What to look for in a Brew Kettle...

Ladies and Gents,
I am still in the parts acquisition phase, and have turned my attention to brew kettles. All that I know, is that I need one that would work for 5gal batches - so I suppose a 25qt size would be about right ? Also, I see some that have drains installed, etc - I assume these would be nice to have ?
For the moment, I will be doing extract and partial mash...Eventually I do wanna join the big leagues and do full mash though :rockin:

Thanks !
Steve

I have a 30qt and I wish it was bigger. For the price difference between sizes I think you should spring for a bigger kettle right off the bat.
That said, 25qt is fine for partial boils. If you want something to get your feet wet with, pick up an enamelled stock pot for $20 and brew some beer. When you do upgrade it will make a great chili pot.

keggle FTW, you will never have to upgrade, and it will cost less than a really big pot.

25 qts is WAY too small for full boils. You're going to start with 6.5-7 gals. A turkey fryer is right on the edge of being too small. You should look for something in the 9+ gallon range if you want to do it right, preferably stainless steel. If you're on a budget, you can go with a turkey fryer setup. Most are aluminum, but I used one for a long time with good results (and only a few boil overs). The valve is optional really, unless you're using a counter flow chiller.

Steve-H said:

What to look for in a Brew Kettle...

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Wort!

Lil' Sparky said:

...The valve is optional really, unless you're using a counter flow chiller.

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The valve isn't necessary for a CFC. I have a copper dip tube that I put in my pot instead and feed the CFC that way - works great.

Thanks guys - I'll see what I can come up wit.