Copper Brew Kettles

I have done some research on copper kettles and how the copper imparts certain favors into the beer during the brewing process. I know that it is hard to keep clean and can be expensive. Some breweries still use copper equipment just like the breweries of the past. Does anyone know where to get a copper brew kettle? Maybe just like a 6-6.5 gal?

If it is only the flavor of copper you are interested in, my opinion is the tradeoff is not worth it. My understanding is that copper was used in the good ol days because of it's good heat transfer properties. You can get an excellent stainless steel stock pot with a sandwiched copper bottom that will provide super even heat distribution without the maintenance difficulties of copper (tarnish etc.) I remember something about you need to keep the inside surface of a copper boiler seasoned in some way too but not sure about that. Stainless steel is the standard for a reason.

This does not take into consideration the cool factor of course. Anchor Steam's brewhouse is to drool for. But someone gets paid to clean it!

I was also going for the authenticity portion as well. Kind of like brewing a beer that is utterly and completely organic or using wooden barrels as fermenters to get the taste of the wood. I am interested in those types of things and it definitely is the "cool" factor haha!

Read up on using wooden barrels. They are an enormous maintenance task, not to mention expensive. You will get a taste all right, very possibly the taste of acetobacter! If you leave out the hops you may well have a fine malt vinegar, delicious on fish and chips! Having said that, I have a brewing book written in the 1820s and from nearly 200 years distance it seems pretty cool. Of course the brewing day starts at 4 am with the building of the fire beneath the "copper back" (mash water tank) and ends at 10 pm with the scrubbing of the vats with pumice stone......

I'm aware that they are a huge risk and require maintenance. Just like a plastic bucket with scratches, it is near impossible to correctly
Clean and sanitize them. Again, authenticity and cool factor.

Here ya go: Copper Kettle ~6.5gal Check the price and you'll see why nobody uses copper.

http://www.caldwellmtncopper.com/CopperGallery.htm

There ya go. But I'm with the rest when they say this may be more headache than cool. But if your successful you can come back here and give us a big I told you so! Have fun.

Boiling copper imparts certain nutrients into your wort that are important for yeast. This is one of the benefits of using copper. The most cost-effective way to get this benefit in a homebrew setting though is to use a stainless steel (or aluminum) pot and boil a copper immersion chiller in the last 15 or so minutes of the boil. That's really all you need.

Thank you all. That price is crazy! I think I'll stay away from that until I make a few extra more
Dollars than I need haha. I appreciate the help.

Backporchbrewery said:

Here ya go: Copper Kettle ~6.5gal Check the price and you'll see why nobody uses copper.

Click to expand...

Wow! I bet if Mitt Romney were a home brewer he'd have a half-dozen of these! ;-)

mrrshotshot said:

http://www.caldwellmtncopper.com/CopperGallery.htm

There ya go. But I'm with the rest when they say this may be more headache than cool. But if your successful you can come back here and give us a big I told you so! Have fun.

Click to expand...

That apple butter kettle is gorgeous, no doubt!

It most definitely is. Maybe someday I will be able to get one. That will be once I am a little more seasoned and have a few brews under my belt. ;p that and using wooden barrels haha