tall boy kettles from nb

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bmathews

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Does anyone have one or know anything about the tall boy kettles from northern brewer?
 
So its like the mega pot but taller and narrower minus the ball valve and thermometer
 
I called and asked the gauge and they said "19 gauge/1MM kettle". I was close to buying one but I decided I wanted a prewelded kettle.

Plus they are new and I like a few reviews.
 
So its like the mega pot but taller and narrower minus the ball valve and thermometer

I went into NB today and they had an 8gal one. The handles, lid and kettle have the same parts. It looks like they went from 1.2 to 1mm with the thickness. That's what we use to and it's a good compromise between cost, weight and durability. I think they are trying to get a branded product since the MegaPots are just an Update International kettle which you can get else where for cheaper. I would bet good money the same manufacturer is making this kettle too so the quality should be the same.
 
I am really interested in these too. I am currently using a 10 gallon update international/megapot and I would like to lower my boiloff rate. It seems the taller narrower kettle would help with that (and allow me to do bigger BIAB batches!)

Cant wait to hear some reviews.
 
I have my doubts about 1.2:1 being the great universal best ratio that makes perfect beer and makes unicorns dance.

I do like a taller kettle, or at least close, I hate boiling in a large diameter shallow saucer. A taller kettle got me 1 or 2 (depending on weather and if i heat strike water on the burner)extra batches on a 20lb tank.

also boil-off seemed to be less random and easier to dial in.
 
The 1.2:1 is a crock. A kettle ratio is not going to make your beer any better or worse. I laugh whenever I see that advertised. But nothing against the Tall Boy kettles they are pretty solid. At the end of the day a kettle is a kettle. It's what's added to them that sets them apart from the competition.
 
SpikeBrewing said:
The 1.2:1 is a crock. A kettle ratio is not going to make your beer any better or worse. I laugh whenever I see that advertised. But nothing against the Tall Boy kettles they are pretty solid. At the end of the day a kettle is a kettle. It's what's added to them that sets them apart from the competition.

True, the quality of ingredients and the recipe are what will make a good beer. However, boil off should decrease and the efficiency of an immersion chiller should go up due to its vertical orientation. Thoughts???
 
Ya I don't think it will change how the beer finishes. Just looking for a good kettle was gonna get a mega pot but I don't want something that wide as I'm presently cooking on my stove.
 
bmathews said:
Ya I don't think it will change how the beer finishes. Just looking for a good kettle was gonna get a mega pot but I don't want something that wide as I'm presently cooking on my stove.

Depending on your stovetop, the Megapot might be wide enough to let you use two burners. IMO, get a cheaper pot and with the money you save get one of these. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000291GBQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Full boils plus tons of time saved during brew day.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I brewed with the TB kettle. The only thing I have to compare it to is my 4 gallon kettle. So boil off rates are much different. But I burned about 1 gallon off in a 60 minute 7gallon full boil so I was left with with about 5 1/2 gallons going into the fermenter. That is exactly what I had hoped for.

The kettle is pretty heavy duty compared to the super thin cheapo kettle I used previously. I believe it was money well spent.
 
Cool thanks for review. Ya I would get a burner but apparently it is illegal to store propane in a condo in NJ so I'm screwed.
 
the Tall Boys are 200 series SS as opposed to 300 series, 1mm sides vs 1.2mm, 4mm base vs 5mm base, compared to the many 18/8 pots (polarware, megapot, etc). 200 series SS replaces some of the nickel content present in 300 series SS with manganese, is slightly stronger and slightly less corrosive resistance as a result. More importantly it is cheaper due to lower nickel content. Essentially identical tho for brewing purposes, both are austenitic steels. I am using 10 gallon Tall Boy in assembling electric 5 gallon system, and finding it very substantial, sturdy material, and drills well. Nice pot for the money. The Tall Boy finish is not brightly annealed tho, more of a brushed finish. Overall good value pot. I otherwise would have gotten a Polarware or Blichmann because I like the height to width ratio, so Tall Boy was about 1/2 to 1/3 of those cost.
 
Thanks for the detailed comparison, Dugifresh! I'm also considering a TB kettle too and it's nice to know what I'm getting. I just don't like the wide base of typical brew kettles, and the tall boy is cheaper than the megapot, so win-win.
 
