Brew pot advice

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mikfire

mikfire

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I want to purchase a proper boil kettle, probably Stainless Steel but I am open to suggestions of Al. Given the cost of the pot plus the burner, SWMBO will allow me to purchase this once. Whatever pot I purchase will need to be good enough for at least the next decade.

I am currently an extract brewer but fully expect to go full-grain once I understand more of what I am doing. I am the primary and almost exclusive consumer of my beer, so I don't see any need to do more than a 5 gal. batch.

How large a pot should I purchase and does anybody have a decent recommendation on what I should get?

Thanks,
Mik
 
I'd aim for a minimum 10 gallons if you intend to do 5 gallon AG batches at some point down the road.

InstaWares is an excellent place to shop for aluminum stockpots.
 
if you are even the littlest bit handy don't count out a keggle. After almost pulling the trigger on the AHS 10 gal. economy pot I decided to try my hand at making a keggle. I just did it yesterday and all it took was a $20 Craigslist keg and about 30 minutes to measure, cut and clean up the cut. I haven't put a ball valve on yet but I plan on using my autosiphon for a couple batches until I get around to it. So I expect to pay under $50 for my homemade 13 gal (50L keg) stainless steel boiling pot complete with ball valve and pickup tube.

A steal when compared to both comparable aluminum and stainless steel pots.
 
We really need a price range....

For me, I believe the BoilerMaker from Blichmann fits the bill the best. It is actually a rather good deal when you add up the lid, the sight glass, the thermometer, and the ball valve. I would suggest you get the 15g because you will likely want to go to 10g batches eventually even if you don't think you will now. Plus you can always do a 5g batch in a 15g kettle but you can't do a 10g batch in a 10g kettle. If you are keeping it for a decade, get the best.
 
Make sure it is Stainless Steel. When aluminum gets hot, it can (not always) but put bad things into the beer.
 
histo320 said:
Make sure it is Stainless Steel. When aluminum gets hot, it can (not always) but put bad things into the beer.
Click to expand...

What? Bad things?

Aluminum is a perfectly acceptable brew pot. The only "special" care needed is boiling water to build up an oxide layer and washing with non caustic and a sponge/washcloth to avoid removing the oxide layer. Aluminum also dings easier that stainless.

That's pretty much it.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/faq-aluminum-pots-boil-kettles-49449/
 
histo320 said:
Make sure it is Stainless Steel. When aluminum gets hot, it can (not always) but put bad things into the beer.
Click to expand...

Absolutely untrue. Even John Palmer says the use of aluminum kettles in the homebrew setting can be beneficial, due to the better heat transfer aluminum provides over stainless. The only way you could put a ding in my aluminum kettle is with a baseball bat, and that would probably dent the bat before it dented the kettle.
 
Before the whole flame war starts over AL or SS, may I just say bigger is better. Choices will be limited by the budget and current capabilities. (You could get a 20 gal pot but not be able to use it if your brewing on an electric stove).
10 gal is great for 5 gal batch's, 15 gal is minimum for 10 gal batches. From there, you just need to find the best deal you can get.
+1 on the Blickman(?) pots, when I dream of being able to cook outside I look at those.
 
I've been considering the Blichman 15 gallon myself, but for only $30 more, I could upgrade to the 20 gallon. If only aspiring to do big 5 gallon beers and possibly the occasional 10 gallon batch, any reason to go to the 20? Also, if only boiling 5 gallons in a 20 gallon Blichman, will the thermometer probe actually be in the wort?
 
Boerderij Kabouter said:
We really need a price range....
Click to expand...

I would like to throw something off like "Money is no object", but I am thrifty and SWMBO is Sicilian. I am willing to spend the money for a top quality piece of equipment that will last me a decade or two.

I just don't get the option to spend it twice, so I want to make sure I spend it well.
 
cyberbackpacker said:
They do end up having the best deals over anyone after shipping/handling is included (versus waresdirect, instawares, or the site linked above).
Click to expand...
You linked to their medium weight pots. They list the heavy weight as 6mm (.236) wall thickness, but don’t list the wall thickness on the medium. Do you happen to know what it is?
 
I own a 20 gallon Blichmann Boilermaker and love it. My previous kettle was a 15 gallon SS pot, but that size really isn't big enough for 10 gallon batches. Boil overs are a major problem with that size. I know that if you have just 5 gallons in the 20 gallon kettle it will not reach to the thermometer (6 or 7 gallons is minimum). If you are planning to brew for the next decade, the 20 gallon Boilermaker is what you want since its almost inevitable that you'll upgrade to 10 gallon batches before long. But if you think you will be brewing 5 gallon batches for the foreseeable future, than a 10 gallon kettle is the way to go.
 
