Many people use kettles with no spigots. They either just dump it into the fermenter, or they whirlpool the wort after/during chilling, which draws all the sediment into the center of the kettle, and then they siphon into the fermenter with a racking cane near the side of the kettle. That avoids pulling the break and sediment into the fermenter.
