Turkey fryer? Why?

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akthor

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I see these in peoples set ups. I just happen to have one I got for free. I do stove top. Whats the benefit of the turkey fryer? Also do people use the huge aluminum pot that came with the fryer?

Just seeing if this is something I should use since I have it.
 
Yes. Use it.

You can now do full boils which will greatly enhance your beer. You will have to accomodate the amount and timing of hops according to the boil volume, so I'd suggest a program like BeerSmith or something similar to do your calculations.

You can use the aluminum pot to brew in. But make sure it's VERY clean (clean off all oil) and do a full boil run with just water to build the oxide layer before using it for beer. Check the general condition of it too (no deep scratches, etc.).

You can now bring the boil up faster and control how vigorous the boil is as well. There are many benifits in this simple upgrade. I recently purchased a fryer kit.

:mug:
 
oh and you will have to experiment with boil off to determine how much volume (pre-boil) you will need to get to your final batch volume. The goal is to end up with your batch size (5 gallons, 10 gallons, etc) without having to top off.

You can top off, though, if you need to.


Good luck!
:mug:
 
If you are doing full boils for 5 gallon batches, some sort of dedicated burner is necessary. In order to end up with 5 gallons of beer in a full boil, you need to boil around 6 to 6.5 gallons of wort. Most home stoves just can't do that. In order to do full boils you will need at least a 30qt pot, so yes, keep the pot that came with it.

Full boils are usually considered better since you aren't boiling a concentrated wort like you do when you top off after the boil. A less concentrated wort will develop less kettle caramelization and melanoidin formation, which can help making lighter colored beers.
 
A less concentrated wort will develop less kettle caramelization and melanoidin formation, which can help making lighter colored beers.

That explains my porter-colored Fat Tire clone, LOL. I have a fryer but don't know where that big pot went. Stuck using a 3 gal pot for the foreseeable future.
 
I still say the best thing to happen to me in brewing was my wife kicking me out into the garage. My outdoor burner is a lot faster than my stove top, I don't get evil eyes about the mess and the strange "is he cooking meth" looks from the neighbors is priceless. Not to mention how much easier it is hook up hose connections outside. Win-win really.


Be patient on the pots and be ready to buy after Thanksgiving when the fire sales starts.

Yep, last year I saw a complete set up for less than $30 on clearance.
 
Speed and doing full boils. I've been using a turkey burner from Day 1. I got a larger pot, as the original was only 6 gallons. That one became my HLT.
 
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