Blichmann Boilermaker Reviews

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MNBugeater

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I have been searching the boards for someone that actually has the new Blichmann Boilermaker kettles/tuns to review and discuss their features, qualities, likes, dislikes, but have not been able to find actual discussion of the product other than drooling of their design or complaining over their price...Both of which seem justified. ;)

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=55153&highlight=blichmann

I hope this thread turns into a review of the Blichmann Boilermaker kettles. I have them on order; a 20 Gallon Brew Kettle with Screen, and a 15 Gallon Mash Tun with False Bottom. Forum member 'korndog' also has 1 or more on order. If anyone else has them on order, or better yet, actually has one in hand already; Could you provide a review on the kettles and performance of the boil screen and/or false bottom, or other features you either like or dislike?

I will follow up as soon as I get them.

MNBugeater
 
:off: Baudette!! nice. roll through there every year on the way to Canada. Love eating at Rosies, the ribs are great!
 
Give me a heads up next time you come through....homebrew on tap. I am good friends with the owners of Rosalies. Ribs arent the best thing on the menu BTW...
 
I noticed in the williams cat. that the bottoms of them are single ply and look thin. http://www.williamsbrewing.com/BOILERMAKER_10_GALLON_FALSE_BO_P2061C251.cfm The 50 gal pot I have is at least a 1/4" thick and tri-ply. And the other thing that I don't care for is the sight glass. It seems like another thing to clean but thats just me. It would be cool to just get what you want for add-ons
When I was looking for a big A@# pot it took me a while to find them so its nice to see them easier to get. I think I may buy one sometime so I'll be watching this thread.
:mug:
 
I have the 15 gallon kettles. They are very nice but I have had trouble with the boil screen clogging. I never had any issues with my Bazooka screen and never used a hop bag. I have had two stuck brews now and will have to use bags in the future. I whirlpooled on knockout as suggested in the instructions, but to no avail. I think the product is simply not designed well for large hop additions directly to the kettle. I am a big fan of Blichmann products.
 
Good info and good to know, korndog.

I am planning my first brew both with the Blichmans and my new brew stand tomorrow. I was hoping for last weekend, but had to postpone until tomorrow.

I'll follow up here with my experiences tomorrow night.

I have the 15 G MT and a 20G Boil kettle. They have the false bottom and boil screen respectively. I am using march pumps to transfer liquid and came up with these dead space amounts.

Mash Tun - I pumped until the hoses were mostly air and I had about 350 mL (~1.5) Cups of liquid remaining.
Boil Kettle - Also pumped until hose was mostly air and remaining liquid was about 1200 mL (< 5 Cups)

I thought this dead space was pretty respectable.
 
I was in the market for a new pot recently, right around the time they came out, and as soon as I saw they had a single ply bottom I didn't even consider them. I ended up going with a 15 gallon Megapot with spigot and thermometer and I could not be any happier, the thing is so beautiful that I get all misty eyed when I look at it. I have some other Blichmann products that I absolutly love, but they really dropped the ball on these pots. They put on a bunch of stuff you don't need and left out the single most important feature on a boil kettle.
 
I am waiting on a 15 Gallon Boilermaker, what is the ETA from time ordered? I am even holding off any more brews until it arrives. Well going to try the Apfelwein today.
 
I was under the impression that having a multi-ply/super thick bottom wasn't really necessary. In theory, it seems beneficial, but in practice I've never heard of anyone having scorching issues using keggles, which would certainly qualify as single-ply (though I don't know how thick that SS is compared with other kettles).

That said, those Blichman kettles do seem quite pricey and come with features not everyone would want (i.e. I have no need for a temp probe on my kettle).
 
I have the 15 gallon kettles. They are very nice but I have had trouble with the boil screen clogging. I never had any issues with my Bazooka screen and never used a hop bag. I have had two stuck brews now and will have to use bags in the future. I whirlpooled on knockout as suggested in the instructions, but to no avail. I think the product is simply not designed well for large hop additions directly to the kettle. I am a big fan of Blichmann products.

Have you emailed John Blichmann about the clogging? I'd like to know his take on it.
 
Have you emailed John Blichmann about the clogging? I'd like to know his take on it.

Hi Ed
I will email John. He is very responsive to questions and should lend some insight. I used bags in my last brew and the kettle drained fine. Prior to that, i have never used hop bags, and always had good luck with my Bazooka screen.

KD
 
That will be good to know. Are you using one to mash in? If so, how are you using it and how do you sparge?
 