No specifications on the Northern Brewer website!? ... so being the engineer that I am in the market for a new 10G brew pot, I sent NB an email requesting construction and wall thickness information.

NB response:
"The Tall Boys are constructed with 304 stainless steel for which the main body of the kettle is 18 gauge (1 mil.)."

What!? Something's not right!? ...
18 gauge = 1.21mm! (not 1mm)! ...

Upon further inquiry, NB responded:
"18 gauge would be the more reliable specification."


Hmm. What to believe now???

Can anyone who owns one take a measurement with a set of calipers (micrometer) to set the record straight? (or NB could post this information on their website!)


Thanks!
 
Can anyone who owns one take a measurement with a set of calipers (micrometer) to set the record straight? (or NB could post this information on their website!)

I think dugifresh did a pretty good job of this in their post above:

the Tall Boys are 200 series SS as opposed to 300 series, 1mm sides vs 1.2mm, 4mm base vs 5mm base, compared to the many 18/8 pots (polarware, megapot, etc). 200 series SS replaces some of the nickel content present in 300 series SS with manganese, is slightly stronger and slightly less corrosive resistance as a result. More importantly it is cheaper due to lower nickel content. Essentially identical tho for brewing purposes, both are austenitic steels. I am using 10 gallon Tall Boy in assembling electric 5 gallon system, and finding it very substantial, sturdy material, and drills well. Nice pot for the money. The Tall Boy finish is not brightly annealed tho, more of a brushed finish. Overall good value pot. I otherwise would have gotten a Polarware or Blichmann because I like the height to width ratio, so Tall Boy was about 1/2 to 1/3 of those cost.

The question is where did dugifresh get this detailed info (specifically the 200 series SS).
 
i got one of these on wednesday. Made a dopple bock with it last night. I really liked it. It's nice and light but not flimsy in anyway. Nice sturdy handles on it as well. Only problem is, they sent me the wrong lid for it. My lid is about 1 size too small and will fit all the way into the kettle.

I boiled off roughly 1.5 gal in a 90 min boil, so pretty much spot on for me. Now time to hit up bargain fitting and get me a ball valve and pickup tube!
 
Does anyone have pictures of these TB kettles?

I will be replacing mine soon here and don't feel like spending money on the new megapot or a blichmann. I'm wondering how the kettle looks, besides the picture from NB's website.
 
I don't have any pictures handy but I did have $150 to spend on a kettle and had a spare 3 piece ball valve and sight glass, I thought about a 10 gallon megapot and instead decided to spring for the 15 gallon Tall Boy (both were $150). I drilled the weldless valve and sight glass ports and installed them with no issue. The walls are nice and thick though.

The Tall Boy kettle works perfectly, it's very sturdy, the lid fits like a glove and it heats up really well. Also, I did a couple steeping grain recepies, over the course of a 30 minute steep in 35-40 degree weather with some stirring, the temp only dropped a couple degrees from 165 to 163-162 or so. I would purchase another but I can't find any place with inventory.
 
the 1.2:1 is a crock. A kettle ratio is not going to make your beer any better or worse. I laugh whenever i see that advertised. But nothing against the tall boy kettles they are pretty solid. At the end of the day a kettle is a kettle. It's what's added to them that sets them apart from the competition.

http://spikebrewing.com/blogs/blog/15520441-spike-brewing-2-0-kettles-are-in
new dimensions for all kettles; 1.2:1 height to width ratio which reduces boil off rate, reduces chance for boilovers, while still allowing for a large surface area for efficient heating.

This discovery made me chuckle. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! :D

The Spike kettles do look quite nice, though.
 
I think dugifresh did a pretty good job of this in their post above:



The question is where did dugifresh get this detailed info (specifically the 200 series SS).

So are you still using the 10 gal tall boy? And I'm assuming you boil about 6.5-7 gallons, how much room is left in pot ?

Oops sorry this should have been directed to dugifresh
 
I'm about to use my 10 gallon Tall Boy for the first time. What is the average boil-off rate for one of these? Is it 1.5 gal/90 mins (1gal/hr) as mentioned in post #26
 
I'm about to use my 10 gallon Tall Boy for the first time. What is the average boil-off rate for one of these? Is it 1.5 gal/90 mins (1gal/hr) as mentioned in post #26

I have a 10G Mega Pot which has the same ratio dimensions, and I average about 0.9G/hr outside on propane
 
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