Lucked into a 100 gallon kettle

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SurferMatt

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So has luck has it i was gifted a 100 gallon kettle from a guy who knows a guy who was getting rid of it. Unfortunately I have no idea how to heat something this size. Its shielded on the bottom and he clearly used a burner. I have several large propane tanks available to use but I have no idea how powerful of a burner I would need to achieve a boil in an appropriate amount of time. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to use and where to get it?
 
Probably just over two barrels. id like to do a little more than i want to finish with so as to include the general losses through the process. Hope you can help
 
SurferMatt said:
Probably just over two barrels. id like to do a little more than i want to finish with so as to include the general losses through the process. Hope you can help
Click to expand...

60 gallons is allot of beer to heat, cool, pitch, ferment and bottle/keg ...well that's something like 675 bottles ....or 6 corney kegs....yikes ..

Good luck . You will need a big burner 225k + btu
 
thou shall not covet, thou shall not covet... that is certainly lucked into! how big have you been going previous to this score? what kind and how much fermenter space do you possess?
 
SurferMatt said:
would 225k btu's be enough? or is it leaning more towards the plus side?
Click to expand...

It would depend on several different factors , I would start there . I have a friend who makes 40 gallons in a 60 gallon kettle ( 225k), he also has a forklift and a cold cellar at his farm . The main issue is probably fermentation in a single vessel . 60 gallons weighs in at nearly 500lbs, not to be lifted around( without a forklift or the like ) , so you will need piping and a large fermenter. I can be done, don't be discouraged. but you will need pumps, a cooling/heating source to control temps...etc

If I was in your shoes, I would do it, you just need space to build an almost professional brewery. I would sugguest considering a plastic fermenter, because of cost mostly ( check out US plastics, maybe 2 40 gallon conicals) would be more manageable.

If you have the means and desire, go for it . and post some pictures of that monster kettle, we all like to be jealous;)
 
SurferMatt said:
So has luck has it i was gifted a 100 gallon kettle from a guy who knows a guy who was getting rid of it. Unfortunately I have no idea how to heat something this size. Its shielded on the bottom and he clearly used a burner. I have several large propane tanks available to use but I have no idea how powerful of a burner I would need to achieve a boil in an appropriate amount of time. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to use and where to get it?
Click to expand...

I would say steam would be the most efficient. You may want to check with our resident expert Kladue on how to implement steam for a mash and boil.
 
I boil 55 gallons using two sq-14 burners mounted into one stand. Once it starts boiling it only takes one at half heat to hold it.
3-4 will work but you will go thru an asston of LP
 
Unless it's meant to be somewhat portable, I'd recommend plumbing it as natural gas or get yourself a 100lb propane tank. A triplet of hurricane burners sounds about right. The real question is where are you going to mash?
 
Bobby_M said:
Unless it's meant to be somewhat portable, I'd recommend plumbing it as natural gas or get yourself a 100lb propane tank. A triplet of hurricane burners sounds about right. The real question is where are you going to mash?
Click to expand...

Bobby_M is really right about the 100lb propane tank. I brew 55 gallons but the burner I use pulls on the little bottle so hard it freezes the tank! Once, the ground was wet and the tank froze to the ground. I was amazed!


I still would love to hear what the op is going to do about storage.
 
I would imagine it would have to be a counter flow chiller, plate, or both?!
 
Okay time for the full story. I've been collecting various tanks for a few years from guys who give up brewing and what have you. During this time I've been a free laborer at brewery trying to learn as much as I can. Well the kettle was the last piece of the puzzle and I'm now starting a small brewery. I have just finished re purposing the building and I'm now doinggthe final piping. Unfortunately the burner thing has been something I've been unable to figure out for two weeks now. Ill post pictures of everything when get off work
 
If you are trying to go nano-brewery and get your beer out and about in kegs, I know of a source where you can (maybe could at this point, I don't know the current status) pin-locks for cheap ($10/ea or less) so 12 or less per batch wouldnt be too hard if you got something like 200 or so of them. PM me if you want more info.

http://twitter.com/Healdsbrew This guy has been doing a nano-brewery, he's on here too but I'm not sure how active.
 
So here's the system set up
HLT at 75 gallons
Mash tun at 100 gallons
Kettle at 100 gallons
Glycol chilling unit
Plate heat exchanger
2x 40gallon conical fermenter
2x 80 gallon slanted bottom fermenter
80 gallon conical

And one spare bare tank, either open fermentation or cold liquor tank?
 
ive been looking for used equipment like that, your lucky to just get it handed down. i need to become friends with a person who own a brewery whos gettin out of the buisness. ima start looking...
 
here is the mash tun (really not that amazing)
2irkxax.jpg


and the kettle
2q8nhg8.jpg


now the bottom of the kettle is set up for burners and i just checked the capacity of the propane tanks I have right outside that building. 2 tanks at 284 pounds a piece. Has anyone done something this big with a single burner or is that just out of the question? I'd imagine several strong burners would probably produce a more even heat anyway.
Does 300k btu's sound like an appropriate target number?

Thanks again everybody for your interest and insight
 
The thing I don't like about the mash tun is the manway. Its really small. Pulling the spent grain through it is quite a chore
 

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