That will be good to know. Are you using one to mash in? If so, how are you using it and how do you sparge?

Ed
I bought a kettle with the false bottom as a Mash Tun for my rig. I will be finished with it this week and plan on trying it out this weekend, perhaps. I usually don't sparge, but when I do for larger batches, it is batch style. I look forward to seeing how the innovative false bottom works out.

KD
 
The false bottom works great. I have a 15G MT with false bottom and the 20G boil kettle.

I too had a very small issue at the end of my transfer. I didnt really consider it stuck, but there was a little more left behind that when I calibrated with just water.
 
I was in the market for a new pot recently, right around the time they came out, and as soon as I saw they had a single ply bottom I didn't even consider them. I ended up going with a 15 gallon Megapot with spigot and thermometer and I could not be any happier, the thing is so beautiful that I get all misty eyed when I look at it. I have some other Blichmann products that I absolutly love, but they really dropped the ball on these pots. They put on a bunch of stuff you don't need and left out the single most important feature on a boil kettle.

You really don't need a multi-ply bottom in a kettle like this. A single ply is just more susceptible to hot spots due to "less" even distribution of heat. Considering the type of burners we use and the fact that we arent making a thick soup this isnt an issue. Its even less of an issue with a false bottom.

I've used my two kettles and couldn't be happier with the features. None of which I think are stuff you "don't need".
 
You really don't need a multi-ply bottom in a kettle like this. A single ply is just more susceptible to hot spots due to "less" even distribution of heat. Considering the type of burners we use and the fact that we arent making a thick soup this isnt an issue. Its even less of an issue with a false bottom.

I've used my two kettles and couldn't be happier with the features. None of which I think are stuff you "don't need".

Correct. SS does tends to have hot spots even on multi-ply. I have used copper for cooking for 25 years and nothing distributes heat like it, but of course it's not practical for our purposes. My 100.00 soup pot now sells for $800.00!
 
The false bottom works great. I have a 15G MT with false bottom and the 20G boil kettle.

I too had a very small issue at the end of my transfer. I didnt really consider it stuck, but there was a little more left behind that when I calibrated with just water.

How much did it leave behind? I can't wait to use mine. My weekends are tied up for a while.
 
How much did it leave behind? I can't wait to use mine. My weekends are tied up for a while.


Mash Tun - I pumped until the hoses were mostly air and I had about 350 mL (~1.5) Cups of liquid remaining.
Boil Kettle - Also pumped until hose was mostly air and remaining liquid was about 1200 mL (< 5 Cups)

I thought this dead space was pretty respectable.
 
That said, those Blichman kettles do seem quite pricey and come with features not everyone would want (i.e. I have no need for a temp probe on my kettle).

Well, I guess they aren't selling each kettle for a specific purpose such as boil kettle, mash tun, etc. They sell the pot and you make it what you want by adding a false bottom or boil screen. To me, if ever want to mash in my 20G boil kettle all i have to do is get a new false bottom and you can never have too many thermometers.
 
Well, I guess they aren't selling each kettle for a specific purpose such as boil kettle, mash tun, etc. They sell the pot and you make it what you want by adding a false bottom or boil screen. To me, if ever want to mash in my 20G boil kettle all i have to do is get a new false bottom and you can never have too many thermometers.

That's a good point. More buying options are always a good thing, so I do welcome any new kettles/vessels to the market. Plus, that knockout-style false bottom does seem pretty kickass.

Now, if only there were more buying options for wort pumps (besides March) and burners (besides bayou classic).... I bet Blichmann's already working on engineering better versions of those items specifically for the brewer.
 
Now, if only there were more buying options for wort pumps (besides March) and burners (besides bayou classic).... I bet Blichmann's already working on engineering better versions of those items specifically for the brewer.

:off:
I dont have any personal experience with them, but I'm hearing more and more people using the Little Giant pumps. As far as burners, there is quite a variety.

Hurricane, Multi Jet Style, Torch style, Wok burners...

I use the hurricanes. I like them but they are a little more susceptible to wind.
 
:off:
I dont have any personal experience with them, but I'm hearing more and more people using the Little Giant pumps. As far as burners, there is quite a variety.

Hurricane, Multi Jet Style, Torch style, Wok burners...

I use the hurricanes. I like them but they are a little more susceptible to wind.

I would love to see a hi-temp pump that could generate a REAL whirlpool.
 
Follow up on the Boilermaker Brew Screen.

