new Northern Brewer catalog. megapot 1.2

Who makes the megapot 1.2?

Its looks like a smooth 304 stainless pot with an nice clad bottom. (Not the 18/8 original megapot that does not have a smooth inside)

I would buy it. (Well, from somewhere that's a 100 bucks cheaper)

I've never seen them sold anywhere but NB, but I believe the old ones were produced by Fermentap.

The new model looks pretty sweet but I'm also having a hard time pulling the trigger with that price tag. Will probably just go for a generic kettle instead.

I would either go up with a Blich or something much cheaper. Don't see what special value these provide.

I'm really happy with my Spike Brewing kettle. The ability to customize is a plus.

When I saw the Megapot 1.2 and remembered that the Tall Boy kettle they had introduced not that long ago has been out of stock for a while, I wondered if the new megapot was a replacement for the tall boy. Then I turned a few pages and the tall boy is still in the catalog, and is cheaper than the new megapot. The tall boy doesn't have options for ball valves or anything, and it doesn't have the rubber on the handles. Other than that, and the logo, there doesn't seem to be a huge difference.

Not sure what's up with that.

I contacted NB about the new MegaPot for some info and it's a lot thicker than the Tall Boy kettle. I believe the TB is 1.0mm thick and the 8 & 10 gallon MegaPot 1.2's will have 1.3mm thick sidewalls, and the 15 gallon & up models have 1.5mm.

Also, the original MP were just Update International kettles.

ktblunden said:

I'm really happy with my Spike Brewing kettle. The ability to customize is a plus.

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+1. I got the 15 gal double side-by-side ported one, and love it. TIG welding FTW.

I will give NB a call soon to see if it is 304 or 18/8. A tri-clad 304 stock pot would be nice.

I have a 26 gal. update international pot that I had welder weld a triclover fitting. Its nice but I rather want a smooth 304 SS pot (has to have the clad bottom). 1.5 mm sides sound awesome.

The "scientifically designed" 1.2 proportion is pretty funny.

I have been researching pots out the ass, this one looks almost the same at a way better price. of course it doesn't have the fancy non slip grips or laser etched emblem.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003MYM52C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Except, look at the dimensions on that one. It is wider than it is tall.

It still may be a great pot, but it is different from the 1.2 megapot or the tallboy.

I received my MegaPot 1.2 yesterday and it is really great. The individual gallon marks on the inside are going to come in handy. It is really well made. I cant wait to brew with it this weekend. Let me know if you have any questions.

Are the ball valve and therm ports welded or just drilled?

I got mine without any fittings. However I did ask about them and the pot comes pre-drilled and you need to install the weldless fittings yourself. Its actually cheaper to buy the pot, then get the fittings from bargainfittings.com and install yourself

Sigh. I was so excited for the 30 gallon pot, but I'm not $400 excited for weldless fittings.

Guess I'll have to resort to my welding buddy to see what he can do.

Waffle time!
If I purchased the drilled and weldless fitting pot couldn't I hire a dude down the line to weld some ports on to it?

Not to boast, but I've got enough money that the ease factor is worth it to me. I know how frugal we are around here, but I really like the thickness of the pot and the features. The Spike pots look nice, but doesn't have all the things that I want/need.

o0weno said:

Are the ball valve and therm ports welded or just drilled?

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I emailed them as well about this. Here is the response I received:

"The Megapot 1.2 models utilize two-piece 1/2" NPT ball valves via ball valve/weldless bulkhead assemblies included with each kettle package featuring the valve option. Inside the kettle a 1/2" FPT coupling provides a threaded connection for accessories."

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The 15g morebeer kettle is welded for the same price, but no volume markings. I am already use to the higher boil off rate from the 8g mega pot I have so I can't decide between the two myself. The other nice option is there is a 20g megapot 1.2 to get a little extra boil room, whereas the morebeer kettles jump to 26g.

Has anyone one confirmed the brand, I assume it is probably still Polarware?

Could those of you who have received your pots post up some pics?

What's the finish like? Will the coating on the handles/lid last without peeling or ripping off? Any surprises good or bad?

And are you guys saying that it is drilled for the ball valve but doesn't actually come with one? It says "MegaPot 1.2 Brew Kettle with Ball Valve / Thermometer" nothing about just being pre-drilled. Thanks in advance

I just pulled the trigger on the 30 gallon. I'm going to make it my mission to post some pictures so folks can make a more educated purchase than I did.

Northern Brewer no longer flat rate ships BTW. $29 to ship Giganta-Kettle and his sidekick Giganta-Screen. I'm almost a 1 BBL brewery!

Weldless.... *Sigh* my 15 gallon 1.2 comes later this evening so if no one gets to it first pics can be up tomorrow morning as I leave for work shortly.

I'm still excited for the kettle over all but I assumed the fittings would be welded, my fault for not looking into it but i'm sure it will make a fine kettle reguardless.


