Advice for Brew Kettles

Hello all:

I found this keggle online for $139 plus shipping and it has one weld on it which I assume you can put a ball valve on. If I'm going to be doing five gallon batches for a while and maybe move up to 10 gallons later, would you suggest that I purchase this keggle? Will it fit on top of the Bayou Classic Jet Cooker that I purchased?

I have a keggle (Spartanburg Keg) and I really wish that I had saved a few more dollars and bought a 20 gallon kettle. The keggle is fine for 5.5 gallon batches and some say it is good for 10 gallon batches as well. I like to have the additional half of a gallon to allow for the junk at the bottom of the carboy. (For the life of me I can't remember what it is called) I think it would be a tad bit small for a 11 gallon batch of a typical beer that I make. Just to reduce a boil down to 5.5 gallons I have to start out with 8.27 gallons. After doing many all grain batches I have calculated that I need this much wort to allow for evaporation, cold break junk and absorption from the whole hops.

If I added in the loss for 2 times the amount of hops and then add 5.5 gallons that would put me at a starting boil of 14 gallons. That isn't much room for boil over protection. Just a thought.

Now for fitting your bayou classic I use a different brand. The outer diameter of the keggle is 15 5/8 inches. Measure your cooker frame to see if it will fit. Good luck.

I love my keggle. It works great for me. I also do 5 gal batches. I really don't see myself brewing anything bigger than 10 gal batches. Many people brew 10 gal batches in a 15.5 gal keggle.

Make sure you get it with the threaded port welded on. You're gonna need it.

I use a 15 gallon aluminum pot for 5.5 gallon batches and a 20 gal for 11 gallon batches, you can get both for less than that keggle and add ball valves. Whichever one your using to boil in use the other for your strike and sparge water.

I use a keggle for 12 gallon batches all the time. I also use a fan to control the boil overs. I think $139 +shipping is a bit much, but that's just me.

wildwest450 said:

I use a 15 gallon aluminum pot for 5.5 gallon batches and a 20 gal for 11 gallon batches, you can get both for less than that keggle and add ball valves. Whichever one your using to boil in use the other for your strike and sparge water.

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I completely agree - I have 3 keggles, an 8 gallon stainless steel, and a 25 gallon stainless steel but (while I like them all for different reasons) I feel that a high quality 15 gallon aluminum would probably been the best choice.

i bought my keggle from these guys, I am local so shipping was free. I am happy with it, and that it was legal and ready to use the day I bought it, and I save money compared to a SS brewpot.

Aluminum does have superior thermal properties over to SS. Depending on the specific allow, aluminum has about 10 times the thermal conductivity as SS. So far I like my 7.5 gallon aluluminum turkey dryer over my 6 gallon SS. And don't notice any offtastes or terrets.

Once someone asks my post about the coating on the inside of a keg ill have a 15.5 keggle. Please anyone.... :fro:

I have used both 12.5G Italian kettles and 15.5G keggles. I prefer the keggles due to the bottom shape. I rarely leave more than 2 cups of wort in the keggle where the kettle flat bottom kept 2 quarts. I brew 12G batches, unless the grain bill for that volume won't fit in the MLT(Belgian strongs).