As korndog stated the clogging of the screen was an issue, I will second that.
I brewed an American Wheat last night with little hops and I had clogging issues. I can't imagine what an IPA would do to this thing.

I will be building a reusable hop bag for tomorrows session.
As of right now, it is my only complaint with the Boilermaker kettles. The false bottom is great, the sites tubes are indispensable, and the brewmometers are a nice affirmation that my probes are accurate and calibrated.

The Brew screen needs some work. It might be fine in a small 5 gallon batch, but its a one size fits all and it isnt sufficient for 10+ gallon batches.
 
The Brew screen needs some work. It might be fine in a small 5 gallon batch, but its a one size fits all and it isnt sufficient for 10+ gallon batches.

So I'm wondering if it's worth the $40 if the darn thing does not work as advertised. That's pretty disappointing.. I was hoping the whirlpool method would work fine with this puppy.
 
So I'm wondering if it's worth the $40 if the darn thing does not work as advertised. That's pretty disappointing.. I was hoping the whirlpool method would work fine with this puppy.

Ed, it might. I think some of the problem is that I have been recirculating through my CFC when I chill. So I imagine that constant draw pulls alot into the boil screen.

Im switching to an immersion chiller this weekend, but I was still planning on recirculation with the pump to create a whilrpool. I may have to change that technique and not pump/recirc anything until I perform a manual whirlpool.
Then draw the wort off into the fermentor.
 
I'm planning to recirculate with my 50' of 1/2" copper immersion chiller, but I intend to remove before attempting to whirlpool.
 
Ed, it might. I think some of the problem is that I have been recirculating through my CFC when I chill. So I imagine that constant draw pulls alot into the boil screen.

Im switching to an immersion chiller this weekend, but I was still planning on recirculation with the pump to create a whilrpool. I may have to change that technique and not pump/recirc anything until I perform a manual whirlpool.
Then draw the wort off into the fermentor.

I brewed a 5 gallon DIPA batch and the screen was so clogged that I actually had a hard time cleaning it. I have not tried gravity draining into a grant. Maybe that would help. For now, I am using hop bags, but am concerned about hop utilization for late additions and whirlpool hops.
 
+1 on cleaning that boil kettle screen. I had to use an old toothbrush to get the hops out of the tight folds in the screen mesh. Difficult indeed. And this was NOT a high hop beer.

Larry--
Did you ever send an email off to John Blichmann as mentioned in a different thread? I wonder what his input would be?
 
+1 on cleaning that boil kettle screen. I had to use an old toothbrush to get the hops out of the tight folds in the screen mesh. Difficult in deed. And this was NOT a high hop beer.

Larry--
Did you ever send an email off to John Blichmann as mentioned in a different thread? I wonder what his input would be?

Not yet. I'll get on it today.
 
So this was my third run with the Blichmanns and really my only complaint has been the boil screen . The mash tun false bottom is great, no stuck sparge, good clean filtering. I was just over 80% efficiency with the latest batch. I have a 20G boil kettle and 15G MT.

The first batch was all pellets, the second was a mix of pellets and whole leaf, and the third yesterday was all whole leaf.

The worst by far was the pellets. I do a recirculation/whirlpool with a pump and this just created a compacted pellet cake around the boil screen that not only left way too much beer behind but took nearly an hour to get clean and involved the use a toothbrush and toothpicks to get all the hop residue from all the tight folds of the mesh.

The pellet/whole leaf was better, but still posed the same problem.

korndog mentioned he had problems in the past also.

I have the 15 gallon kettles. They are very nice but I have had trouble with the boil screen clogging. I never had any issues with my Bazooka screen and never used a hop bag. I have had two stuck brews now and will have to use bags in the future. I whirlpooled on knockout as suggested in the instructions, but to no avail. I think the product is simply not designed well for large hop additions directly to the kettle. I am a big fan of Blichmann products.

This sounds like pellets were the culprit of the clogging and I would second that. This blichmann boil screen is not suited for pellets/pump/recirc. Maybe if you used pellets, manually wirlpooled at knockout, and then siphon/gravity transfer you might be ok, but not with a pump.

Finally, whole hops....either I got lucky or this is the trick.

I brewed Ed's Haus Pale Ale yesterday with a few changes. Sorry Ed, all I had around was some British Ale yeast, so thats what I used.

I also added .5 oz of Cascade at flame out for a total of 4 oz of whole leafs hops for a 10G batch.

