7.5 Gallon Brew Kettle?

I am just starting to do extract brewing and am going to buy a 7.5 gallon (30 qt.) kettle. Is this pot still big enough to do all grain brewing if I should decide to do it in the future? Thanks all!

-Brewstrong

Yes...just barely. You'll have to watch it like a hawk to avoid boilovers, but it can be done. I made dozens of AG batches in a 7.5 gallon turkey fryer, but I didn't dare walk away from it.

I'd suggest using a few drops of Fermcap in the boil, it makes boilovers a LOT less likely.

Should I try to get an 8 gallon just to be safe? The 7.5 gallon is stainless steel for only $50 so its a pretty well priced item.

Search eBay for a "36 qt stainless bayou classic" pot from Divine Mercantile. Thats what I did a few months ago and it was the best thing I ever did. With shipping it should be yours for a little over $70 which is cheeeeeeeap for a stainless steel pot.

I drilled mine and put a stainless weldless ball valve on too. It's perfect.

I use a 7.5 for 5 gallon AG batches. Like has been stated, it is enough kettle, but you really need to keep your fingers on the flame control when the hot break begins to rise. I boil 7+ gallons of water and am always right on the edge of a boilover until the hot break sinks.

If you can get 8 gallons for not much more, do it. If you have to spend a bunch for the extra half gallon, don't bother.

I have boilover issues with a 9gallon pot making 5 gallon batches.

if you use some fermcap that'll help a lot.

8 gal. kettle will boil over just as fast as a 7 gal. kettle. 2 gal. of head space is enough. If boiling 6 to 6.5 gal. then get a 8 gal. kettle by all means.

sterneje said:

8 gal. kettle will boil over just as fast as a 7 gal. kettle. 2 gal. of head space is enough. If boiling 6 to 6.5 gal. then get a 8 gal. kettle by all means.

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You realize that you're responding to a thread that has been dead for 5 years, right?

For some reason I see more necro-posting on this forum than on any other I've ever been a part of. Not quite sure why that is?

Might as well bring it back from the dead one more time?

Maybe it's because we all get started at different times in the world of homebrewing and we're all learning these things at different times. I know I try to not break cardinal rule #1 of forum posting (thou shall not post questions without searching for an answer first!).

You guys leave/post a lot of great and still relevant info on these forums, and who knows, maybe we'll get lucky bumping an old thread and those more experienced will come back and share what they've learned. I know I'm guilty of doing this too at times, but mostly it's because I just get so excited to find info on what I was searching for I've posted a question and not even looked to see how old the last post was.

At any rate, I hope you more experienced guys won't look down too harshly on us newbs for doing so form time to time...

Happy brewing,
tb