Is a 7&1/2 gallon pot big enough to brew a 5 gallon all grain batch?
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Transamguy77
Well-Known Member
Do you already have it? If so it's doable not necessarily ideal, you just have to watch it like a hawk. If you don't own it yet I would recommend the largest pot you can afford. When I was BIAB that is what I used so I know it's possible.
Once I moved to 5 gallon AG batches I moved to 10 gallon ones once I realized how easy it was. And if you think now that you have no interest in making 10 gallons at a time (like I thought) but you realize that for only an hour or so more to double your batch you will be glad you bought that giant pot.
Once I moved to 5 gallon AG batches I moved to 10 gallon ones once I realized how easy it was. And if you think now that you have no interest in making 10 gallons at a time (like I thought) but you realize that for only an hour or so more to double your batch you will be glad you bought that giant pot.
eltorrente
Well-Known Member
10 gallon is a must. If I were you I would at least buy "Fermcap" - which is a great product that will help prevent boil overs. You just add a couple drops for every gallon that you are boiling, and it really helps out. In addition, I would stand guard with a spray bottle of water, with my hand on the burner control.
You could do it if you are really careful - I would probably set a fairly low boil initially, then increase the burner as it boils off. You could then simply add water mid-way through the boil to ensure that your rigorous boil time is adequate, if you are using a low boil initially. You want a rigorous boil for as long as you can, but you may not be able to crank it up till mid-way through or so.
You could do it if you are really careful - I would probably set a fairly low boil initially, then increase the burner as it boils off. You could then simply add water mid-way through the boil to ensure that your rigorous boil time is adequate, if you are using a low boil initially. You want a rigorous boil for as long as you can, but you may not be able to crank it up till mid-way through or so.
I use a 7.5 gallon for 5 gallon full boil batches. As stated above. Use fermcap s and watch it like a hawk. It is possible but I'd go bigger if I didn't already have the 7.5gallon pot.
mysteryshrimp
Well-Known Member
I often do 6 gallon batches in an 8 gallon pot. What you are describing is possible to do even without fermcap, but you do need to be very attentive and know that you will lose a little bit every once in a while and will likely have to relight the burner at least once during the boil.
I use a converted pony keg - 7.75. I start the boil at about 6.75 gal.
It works fine, though as noted above it requires some careful attention, and fermcap is very helpful. Once the boil gets going it stops foaming, you can turn the heat way down, and the risk of a boilover is gone.
Larger than 7.5 gal is definitely not a must. It just requires a careful start to the boil.
It works fine, though as noted above it requires some careful attention, and fermcap is very helpful. Once the boil gets going it stops foaming, you can turn the heat way down, and the risk of a boilover is gone.
Larger than 7.5 gal is definitely not a must. It just requires a careful start to the boil.
I used a 7.5 gallon pot and would start the boil with near 7 gallons to boil to 5.25. It is doable but you really have to start with a very mild boil until some is lost to evaporation. I would definitely suggest that you do this outside as it is nearly impossible not to get some what I would call slop over. You get a burst of bubbles and a wave slops over the side.
If you have one, use it. Also use a thermometer to tell when the boil approaches so you can turn down the heat just before it boils or you will have a boil over. Once the hot break settles you can turn the heat back up if needed.
GrogNerd
mean old man
I do 5-gallon batches in my 7.5-gallon kettle and it is, as they've said before, a major pain in the a**.
if it were in the budget to do so, I would definitely buy a 9- or 10-gallon pot
if it were in the budget to do so, I would definitely buy a 9- or 10-gallon pot
I have an 8 gallon BK and I need 7.25 gallons for a 60' AG boil to yield 5.5 gallon of wort in the fermentor. That leaves me with less than 1.5 inch of head space. So what I do, I boil 6-6.5 gallons and keep topping up from a gallon of sparged wort I keep aside to replenish boil-off volume.
BreezyBrew
IPA is my spirit animal
I agree with everything here. I have a 10 gallon pot and would still like to go bigger. To get a full five gallons into the keg/bottles you will want to put 5.5 into the fermentor. My boil off is about a gallon an hour and I lose some liquid due to hoses from my pump and the bottom of my pot. I end up starting with 8 gallons of wort for a 5.5 gallon batch. I started with about 9.5 gallons on a split batch and watching that thing was not fun and wasted time not prepping for the rest of my brew day. I split into 5 gals than 2 gals (roughly, for the experimental batch) If you only want to purchase one pot that will allow for upgrades to your system, I'd go 12 gallons. Bigger will also allow for split batches which is fun and a better use of your time since you are making more beer for the same amount of labor. I thought 10 gallon was huge when I started but now I wanna go bigger! Cheers!
Funny you say that!
I thought 5 gallons was huge when I started, but when you add all the work and time involved, larger batches start to make more sense, but...
... ... ... ...
...only once you start making good tasting beer! Although I thought they were good at the time, I'm now glad my first few batches were only 5 gallons.
So when you're beginning or experimenting, smaller batches (2.5-5 gallons) would still be preferred.
On the lower limit, I don't quite understand the "1 gallon" brewer guard. Perhaps they like the process better than the beer itself?
BreezyBrew
IPA is my spirit animal
Exactly! Who wants 5 gals of "weird" beer that didn't turn out all that great.
You're fine with your 7.5 gallon pot. Even when you want to do Partial Mash or AG.
Extract brewing makes it a little easier because you can boil a smaller volume and top up with water at the end of your boil. Your malt extract is very concentrated, which you dilute to make wort.*
When brewing all-grain the reverse is true. We mostly end up with a larger volume of lower gravity wort because of sparging. Then during the boil we concentrate our wort; we need to boil off 1-2 gallons to reach our OG, or forego efficiency.
* Make sure you add only 1/3 of your malt extract at the beginning of your boil and the balance (2/3) at flameout. It prevents darkening of the wort, and tastes fresher. Stir really well when adding the extract to prevent ANY scorching.
I used a 7.5 gallon pot for TONS of my brewing before I finally upgraded. I have started with around 7 gallons many times, just be very careful at that start, and start the boil slow. And make sure your first hop addition is put in slowly. After that, the pot is easy to use. If you can go bigger, do it, if not, just go with what you have, but don't do it inside 
You can tip your BK when draining the last gallon, and/or use a dip tube.
Just adding one of those high flow (street) elbows to the inside of my bulkhead drops my kettle's dead space down to 1/2 inch. It makes a perfect dip tube, and when tipped, there is no more than a pint of wort left. If your outlet is particularly very high, you could extend that elbow with a piece of silicone hose to gain an extra inch or 2.
I always have a pot with boiled, hot water on the side. When my wort is (almost) drained, there is still nearly 1/2 gallon in my hoses, pump and plate chiller. To purge most of that wort into my fermentor, I put that gallon of hot water in my (tipped) BK and pump until I see water entering my output hose, upon which I close the valve.
No.
QuercusMax
Well-Known Member
I do 6 gallon (5.5 into fermenter) batches in my 7.5 gallon pot on the stovetop. No problems as long as I watch it as it comes to a boil. I have recently found stirring and/or skimming the foam during the rise from 205-212 helps keep things under control.
eltorrente
Well-Known Member
It's a product called "fermcap". It's just a little bottle of liquid, and you add 2 drops per gallon of wort that you will boil. It just basically breaks the surface tension of the liquid, and really helps in preventing boil-overs.
I did it for awhile but, you really have too watch the burner or you will have a boil over. Some bigger beers I ended up boiling a gallon or so on my kitchen stove and then add it into the main boil as the wort evporated.
