10gal or 15gal pot for 2.5 and 5 gallon batches

[smithchar526]

Almost have everything to start brewing again but still need a pot for BIAB. My thought is I want to do mostly 2.5gal batches but want the ability to do 5gal as well. Would 15gal pot be to big for 2.5gal batches. The main reason for wanting to go with a 10gal pot is to make it easier to clean in the kitchen but really the 15gal is just a little wider and taller to maybe if it’s still good for 2.5 gal batches that might be the better choice. Thoughts?

 

[JohnSand]

I use a 15 gallon pot for 5, 8 and 10 gallon batches. I think it's overkill for 2.5 or 5.

 

[smithchar526]

I use a 15 gallon pot for 5, 8 and 10 gallon batches. I think it's overkill for 2.5 or 5.

Yeah that’s what I was thinking. Just have heard some people say that 10gal pot can be hard with 5 gal BIAB if a large grain bill and have to watch it very close. My concern was I start doing 2.5gal batches and change my mind and want to just do 5gal batches and the larger pot would be better. With the larger pot and 2.5 gal batches I was worried there would be more boil off and heat loss during the mash.

Guess Ill just get a 10gal and trade up to 15 if I need to later.

 

[JohnSand]

I did. I also used a five gallon pot for five gallon batches, by dunk sparging in a pasta pot and topping off as the wort boiled down. I would top off again in the fermenter after checking gravity. I'm not recommending a five gallon, though it's doable. I think you can make a big five gallon batch in a ten gallon kettle with some creativity.

 

[RM-MN]

Yeah that’s what I was thinking. Just have heard some people say that 10gal pot can be hard with 5 gal BIAB if a large grain bill and have to watch it very close. My concern was I start doing 2.5gal batches and change my mind and want to just do 5gal batches and the larger pot would be better. With the larger pot and 2.5 gal batches I was worried there would be more boil off and heat loss during the mash.

Guess Ill just get a 10gal and trade up to 15 if I need to later.

There's a trick to using a large grain bill that many brewers haven't learned. Mill the grains finer. Get your brewhouse efficiency nearer the maximum. Reduce the grain bill to accommodate the higher efficiency. Now you don't have that large grain bill to make fit.

 

[Hazarmaveth]

Unless you're very limited on space or funds, I'd certainly recommend a 15 gallon pot for single-vessel BIAB. If you're even thinking about 5 gallon batches now, odds are you won't end up doing too many 2.5 gallon batches once you find out first hand that it really doesn't take much more time or work to make twice as much beer. A 5gal batch of a really big beer would be hard to fit in a 10gal kettle, but a 15gal kettle has plenty of room. In 10 you have to be vigilant about boilovers, in 15 you can pretty much ignore it while it's boiling. It's also possible to do 10 gallons of session beer in a 15gal kettle, which I'm now finding out is a really nice option to have.

The only downsides I can think of for a larger kettle are cost, space, and having to put some thought into immersion chiller design for small batches (a wider kettle means you need a shorter, fatter coil).

That said, it is quite possible to do what you want to do with either kettle size.

 

[Murphys_Law]

I bought a 15g kettle for 5g batches and thought it was too big (eg: too much head space made it hard to control mash temps). I put the thing in storage and bought a 10g which I think is perfect.

I would think that a 15g for a 2.5g batch would be way overkill.

 

[smithchar526]

I bought a 15g kettle for 5g batches and thought it was too big (eg: too much head space made it hard to control mash temps). I put the thing in storage and bought a 10g which I think is perfect.

I would think that a 15g for a 2.5g batch would be way overkill.

I bought the 10gallon pot thanks

 

[wilserbrewer]

I bought the 10gallon pot thanks

Yes, a 2.5 gallon batch in a 15 gallon pot is ridiculous imo. You’ll be well served w a 10.

 

[North_of_60]

10 gallon kettle for a 5 gallon batch works good for me. You can do bigger if you top off after the mash.

 

[PersonalBrewer]

I have a 15 gal kettle and can't imagine it working well with 2 1/2 gal batches. I frequently do ten gal batches by doubling a five gallon grain bill, and after pulling out the bag add water before the boil.

The rule of thumb for sizing BIAB I have seen is half the kettle size is a great batch size. To be clear, 10 gal kettle gives five gallons into the keg.

 

[Christopher Darkly]

I've done 5 gallon batches in an 8 gallon pot. You can use fermcap to keep from boiling over. It works well. AANd I use a lid to minimize losses as water vapor. People say boil with the lid off to let DMS escape. I guess they're probably right but it's never bothered me. DMS boils at about 100 degreees F so it's not going to condense on a lid that is hotter than that. It's almost impossible to create a vapor tight seal on a kettle lid unless it's a pressure cooker so that DMS vapor will find it's way out considering the concentration in the atmosphere is zero.

Also I don't do big beers, 10 lbs of grain, soaking wet is about all I can lift out of a kettle on the stove.

 

[Bad Bubba]

I do both 2.5 - 3 Gallon batches and 5 gallon batches. I use a 10 gallon kettle for the 5 gal batches but purchased a 24 qt. kettle at Walmart for $60 ( you can go cheaper but I use an induction burner for my small batches) for my small batches. I can do everything in the kitchen for the small batches and it is an easier cleanup and slightly faster brew day.

 

[boxboybrewing]

I use an 8 gallon aluminum tamale cooking pot for my 2.5 gallon BIAB batches. I full volume no sparge as well and I can fit everything in the pot with room to spare.

 

[BSheridan]

I've been thinking about this as well. I'm thinking that if I get a 15 gallon kettle I can continue to do 5 gallon batches in it but also occasionally do a 10 gallon batch if I want to. 2.5 gallons is probably too small for a 15 gallon pot though

 

[PersonalBrewer]

I frequently do ten gal batches by doubling a five gallon grain bill, and after pulling out the bag add water before the boil.

I should have said that I not only double the grain bill but add about another 10% of grain when doing ten gallons in the 15 gallon pot.

You will lose some efficiency due to less water in the mash and the extra grain in the mash.

If you are so concerned about efficiency that you want to brew twice and all that entails instead of spending an extra four or five bucks for grains and brewing once for twice the beer, then go for it.

I would rather have the extra beer from one brew session.

This has worked well for about ten batches.

YMMV

 

[wepeeler]

I have a 15 gal kettle and can't imagine it working well with 2 1/2 gal batches. I frequently do ten gal batches by doubling a five gallon grain bill, and after pulling out the bag add water before the boil.

The rule of thumb for sizing BIAB I have seen is half the kettle size is a great batch size. To be clear, 10 gal kettle gives five gallons into the keg.

Just did my first 11 gallon batch in a 15 gallon kettle last Thursday. Started with 12 gallons, only needed to add about a gallon and a half after the mash. Ended up with 11 gallons of a Scottish Ale into the fermenter. 25 lbs of grain! Fermcap FTW!