ThirstyHobbit
Active Member
Hey- What size brew pot would I need to for full volume boil for doing all- grain? I'm going to brew my first all-grain this week!!! So Excited!
brew pot size
- Thread starter ThirstyHobbit
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Assuming you're doing 5 gallons, use an 8-gal pot.
WBC
Well-Known Member
If you can afford it I would buy a 15 to 20 gallon pot right off. It's better to have more space than you need to stop boilover. 10 to 12 gallon batches can fit in the 15 gallon pot.
I do strictly 5 gallon batches and my 10 gallon stainless pot (Mega-Pot) has been great. Although I just put together a Rye Pale Ale recipe that calls for a 90 minute boil and my calculations put me at 9 1/2 gallons in the kettle ( I lose nearly 2 gallons an hour during boil). That's cutting it too close so I had to scale the recipe down. If I had to do it over, I'd get a bigger pot, maybe 12 or 15 gallons. The problem I have is that mine is stainless steel and very wide so it's a beast to carry when it is filled with wort, can't imagine trying to carry a 15 gallon SS pot. My back has been hating me on brew days......
wildwest450
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Go 15 or go home, you'll thank me later.
abracadabra
Well-Known Member
Buy the biggest pot you can afford. I'm currently looking at a 30 gal unit.
And yes you can do a 5 gal boil (6 gal to start) in an 8 gal pot or a 10 gal (12 gal to start) in a 15 gal pot but you better be prepared to watch it like a hawk with a mist sprayer in hand.
And yes you can do a 5 gal boil (6 gal to start) in an 8 gal pot or a 10 gal (12 gal to start) in a 15 gal pot but you better be prepared to watch it like a hawk with a mist sprayer in hand.
Brew-boy
Well-Known Member
I use a 9.5 gallon for my 5 gallon batches. I will sparge to 8-8.25 gallons and boil to 6.5 beacuse I leave one gallon behind. I am at the border line for this and boil overs if I do not watch it. I would say go bigger if you can.
Glubki
Well-Known Member
I use an 8.75 gallon pot but I only brew beers with a maximum grain bill of 11 lbs.
sirsloop
Well-Known Member
40qt is the way to go...
schristian619
Well-Known Member
I do 5 gal batches and have a 10 gal pot. I would reccomend you get larger than 10 gals if money allows you to. I have to watch it like a hawk once it gets boiling, especially when doing 90 min boils. I'm looking to get a 20 gal soon.
I have a 25g pot that is great for 10-15 gallons, but terrible for 5 gallon batches. The boil off rate is ridiculous with such a high surface area to volume ratio. I finally broke down and bought a separate 12 gallon pot for doing 5 gallon batches.
KopyKat
Well-Known Member
I used a 8 gallon pot for a couple of years but always regretted it. I now have a 10.5 gallon polar ware and it is prefect for 90 minute boils. I could just barely get by with the 8 gallon for 60 minute boils.
I wouldn't go larger unless you are planning to make 10 gallon batches. Even then, it wouldn't hurt to get a 10 now and a 20 later on. IMO a 15 is not big enough for double batches on a long vigorous 90 minute boil for pils malt and evaporation loss on a 5 gallon batch in a 20 gallon pot is excessive. Now if you do 10 gallon batches and only occasionally do a 5 gallon batch, I would get a 20 gallon pot.
It's a case where size matters!
I wouldn't go larger unless you are planning to make 10 gallon batches. Even then, it wouldn't hurt to get a 10 now and a 20 later on. IMO a 15 is not big enough for double batches on a long vigorous 90 minute boil for pils malt and evaporation loss on a 5 gallon batch in a 20 gallon pot is excessive. Now if you do 10 gallon batches and only occasionally do a 5 gallon batch, I would get a 20 gallon pot.
It's a case where size matters!
dontman
Well-Known Member
Heh heh. Good to see that once again we have a consensus. 15 responses and I honestly did not know there were 15 different size brew kettles.Personally I have a 41 3/8 qt kettle and I think it is the only way to go.
Yankeehillbrewer
Well-Known Member
I would say go with the biggest one you can afford. I have a 30 quart and am constantly boiling over and am not able to boil as hard as I need to. I'm looking at going to a 36 or 40 quart. You can get either size from Bayou Classic for 100-120 bones. Not sure if they are the best or not, but it's one of many options. Try this link, you sould be able to get to all the other sizes from there...
Stainless Steel Stock Pots, 36 Quart Stainless Steel Stock Pot
Stainless Steel Stock Pots, 36 Quart Stainless Steel Stock Pot
Yankeehillbrewer
Well-Known Member
I was just looking at that link and they have a 44 quart SS Stock Pot for $90. Guess I should double my info before I post it:cross:
larrybrewer
Well-Known Member
If you ever want to do 10 gallon batches get the 15 gallon now. Make sure it has a ball valve on it so you can drain it directly into your fermenter after cooling. That makes life a lot easier.
KopyKat
Well-Known Member
Oh, but there are more than 15 and I didn't know there was a 41 3/8 size!
8 gallons is a little too small for 5 gallon batches, IMHO. I think a 15 gallon pot is a great compromise for doing both 5 and 10's. It's not too big for a five where the wort drops below your thermometer (if you have one installed) nor too heavy, and it's big enough for a ten when you eventually feel the urge to do a larger batch.
I started with an 8 and while it's done a great job I've had to really watch the boil. When you start with 6.5 gallons on your way to 5, you don't have much margin for boil overs.
The initial price difference is not that great but rebuying a pot will be.
Edit: Here's what I recently upgraded to. At the time, MoreBeer had 30% off on this pot. I've since added a thermometer.
http://morebeer.com/view_product/8423//Heavy_Duty_Brew_Kettle_-_With_Ball_Valve_60_Quart_15_Gallon
I started with an 8 and while it's done a great job I've had to really watch the boil. When you start with 6.5 gallons on your way to 5, you don't have much margin for boil overs.
The initial price difference is not that great but rebuying a pot will be.
Edit: Here's what I recently upgraded to. At the time, MoreBeer had 30% off on this pot. I've since added a thermometer.
http://morebeer.com/view_product/8423//Heavy_Duty_Brew_Kettle_-_With_Ball_Valve_60_Quart_15_Gallon
+1 I have a 15 gal heavy-walled aluminum pot. No worries about boilovers with a 5 gallon batch, good boil off rate, and, with such a big diameter, no scorching! I seldom stir the wort while it is boiling.
chemist308
Well-Known Member
I remember when I came here last year asking people to tell me my 6 gallon pot was okay. Fortunately for me, they all said it wouldn't work. Thankyou folks, because I needed to hear that message as consistently as you all told me.
I went for a 9 gallon stainless pot. I sparge a lot and find myself not far from the top. No boilovers so far. I'm very happy with it. If I had it all to do over again, I'd consider aluminum for the heat transfer. But I got it here:
bayouclassic-stainless
They also have every manner of aluminum pot as well:
bayouclassic-aluminum
As far as transfering to and from the mash tun and pot, I use a length of silicon tubing and just siphon from one to the other.
I went for a 9 gallon stainless pot. I sparge a lot and find myself not far from the top. No boilovers so far. I'm very happy with it. If I had it all to do over again, I'd consider aluminum for the heat transfer. But I got it here:
bayouclassic-stainless
They also have every manner of aluminum pot as well:
bayouclassic-aluminum
As far as transfering to and from the mash tun and pot, I use a length of silicon tubing and just siphon from one to the other.