Don't forget to ask around friends and coworkers. You would be surprised what people have sitting around in storage that they just want an excuse to get rid of. I got a 15gal aluminum pot from a coworker that she got as a wedding present ten years ago. I asked her how much - she said "take it, its just using up space".
 
AnOldUR said:
You linked to their medium weight pots. They list the heavy weight as 6mm (.236) wall thickness, but don’t list the wall thickness on the medium. Do you happen to know what it is?
Click to expand...

All NSF Medium Weight aluminum pots are a standardized size- 4mm. So anytime you see a "medium weight" it will be 4mm, and all "Heavy Weight" are 6mm.
 
I had some concerns about the Boilermaker as I posted previously. So I emailed them and got a prompt response from John Blichmann himself that was very helpful. I've never done any business with Blichmann, but I'm impressed by the promptness and the information contained in his response.

I asked:

I'm trying to choose between the 15 and 20 gallon Boilermaker. My concern is regarding the height of the thermometer. How much volume (gallons) of wort does it take to submerge the thermometer probe for these two sizes? I'm worried that the 20 gallon thermometer may not be effective when brewing 5 gallon batches.

His response:

The 20gal would be way too big for a 5gal batch. The thermometer is at 4.5/6.5/8.5 gal on the 10/15/20 gal respectively. So if you intend to do 5gal batches, you're going to sacrifice on reading the thermometer with a larger pot. Probably the best compromise would be a 15 gal. We have the thermometer as low as it can go and clear the valve when rotated, and high enough to avoid getting overheated from the burner.

Sincerely,

John Blichmann
Blichmann Engineering, LLC
 
cyberbackpacker said:
All NSF Medium Weight aluminum pots are a standardized size- 4mm. So anytime you see a "medium weight" it will be 4mm, and all "Heavy Weight" are 6mm.
Click to expand...

I asked that very question a couple of day ago and this was the response...

The medium weight 60 and 80 qt pots are 4.75mm. However, for smaller or larger pots the mm will vary dependent on the size of the pot.
I know that we have several customers who have used these pots for brewing beer as well and have been happy with the outcome.
Please don't hesitate to contact us any time.
Sincerely,
Audrey
[email protected]
Restaurant Supply House Home Page


tom
 
millstone that is interesting. In my experience from the restaurant biz 4mm was the standard for "medium weight". However, I also am open to believe that there is probably a range near 4mm that will satisfy the "medium weight" classification; 3 7/8"mm, 4 1/8" mm, etc.

From experience however, and for homebrew purposes, any pot will most likely be 20qts or more, and if even only 3mm, will be quite stout and handle the abuse of most all homebrewers IMO.
 
keelanfish said:
I had some concerns about the Boilermaker as I posted previously. So I emailed them and got a prompt response from John Blichmann himself that was very helpful. I've never done any business with Blichmann, but I'm impressed by the promptness and the information contained in his response.

I asked:

I'm trying to choose between the 15 and 20 gallon Boilermaker. My concern is regarding the height of the thermometer. How much volume (gallons) of wort does it take to submerge the thermometer probe for these two sizes? I'm worried that the 20 gallon thermometer may not be effective when brewing 5 gallon batches.

His response:

The 20gal would be way too big for a 5gal batch. The thermometer is at 4.5/6.5/8.5 gal on the 10/15/20 gal respectively. So if you intend to do 5gal batches, you're going to sacrifice on reading the thermometer with a larger pot. Probably the best compromise would be a 15 gal. We have the thermometer as low as it can go and clear the valve when rotated, and high enough to avoid getting overheated from the burner.

Sincerely,

John Blichmann
Blichmann Engineering, LLC
Click to expand...

wow! Impressive customer service. I have a 5 gal SS cheapo brew pot now and I'm looking to upgrade. It sounds like the 15gal Blichmann might be the ticket for me as well, as I plan on brewing for the foreseeable future and expect to get into Full Boils, All Grain, and potentially 10 Gal Batches in the near future.

Thanks for the great info!
 
I'll chime in with a couple of extra points to consider:

If you want a pot for doing both 5 and 10 gal brews, the 15 gal/60 qt pot is your best compromise. 15 gals is a bit tight for a 10 gal brew, but you can easily solve any concerns about boil-overs if you spend a few bucks on foam control drops. That stuff is absolute MAGIC.

Second, one of the biggest considerations for a boil kettle is the material of the base of the pot. Aluminum, copper-sandwich, or aluminum-sandwich are the best. They facilitate even distribution of heat, faster boils, and less concern with scorching. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but the Blichman kettle has a plain (and thin -- 18 gauge) base right? That's the big turn-off for me. Otherwise, those are nicely outfitted kettles.
 