2oz - 60
1oz - 30
.5oz - 15
.5oz - 0

I had a totally different experience. Whole hops was the trick. I had no stuck brew/pumping/transfer. In fact even at as the very last bit was being pumped out there was no decrease in flow. I suspect I could probably double the hops and still not have a problem. I will use whole hops now as much as I can, but I also plan on making a hopbag for use with pellets as I know pellets are more available right now.

Here was the end of the boil transfer. The great thing was that the remaining beer was about 1.5 cups which was exactly what I had calibrated it at when I just ran water through it when I first got these new kettles.

HopsBrewKettle.jpg
 
Thanks for the info. It looks like the boils screen is not going to be compatible with an immersion chiller.

That's been my experience Ed. Also in my experience, if you throw a considerable break, even the dip tube has issues. I am going to try a stainless scouring pad over the dip tube next time per John Blichmann's suggestion. If that doesn't work, I will cut the dip tube shorter so that it does not sit in the break.

KD
 
The screen has been an issue with my 15 gallon Blichmann brewpot as well. We've been getting a lot of trub that clogs the screen very quickly.

My friend emailed John Blichmann and received the following reply:
The only trouble with an immersion chiller is getting a strong whirlpool which will settle most of the particulates into the center of the pot….the coil itself kind of impedes this. So, perhaps you can try removing the chiller after cooling and then whirlpool vigorously with a sanitized paddle (which will also help add needed oxygen) then allowing 20min or so for it all to settle. Then drain at a slower rate to prevent disturbing the sediment. Or if you don't want to go through that hassle, use a fine mesh nylon hop bag for your pellet hops. For boil and flavor hops, there is little reduction in utilization rates. Lastly, high protein beers that use significant amounts of wheat or oats are very prone to clogging about any filter, so you may need to skip using the screen for these beers.

I'm going to try the vigorous whirlpool AFTER using the immersion chiller. Is it the immersion chiller that is creating the trub?
 
The screen has been an issue with my 15 gallon Blichmann brewpot as well. We've been getting a lot of trub that clogs the screen very quickly.

My friend emailed John Blichmann and received the following reply:
I'm going to try the vigorous whirlpool AFTER using the immersion chiller. Is it the immersion chiller that is creating the trub?

I have exchanged a few emails with John on this. I have tried several methods. Yesterday, I used the diverter plate with no screen. I recirculated through a plate chiller and then used a paint stirrer on a drill to whirlpool post-chill. I didn't have any drainage issues after 15 minute settling period, but my wort had lots of suspension. I think this technique is basically sound, but will need some tweaking. Cutting the dip tube above the trub line seems reasonable too. The .19 gallon waste with the stock setup is pretty low. I will try it again without hop bags to see if I can get away with that. I use lots of knockout hops and feel like my beer is suffering because I have to use bags. Other options are to just use a large auto-siphon and be done with it, or possibly a hop-back/filter setup.
 
so those of you who have these pots would you buy them again or look for a different option
 
These problems are endemic to all kettles/kegs. It's a process thing.....I'm sure the pots are awesome ;)
 
so those of you who have these pots would you buy them again or look for a different option

Good question. I have to admit that part of the reason I bought the kettles was the way they looked. Yes, the features are awesome too, especially the false bottom for the mash tun. As Scubasteve said, some of the problems are not particular to the Blichmann's. My wish list for them includes a lower thermometer mounting and better boil screen option. I am a big fan of Blichmann products, but I think I might go with the Sabco boil kettle if I had to do it again. They cost more than the Blichmann though.
 
what about a few pieces of copper, and either bend or put on some fittings so you can hang them on the edge of the pot... put QDs on them. Use one as a pump draw, and one as a return angled against the wall, and pull from the kettle mid-depth. Whirlpool through this, instead of whirlpooling by drawing through the screen. When it's done, the screen should be relatively clear and your trub pile centered so you can slowly draw wort off through a cfc to fermenter. Alternatively you could cool it with an IC, and use the hang-on-the-side copper pieces to create a whirlpool while using IC, then just continue to whirlpool a few moments after removing IC, let settle, then drain off slowly or pump off slowly to fermenter.

I actually just ordered a 20g, but to use as a mash tun. I've gotten a keg converted for the boil vessel.

What size is the female thread from the ball valve? Will the SS QD from B3 (wow... nobody but beer folks could possibly know what that means) thread directly in? I assume their QDs connect fine on the QD side, regardless of wether they are barb or threaded on the hose/pipe end.
 
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