Beginning Brewers Opinions Needed!

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We're looking to expand; smaller ;)

Our 10 gallon size is currently the smallest we offer. We get requests for smaller kettles but we're wondering what the market is like.

So our question is... What size would you (as the beginning brewer) be most interested in? And what price would you be willing to pay for a kettle with 1 or 2 welded in couplers for valve and thermo?

Thanks! :mug:

-SB
 
I started brewing on a 20qt canning pot. Paid about $20 for it; used it for partial boils and extract brewing. Your selection looks good for doing 5 gallon brews with a 10 gallon pot. If you were to do a intro level perhaps a 20qt with the mentioned above thermo and valve. I would estimate around $50-80.

The biggest problem is that new brewers often do not know what they are looking for. If I knew then what I know now I would have started with at least an 8 gallon with a bulk head on it. Have you thought about a BIAB setup for the new brewers? 2-3 gallon batches?

My .02

-BBS
 
We're looking for opinions on everything to cater to the new brewers. There isn't much out there. We have our of our welding done here in the states which isn't cheap. An 8gal kettle would be close to $100. We're trying to figure out if there is a market for new brewers and the smaller kettles.
 
SB,
As a noobie without any prior knowledge of the hobby two months ago, I scanned the options for the equipment needed. The info came from brew store and user forum web sites. I shopped some on the internet and homed in on a kit with reasonable cost that included a lot of tools needed. A $125 cost was in range for me. I had read many stories of bottle bombs, so I bought some of the heavy duty flip top style bottles and the total was near $200 including bottles.

It never really occurred to me at the time that the brew pot was a major necessity. I looked over the brew pots at the store and thought - that is more than I need and will take me into the uncomfortable cost zone. Had prices for a nice stainless pot been somewhere in the $60 range, I would have grabbed one.

The pot that I am using is 30 qt stainless and a bit big for the stove. It works satisfactorily with my big burner on the gas stove. A better pot for me would be 20 qt with an anti-scald base. Couplers and thermometer would not be a requirement for me as a beginning kitchen extract brewer.
jethro
 
I think price is the most important consideration of a new brewer like me. I like the idea of a drain and a thermometer, for instance, but I believe many new brewers will see that as of questionable necessity for a first pot. For a first pot, I'd target an 8-ish gallon inexpensive vessel with not fittings. That will allow full boils for the new guy.
 
I think a lot of new brewers are doing stove top boils. Most home stoves will not boil a big volume, so partial boils are what they can do at home. I did a lot of partial mash brews on my stove top in a 5 gal pot, and still do them when the weather is bad and I do not want to brew outside.

Something to consider.
 
I did 4 batches in an old 20qt we had and I would really like a 7.5 to 8 gallon pot with a valve that I can still use for stove top full boils. Would a weldless valve be an option for keeping costs down? You can also ship unassembled for further costs savings (extra gaskets would be nice though).
I would be very interested in one of those if the price is right. I'm not looking for a "cheap" kettle just trying to save money so SWMBO stays happy.
 
I've worked my way up to partial mash,partial boil with the same 5 gallon SS stock pot I got early last year. For biab pm batches,it's just fine. But a temp guage & site glass would be nice. I agree with the weldless fittings idea. That'd save some money. Concidering boil off,though,a 6 or 7 gallon SS BK would be better in my case,as it would allow boiling 4-4.25 gallons. Last time I got 1.25G boil off. So allowing for a bit more wort volume might be nice.
 
After brewing a few batches now I have definitely outgrown my 20qt pot. I finally made the jump to all grain BIAB but am currently limited to 3 gallon batches due to the pot size. An eight gallon pot with a fitting welded on for under 100 would be real nice.
 
I'm just about to start brewing....just waiting for Santa to bring what I put on my list.

I jumped right in to the deep end and will have a 40qt all grain setup. I do half think I maybe should've started with a 20qt kettle and done some BIAB brewing first.

I could see this segment of the market growing in popularity.
 
I am about to start brewing also once Santa arrives.
I think trying to get into the beginner segment will be tough. Most of the sites I've looked at offer some cheap starter pots. I think brewers that are buying the starter kits from these sites would be inclined to buy the pots as well.
The beginners here on HBT; I don't think are regular beginners. We have done more research than other beginners and better know the value of having pots like yours instead of basic pots.
I think there may be a need for 5 to 8 gal pots in the market for people who prefer small batch brewing.
 
The very reason for my reply. Some do small batches in 5 gallon BK's. I do partial boils in mine,whether partial mash biab or partial boil extracts. I've gotten a lot of mileage out of that SS stock pot. But the extra gadgets would've been nice.
 
Thanks for the reply's! A lot of your concerns are ours as well. As for the weldless... We believe the weldless design is inferior to the welded and we will never offer it.

Thanks!

-SB
 
I understand your thinking on the weldless design but you might want to reconsider particularly if your targeting new brewers. Often times when people are trying a new hobby the barrier to entry is the dollar commitment. While the weldless option may be a lesser quality its still a functional design and could be the product that bring customers into the door.

I run a printing company and we do alot of custom orders for people who frankly have no clue. One of the tactics we use that I'm a big proponent of is giving the client 3 options at 3 price points. A good, a better, and a best. People like it and while the sweet spot is almost always the "better" option the business man in me would never want to have a client leave because we couldn't offer them something they cant afford and likewise I wouldn't want to cut into my earning potential by not offering a high end product to the "money is no concern" client.

Just my take on it. Best of luck to you no matter how you decide to proceed.
 
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