Thanks for all the information. It has helped me settle one of the larger questions -- how large a pot. I have to admit I was already tempted by the Blichmann pots and wanted to make certain is was a good value.

I will be trying to talk SWMBO into a Blichmann 15 gal pot. Wish me luck :)

Mik
 
FlyGuy said:
Second, one of the biggest considerations for a boil kettle is the material of the base of the pot. Aluminum, copper-sandwich, or aluminum-sandwich are the best. They facilitate even distribution of heat, faster boils, and less concern with scorching. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but the Blichman kettle has a plain (and thin -- 18 gauge) base right? That's the big turn-off for me. Otherwise, those are nicely outfitted kettles.
Click to expand...

This is very true for most cooking applications. However, we are not talking about a sauce or rue or any highly viscous liquid. Heat transfer throughout the heating and boiling wort is good and the liquid moves around the pot a lot. For this reason, a thick walled bottom doesn't really do any good for boil kettles. Instead of the pot supplying the even heat surface via a aluminum core, the wort evens the heat out by convection. This is how the Blichmann can afford to have so many upgraded features at a similar price to other BKs. I think this is the best choice.

From the horse's mouth:
Do I need a Clad Bottom

Clad bottoms are great for cooking viscous foods like spaghetti, gravies etc, especially on an electric stove. Since these foods don't convect like thinner liquids (like beer wort) scorching is more likely. With the full rolling boil of a wort boil, and the use on a gas/propane burner, scorching is not an issue even on the lightest worts. We have thoroughly tested the BoilerMaker pots on high BTU burners with very light beers (Koelsch, Pils etc) and experienced no discoloration or scorching whatsoever. While the clad bottoms look impressive, they add cost, but no real benefit to the brewer. Since we designed these pots from a clean sheet, we added cost only where it added specific benefits to the brewer. The stepped bottom, quality level gauge, adjustable BrewMometer, and snap-in dip tube are a few examples.
Click to expand...
 
This is interesting.

Since (for right now at least) I'm only doing partial boils, and I'm not particularly interested in a built in thermometer (because my Polder digital with the clip is fine), and I don't need a clad bottom, I should probably just buy the cheapest 5 gallon pot I can find. Stainless, probably, but that's not a big deal either.

Hmm . . .
 
Boerderij Kabouter said:
This is very true for most cooking applications. However, we are not talking about a sauce or rue or any highly viscous liquid. Heat transfer throughout the heating and boiling wort is good and the liquid moves around the pot a lot. For this reason, a thick walled bottom doesn't really do any good for boil kettles. Instead of the pot supplying the even heat surface via a aluminum core, the wort evens the heat out by convection. This is how the Blichmann can afford to have so many upgraded features at a similar price to other BKs. I think this is the best choice.
Click to expand...
Perhaps this is a reasonable trade-off for many people, particularly for those brewing all grain on gas-fired systems. But I disagree with the manufacturer's assertion that the pot bottom is of no concern. If you are an extract brewer (particularly if using viscous liquid extracts), or if you are trying to boil on a stovetop, or you have a weak gas burner that takes a long time to get up to boil temps, the base of the pot will have a substantial impact on your brewing experience. But I do agree that scorching is a relatively minor concern that can be mitigated.
 
Is the thermometer on the Blichman removable? Could you remove it and put in a plug for smaller batches and then re-install for larger batches?
 
Boerderij Kabouter said:
No offense to Forrest... but...

the cheapest place to get a Blichmann is from your LHBS. No shipping, no waiting and and you pay the same price for the item.
Click to expand...

That depends on what the shipping cost is and your local sales tax rate. If I bought the 15g locally for $369 I'd have to pay .0875 on the dollar for sales tax = $32.29 in sales tax. That's the AHS price. I have no idea what my LHBS sells them for.

I'm not saying your wrong, just that it depends.
 
If money weren't an issue, I would have definitely gone with a Blichmann kettle with false bottom and all that. Since it was, i went with a keggle and haven't been disappointed. It works out well with the valve I installed...
 
I am about to order a new brew kettle from a grilling website and they have either a 62qt or an 82 qt stainless steel kettle. I do 5 gallon batches but I want to be able to do some 10 gallon batches, is an 82 qt pot too large for 5 gallon batches?

Here is the website, I think its really cheap (82 qt ss for $156 shipped)
Bayou Classic Stainless Steel Stockpot - 82 Qt : BBQ Guys

Cheers,
Marc
 

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