Best type of brew pot?

I m an extract brewer and using a 5 gal boil pot which means I boil 3.5 gallons and add the rest to bring water up to 5 gal. Does doing a full 5 gallon boil help the flavor a lot? Whats the bets type of pot to use? A lot of people use an old keg (keggle), can get on ebay for $75, or I can get a 9gal pot with a spigot and thermometer for $130 shipped.

SpecialEd said:

I m an extract brewer and using a 5 gal boil pot which means I boil 3.5 gallons and add the rest to bring water up to 5 gal. Does doing a full 5 gallon boil help the flavor a lot? Whats the bets type of pot to use? A lot of people use an old keg (keggle), can get on ebay for $75, or I can get a 9gal pot with a spigot and thermometer for $130 shipped.

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No, full boils wont' help your flavor a lot. You can do a full boil, and you'll get better hops utilization. But, I've done partial boils and full boils and no one could tell the difference. To improve your brews, do a partial mash or go AG. Now, extract brewing gives a fine beer- don't get me wrong! But for more consistent flavor or "help the flavor a lot", that's the direction to head.

If you want to buy a new expensive pot, go ahead. I don't want to dissuade you. It will not hurt and might help! But for more flavor, I'd go with steeping grains, partial mash, or all-grain (in that order). Even in AG, I don't have a big enough pot/burner, so I split my boil into two pots. Not ideal- but it works for me. I just don't want you to feel that you have to buy a new pot to get better beer unless you actually want to buy a new pot!

(I've been drinking tonight, so if that doesn't make much sense, I'll try to fix it in the morning)

PS- I love your id name- not politically correct but I think it's great!

Thanks Yooper. I appreciate the full answer reply, always nice to hear from the female brewers too. Thanks, lol, the name has a great story behind it (im a physicist).
I already steep so it sounds like I need to head the allgrain or partial mash direction. Ive read that partial mash is a good comprimise on time and equipment, any opinions on this?

SpecialEd said:

I already steep so it sounds like I need to head the allgrain or partial mash direction. Ive read that partial mash is a good comprimise on time and equipment, any opinions on this?

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Definitely try PM if you already steep. You probably have all the equipment you need already. I really enjoyed PM brewing, and it taught me the techniques for all-grain brewing. I have done small 3 gallon AG batches using my PM equipment, and now I am pumped to try bigger (5 - 10 gallon) AG batches. PM brewing is a good 'intermediate' step, and it will help you to decide if you want to do full AG brewing.

If you haven't seen it already, here is a great article to get you going (and there is also lots of good advice on this site if you surf around).
http://***********/feature/1536.html

SpecialEd said:

Thanks Yooper. I appreciate the full answer reply, always nice to hear from the female brewers too. Thanks, lol, the name has a great story behind it (im a physicist).
I already steep so it sounds like I need to head the allgrain or partial mash direction. Ive read that partial mash is a good comprimise on time and equipment, any opinions on this?

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I do "mini mash's" with full extract boils. It only makes sense to me that doing a full boil will lend a better brew...no real rhyme or reason..it just makes sense to me.
I wanted to get a bigger pot because I plan on going all grain. If I wasn't, I wouldn't invest the money. Beer, beer and more beer gave me the best deal on a 10 gal pot. Not the cheapest, but the best deal. I suggest checking them out, or if you can; get your hands on a used keg and convert it. That's the cheapest way to go.


Dan

i use a cheap 20qt ceramic coated pot with no problems. Just turn off the gas while you slowly add in the extract, and then back to flame on. Be gentle with the pot and it'll last you a good number of brews. I'm probably gonna wait till I see a good deal on a stainless steel pot for down the road, but until them the ceramic coated steelie works good enough.

I found an incredible pot at Walmart. It's 22qt. stainless steel. The bottom is 3 ply w/ an aluminum core to allow use on induction stove tops. The darn thing has to weigh close to 10 lbs. Price was $49.95. It's awesome...

Maybe it's just me, but I absolutely think that full boils make a very noticeable difference in a beer. Perhaps it’s not so much the flavor as the mouth-feel.

I did a couple of partial boils before moving to full wort boils and they had a watery quality to them that just wasn't present in my full boils. I've been able to pick out the same quality in partial boils done by others as well – even before knowing they were partials.

If you can do it, I think that full wort boils are a great way to improve your beer. Besides, it’s a nice first step towards going all grain! You will, however, need a way to chill your wort besides an ice bath. Typically, people use an immersion chiller.

Cool. I already use an immersion wort chiller, first extra piece I bought. IS there a good partialmash tutorial or somehting out there?

I found an article about this in BYO http://***********/feature/1536.html. I have yet to try this technique but it seems like a good technique.

SpecialEd said:

I Whats the bets type of pot to use?

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IMHO the best thing I ever did was convert an old half barrel into a keggle. It cost me less then any comercial kettle even close to it's size, it's sturdy as hell, and I'll never have to worry about scoarching any wort

We've got BigLots! stores around here, for $30 I got a 30+quart pot that will fit over two burners on my stovetop.

I think that by moving away from partial boils, you eliminate a potential variation point. Did you put the right amount of water in? What happened to your OG after you added your water? Using full boils allows you to get rid of those questions. Plus the extract kits I've done with full boils are more consistently excellent and hit their prospected #'s more accurately.

Hmm I see, and thanks Cheese...I think. One of the reasons I was thinking of moving to full boils was simply to eliminate having to sanitize another bucket for extra water. In terms of price I can get a keg with the top cut out for about $110 shipped, or I can get a 9 gallon pot with a thermometer and spigot with valve installed for $130 shipped (although at that price I have no idea what quality is). If I decide to move to all grain down the road would it be more useful to have the keg (I have seen a bunch of false floor and accesories)?

thanks all

Cheese, you have a twisted mind.................................

Sam's Club has an awesome 6 gallon stainless pot that I use for full boils. It was about $45. Weighs a ton. Boils great and cools quickly in a bath tub...

Later!