BIAB boil pot size

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Bookem15

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

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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
 
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
 
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
 
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 :D
 
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?
 
as you can see, there are as many answers to this question as there are beer styles. in order to help guide you to a good kettle size, we'd need to know a few things. how big of a batch do you plan on brewing? what style will you be brewing most often?

for me, I use a 10 gallon pot. it allows me the room to do a full volume BIAB (no sparge at the end). I can make lighter beers (cream ale, hefeweizen, kölsch) I can make beers in the 1.060 range with no problem and still have the room to do a beer in the 1.080 range with ease. beyond that point the bag gets heavy real quick. I could go higher in gravity, but since I have no winch and don't think my colander would fit much more in it as it drains..... I'll stick to what I know it can handle. that doesn't mean I can't do a bigger beer, but it would involve sparging.

I do have a keggle that I can use for 10 gallon batches but that would again require either sparging or a winch. Instead, for 10 gallon batches I choose to use a 3v setup. So far, I'm still doing 5 gallon full volume BIAB.
 
I also stay with 1.060 and lower beers most of the time. I purchased the 42 qt pot with the steamer basket in it. Now I just have to get a bag.
 
I was worried about my 7.5 gallon turkey fryer not being big enough, but I just brewed a 1.050 beer with an 11lb grain bill and it was really no problem. A bigger one would be better so I would recommend a 10gallon if you are buying a new one.
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.
Click to expand...

I don't know what batch sparging is, but that's what I do. I use as much water as possible for the mash, then I just let the BIAB drain into the kettle, and then run sparge water through the grain and into the kettle until it's topped up, then boil an hour.
 
BetterSense said:
I was worried about my 7.5 gallon turkey fryer not being big enough, but I just brewed a 1.050 beer with an 11lb grain bill and it was really no problem. A bigger one would be better so I would recommend a 10gallon if you are buying a new one.

What size bag are you using?
Click to expand...
 
My wife made it to fit my fryer. It's made out of walmart sheercurtains. It's very good material; finer mesh than my LHBS's grain bags.
 
I thought about the wording as I hit enter.
Take two:
For those of you who don't have the steamer basket, do you find yourself wishing you had a basket to help with lifting the grain bag?
 
jaynik said:
I thought about the wording as I hit enter.
Take two:
For those of you who don't have the steamer basket, do you find yourself wishing you had a basket to help with lifting the grain bag?
Click to expand...

the only time I wished I had something to help me lift the grain bag I was wishing for a winch. Brewed a pumpkin ale and it was REAL slow draining. Other than that, lifting the bag isn't a problem. Not having it in a steamer basket lets me spin to squeeze over the pot then stick it in a colander over a second pot to continue draining. A basket looks like it would be a nice addition, but its far from a necessary item. I do have a steamer basket that came with my turkey fryer. just never saw the need to use it.
 
I just put a BBQ grate over the top of my pot, rest my bag on top of it, and then do a kind of pour-over through the bag as a sparge. Then I usually let it finish draining over a second pot while I start bringing my wort up to boil temps.

But I do use a strainer pot for my 1 gallon batches and find it very useful. It is sturdy enough that I can press the wort out of the bag fairly easily using a spoon.
 
Sounds like the basket isn't a big deal. Looks like I can get a similar size stainless pot as the aluminum with the basket. I think I'll get the stainless so I'll have one less thing to store.
 
I have changed my mind on the Walmart sheet curtains. The fabric is very fine mesh, but I'm finding a courser mesh to be preferable. I now prefer Lowes paint strainer bags. The water (and therefore heat) transfers much more easily across it, it drains faster, and my beer is just as clear.
 
I want a basket. Right now I have the 7.5 gal. kettle that came with my fryer kit and I cannot drain with a grate on top of it because the bags spreads too wide and I get wort on the ground. Also even with a pulley system the bag is a bit of a pain. Next purchase - 10 to 11 gal. kettle/basket.
 
I don't regret buying my kettle with the basket. When I pull the grains, I just set the basket on top of a BBQ grill rack above my pot. Then I use the lid from my 3 gallon pot to squeeze the wort out.

I've tried the paint strainer bags from Lowe's and don't like them. I think they would be great for smaller BIAB batches in a 5 gallon kettle, but I like having the bigger bag I got from NB for my 10 gallon kettle.
 
I like to use the basket so that when I add heat to the mash I won't burn the bag as the basket keeps the bag off of the bottom of the kettle.
 
It's new years day and the LHBS was closed, and I needed a grain bag. I got 2 5 gallon paint strainer bags from Lowes and put 5lb of grain in each one. Worked great. I don't have to worry about them hitting the bottom of the kettle because I clip them to the side of my keggle with clothespins.

I have a strainer basket but I don't use it anymore because it's just more to clean. I lift my grain bag(s) out with a rope ratchet and a bit of parachute cord with a slip knot. Never had a bag break yet.
 
I like using my steamer basket because when I am done mashing I can pull the basket up and sit it tilted in the top of the kettle while the wort drains.
 
aubiecat said:
I like using my steamer basket because when I am done mashing I can pull the basket up and sit it tilted in the top of the kettle while the wort drains.
Click to expand...

Why haven't I thought to do this.. Brilliant.
 
Get a keg! I find them all the time for $20. They hold the heat alot better than a thin kettle and they are bullet proof!
 
christpuncher123 said:
Get a keg! I find them all the time for $20. They hold the heat alot better than a thin kettle and they are bullet proof!
Click to expand...

I wish I was near you, I can't find them for less than about $80 and up. And most of those need work to make them useable.
 

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