I dont have a large boiling pot.. cut up a keg?

Ive got a couple old dented kegs kicking around, and wanted to do an extract brew (i planned on bottling)

Since i dont have a large stainless pot to boil with... can i just cut the top off an old keg and use that as a makeshift pot? I see people here making "keggles" but im not sure thats necessary for what i want....

Aaron

Hellz yes. Also when, and I say when you make the leap to all grain, you will already have some of the necessary equipment. One of the greatest factors about all grain is the price factor. I did an all grain batch of some awesome IPA with 15 lbs of grain and 3.25 oz of hops for a grand total of $9.28.

But does that $9 price include the yeast?

JohnnyHD said:

But does that $9 price include the yeast?

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I'm assuming it doesn't, but even if the hops were free, that is only $.60/lb for grain which is ultra-cheap no matter how you look at it.

I'm thinking he was missing a "1"... (ie: $19.28).

What kind of keg are you referring to?

Just so we are all clear, I didn't forget the cost of yeast, grain or hops. I purchased 2800 lbs of grain on my last group buy. Direct from the malter, the cost for a lb of grain averages to $0.42 ($6.30). I also bought 220lbs of hops for the group by averaging 7 dollars per lb. That is less than $.50 an ounce for hops ($1.63). The yeast was free from a starter from a previous batch. So in other words $9.28 is the high end of the estimated cost from beersmith. After some quick math, total cost was $7.93 for the batch. Go big or go home. lol

simko said:

Ive got a couple old dented kegs kicking around, and wanted to do an extract brew (i planned on bottling)

Since i dont have a large stainless pot to boil with... can i just cut the top off an old keg and use that as a makeshift pot? I see people here making "keggles" but im not sure thats necessary for what i want....

Aaron

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If your not planning on going all grain then i would just keep an eye out for a cheap SS pot that can hold 3gallons or more. I found one at my local grocery store for like $15, its super cheap and thin but it works. The other down side of just cutting the top off a keg is heating it. You would have to buy a propane burner (dont know if a keg shell would fit on your stove?)

TravisT said:

If your not planning on going all grain then i would just keep an eye out for a cheap SS pot that can hold 3gallons or more.

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Or you could go ahead and use the keg as a boil pot and do extract with full boils instead of partial boils thus improving hop utilization.

jerryalan said:

Or you could go ahead and use the keg as a boil pot and do extract with full boils instead of partial boils thus improving hop utilization.

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very true, and since he already has kegs just laying around that might be his best option. If it were me i would just go ahead and build a true keggle then. If he thinks he might be in this for the long haul. there's lots of great DIY threads on here.

If you've got the keg, might as well cut off the top. At some later date, you can add whatever fittings you may need, but for now, it'll be a real big boil kettle...

Cut the top off the keg and get it over with. It'll be the best thing you've done in a while. I would not wait to add fittings. Find a local shop that will cut the top and weld a ball valve into it. Then you can do 10 gallon full boils and have twice as much beer for the same amount of time.

djsethall said:

After some quick math, total cost was $7.93 for the batch. Go big or go home. lol

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+1 for DJ. Exactly why I'm in the process of stepping up to All Grain, I have a friend who can get me in a bulk buying group also, so I can't wait! If I get anywhere close to 10$ a batch, that would be insane! Nothing could compare to drinking quality brew at $.20 a bottle on a college budget. I'm sure I'll end up spending more than I'd like to on equipment though.