Wort chiller,water cooler bottle and propane burner

Hello all,can I please get some opinions on:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002NZNJG2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

and

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000291GBQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

as upgrades for a regular 20 qt pot?should I might as well go for a bigger pot?I don't really see myself brewing bigger batches or away from extract soon,but since these can help now and be kept for later use(maybe the chiller not so much)I figured might as well.

Also,I've been thinking of using your regular 5 gallon water cooler jug as a bottling bucket.I've read threads on using as primary and secondary,which point out oxygen permeability and off-flavors,but that won't matter in the hour or 2 it takes to bottle.Has anybody tried this?And do you think these bottles will keep flavors/be hard to clean/etc?

Last question,anything wrong with letting the priming sugar+water mix cool down before using it?just curious.

Thanks.

Hi Here. It sounds like you are currently doing partial boils (3-4 gallons) in your five gallon pot. If you are going to continue to do that, I don't think you probably need an immersion chiller - an ice bath and cool top-off water probably cools your wort down pretty quickly, at least that was my experience.

The chiller is really necessary when you do full boils (6.5 gallons for a five gallon batch, including boil-off). I think the chiller you linked to looks fine. Its not huge and won't do the job super quick, but it will do the job just fine.

The stove looks fine, i know others here have used it with good success. I use a similar stove by the same company - the Bayou SQ-14 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009JXYQ4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 I like it because it has a big base and holds my brew kettle securely. I've had good luck with it, fwiw.

Again, if you are doing partial boils, do you need a big propane stove? When I did those, my regular old kitchen stove worked just fine with less hassle.

As for a bottling bucket, I think using one with a spigot (that you attach a hose and bottling wand to) is a good investment. Having the right equipment (spring-loaded bottling wand, vinator, bottle tree) makes bottling go much easier and hassle-free.

Hope this is helpful!

Edit: I didn't notice your last question - yes, in fact you should let your priming solution cool down to room temperature before adding it to the beer.

Some helpful reassurance.I read somewhere that full boils are much better for your wort than partials,so that's what I want to start doing.Apparently for that,I'll need a bigger pot (which are pricey).Ah,maybe later.Also,I didn't know that about the solution.Will keep that in mind,thanks!

That's right, Here. To do a full boil, you would need a pot big enough to hold 6.5 gallons, allowing for 1.5 gallons to boil off, an 8 gallon pot is large enough for that.

I (and many many others) have brewed great extract beers, using both partial and full boils. You can acquire equipment as piece by piece, over time and according to your budget, and you'll make *great* beer in the meantime! Cheers!

I've been thinking all day about getting the 8 gallon pot.At first,I was afraid of rendering my 5gal pot useless,but after watching the easy stove top partial mash tutorial,I no longer worry about that.