Maybe the 1.3 will be welded.... :smack:

I have a 15 gal. Blichmann that is weldless and there hasn't been a single leak. Don't sweat it. We've made a good choice.

So of course what else would I do at 1 am when I got home except un-box my new kettle.

First impressions
-Very nice build quality, really is built like a tank
-sidewall is thick, feels solid
-came with a brewmometer from blichmann
-prepunched holes are nice, center, clean
-comes with NB's stock weldless fitting kit.

Overall: Approved :rockin:

That thing looks great. Awesome pics. What gal marks are the brewmometer and bulkhead at?

dr_finklestein said:

Also, the original MP were just Update International kettles.

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The Update pots are hard to beat for price & quality. My LHBS stocks them & I have an 8 gal HLT & BK that I use for 3 & 4 gal AG batches.
They hear quickly & hold heat very well. Cleanup is also easy.

241 said:

That thing looks great. Awesome pics. What gal marks are the brewmometer and bulkhead at?

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In my "will my stand hold this kettle full" testing I believe the water was covering the thermometer at ~5 gallons, I can check for sure tomorrow morning.

Thank you for the pictures. That confirms the blichmann on the thermometer and that the valve comes with the 1/2" hose barb on it. It's a bummer they only put the volume indicators every 5 gallons, I don't like subtraction. I already ordered the side pickup diptube and such from bargainfittings and the 50' IC. I suppose I will end up getting the 20 gallon version soon now that I have seen more detail.

After more accurately testing;

-Brewmometer prob is submerged at just past 4.5 gallons

-Ball Valve stops draining just below 1 Gallon

crankyx said:

After more accurately testing;

-Brewmometer prob is submerged at just past 4.5 gallons

-Ball Valve stops draining just below 1 Gallon

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Right on, was hoping they didn't go all Blichmann on us 5 gal brewers who use a 15 gal pot with the thermometer above the liquid line. The Blichmann 15 gal has the thermometer at 6.5 gal which might be okay for the boil, but is completely useless for the chill.

Everything points towards this being a great deal. Will keep a few bucks around for when they run holiday sales

Thanks!

I used mine for the 1st time this weekend and I loved it. I had also picked up the DarkStar burner. They are both extremely well built and worth the money!

Thanks for the pics. The inside looks like the regular megapot.

Edit: congrats on your new pot. Plus the slim design is awesome. Great feature

Are the gallon markings painted on, or are they etched into the metal? If painted, I'm wondering how many batches they will stay on there before wearing off.

domepillin said:

Are the gallon markings painted on, or are they etched into the metal? If painted, I'm wondering how many batches they will stay on there before wearing off.

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Just spotted on the megapot reviews (http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/review/product/view/id/100905/):

The graduated markings on the inside aren't laser etched. Painted on? A vigorous scrub and my markings are going to disappear.

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That sucks

Was just on the phone with Northern Brewer about the Megapot 1.2

Stainless Steel grade is 201 and the inner volume marks are etched, though they could not tell me if it was mechanically, chemically or laser etched.

Well, I'm still stuck in between Blichmann and Megapot 1.2, darn, wish I could make my decision.

What's the return policy like on kettles like this? Could you get the cheaper one to see if it meets your standards and return it if it doesn't? Could you still return it after trying it out by brewing a batch of beer?

Just received my megapot 1.2 in the mail this week. Quality is really nice. Looking forward to using it soon. Will post back with a review after I brew next.

I have used mine 4 times now and I think its the best purchase I have made. Very well built and worth the price!

I have used my 1.2 for 4 brews so far with 0 issues. The inner markings have no signs of fading or wear. Excellent product and would recommend to anyone.

I am trying to decide between the 15g and 10g version. I typically do 6 gallon batches with 5.5g going into fermentor. I do like the option of 10-12 gallon batches, but wonder if there are drawback doing 6g batches in 15g kettle. I had two questions 1) I have the normal bayou classic sp10 burner http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000291GBQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20, is this enough to boil the bigger size batches. And 2) Am I going to loose a lot of wort to dead space when doing 6g batches. Just wanted to get an idea of what to expect if I go up in volume.

I brew 8 gallon batches in a regular 26 gal mega pot with no issues. Do a 90 minute boil and take note how much the evaporation rate for the new pot is for 30 minutes and adjust. Sometimes I go beyond 120 because I forget to adjust the numbers in beersmith (due to my setup has zero lost of wort, if I don't adjust I have 2 gallons more wort then needed.

Just a heads up that if you already own a thermometer or ball valve set up you can call Northern Brewer and order the Megapot with precut holes but without the parts. For the ten gallon model the ball valve only cut out is 162.99 and for both holes it is 166.99. Its cheaper to pay 149.99 and drill the holes yourself but then you need a step bit. I figured the precut holes were worth the premium.

I called to order today (Black Saturday) and they even included a free copper wort chiller.