15-gallon brew kettle advice

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Reaver said:
Check out the Bayou KAB4 or 6 (larger base). Its the same burner in the Blichmann. I have one of each and just bought another Bayou for building my Stand $90-ish on Amazon.
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It's 4x the BTUs if I'm reading that correct? That's nice! However it doesn't look as sturdy as mine. Can it hold a 15 or 20 gallon kettle full of wort?
 
I was just at a bru shop in DuBuque Iowa and they had a Blichman 15 gallon brewkettle with brewmometer sight glass etc. He has it listed for 295.00 he had 2 of them...Bluff Street Bruhaus. He also had a March pump for 90 bucks..I think both are pretty good prices.
 
Wreck99 said:
I'll likely continue to brew 5 gallon batches mostly, but may do a 10 gallon in the future. Is it silly to buy a 20 gallon and use it for 5 gallons just in case a 10 gallon batch was made here and there? That seems like a waste to me.
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I'm similar to you in brewing mostly 5 gallon batches with the occasional 10 gallon batch. You should know that if you get a 20G kettle, that when brewing 5 gallon batches you're volume may not be enough to reach the thermometer which would be a bummer.

I'm likely going to go the 15G kettle route with Spike myself. I can't still do 10G batches and make them work if needed once or twice a year. I can always adjust efficiency and dilute a brew going into fermenter if needed to hit volumes, but I'd rather have an appropriate kettle for what I do most often.
 
Wreck99 said:
It's 4x the BTUs if I'm reading that correct? That's nice! However it doesn't look as sturdy as mine. Can it hold a 15 or 20 gallon kettle full of wort?
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:off:

Sure can. I have been using 1 for my HLT which is a Keggle. I just measured the support bars are 16", and my kegs are 15.5". It will work just fine for larger kettles because of the flat bottoms.

I will be cutting mine up to mount them to my stand. I can ususally get 15gals Liqour from Tap to Sparge Temp in 1 hour. I expect to better that when I get the burner to kettle distance worked out.
 
djevans3 said:
I'm similar to you in brewing mostly 5 gallon batches with the occasional 10 gallon batch. You should know that if you get a 20G kettle, that when brewing 5 gallon batches you're volume may not be enough to reach the thermometer which would be a bummer.

I'm likely going to go the 15G kettle route with Spike myself. I can't still do 10G batches and make them work if needed once or twice a year. I can always adjust efficiency and dilute a brew going into fermenter if needed to hit volumes, but I'd rather have an appropriate kettle for what I do most often.
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Oh, I didn't even think about that. Since I'm likely to do mostly 5 gallon batches, then yeah probably 15 gal is the way to go for me. I think I will go with Spike when I have the cash. There's enough votes here :)

Now I'm a little concerned about the burner... Maybe I'll just try my Bayou Classic SQ-14 for a time or two before I decide if I need to switch it out.

Hopefully will be able to purchase that kettle soon.
 
Wreck99 said:
Oh, I didn't even think about that. Since I'm likely to do mostly 5 gallon batches, then yeah probably 15 gal is the way to go for me. I think I will go with Spike when I have the cash. There's enough votes here :)

Now I'm a little concerned about the burner... Maybe I'll just try my Bayou Classic SQ-14 for a time or two before I decide if I need to switch it out.

Hopefully will be able to purchase that kettle soon.
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I bought the same BC sq-14 new on amazon for $35 shipped (open box buy) right before I decided to go electric instead (soo glad I did)... I never used it for beer but I have used it with a 20 gallon pot full of water and corn at a summer picnic... They are plenty sturdy enough for any 20 gallon setup for sure...


I also agree that for 5-10gallons a 15 gallon kettle size is best...I use 16 gallon bayou classic kettles for HLT and MT and a 13gallon ballington kettle for bk... whatever you do try to stick with pots that are taller than they are wide for sure.... this helps for many reasons especially with smaller batches in larger kettles.

BTW the bayou kettles are ok for electric but they dent easy since they are thinner than the concords, ballington or spike kettles so they would not be as good a choice for longevity if you will be moving them around and lifting while full.
 
augiedoggy said:
... whatever you do try to stick with pots that are taller than they are wide for sure.... this helps for many reasons especially with smaller batches in larger kettles.
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It's funny that you say that. In my experience, I've noticed my 13-gallon very wide pot from Spike can't boil over if you try! But yeah, thinking 15 gallon is what I'll go with.

I don't have any experience with electric, other than my stove lol. What did you end up going to after the Bayou burner?
 
Wreck99 said:
I'll likely continue to brew 5 gallon batches mostly, but may do a 10 gallon in the future. Is it silly to buy a 20 gallon and use it for 5 gallons just in case a 10 gallon batch was made here and there? That seems like a waste to me.
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Sorry. Was under the impression you were looking to do 10 gallon batches. I still like my 10 gallon megapot! Also I agree on the propane burner. Never will get a good boil on a full 5+ gallons of water/wort on a stove. I have a Blichman burner and love it, but my friend has the Dark Star burner and it works great for $50. Any burner will be better than a stove! No matter what you do it's going to be a great upgrade! It's just a matter of how much you are able/willing to spend. Good luck!
 
Wreck99 said:
Oh, I didn't even think about that. Since I'm likely to do mostly 5 gallon batches, then yeah probably 15 gal is the way to go for me. I think I will go with Spike when I have the cash. There's enough votes here :)
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I would definitely go with a 20 gallon kettle for when you do that occasional 10 gallon batch. That's what we do. On 5 gallon batches though I have to use 1.5 qts per pound of grain to cover the temp sensor in the mash tun. That's pretty much what we use anyway so it wasn't much of an issue though do wish the sensor was a little lower so if I wanted to go with less brewing liquor I could. Never had an issue covering the temp sensor in the boil kettle.
 
Wreck99 said:
It's funny that you say that. In my experience, I've noticed my 13-gallon very wide pot from Spike can't boil over if you try! But yeah, thinking 15 gallon is what I'll go with.

I don't have any experience with electric, other than my stove lol. What did you end up going to after the Bayou burner?
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You likley cant boil over because its not as efficiently heating the wort... taller than wide is going to be more efficient and going to work better when only partially full... I believe thats the "mega pot"s marketing line... that its the perfect ration found to be the most ideal for heating wort...1.2xs as tall as wide if im not mistaken...
 
Roadie said:
I would definitely go with a 20 gallon kettle for when you do that occasional 10 gallon batch. That's what we do. On 5 gallon batches though I have to use 1.5 qts per pound of grain to cover the temp sensor in the mash tun. That's pretty much what we use anyway so it wasn't much of an issue though do wish the sensor was a little lower so if I wanted to go with less brewing liquor I could. Never had an issue covering the temp sensor in the boil kettle.
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According the BeerSmith, looks like I'm programmed for 1.25qt/lb.

Kwitty said:
Sorry. Was under the impression you were looking to do 10 gallon batches. I still like my 10 gallon megapot! Also I agree on the propane burner. Never will get a good boil on a full 5+ gallons of water/wort on a stove. I have a Blichman burner and love it, but my friend has the Dark Star burner and it works great for $50. Any burner will be better than a stove! No matter what you do it's going to be a great upgrade! It's just a matter of how much you are able/willing to spend. Good luck!
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The DarkStar burner says 55,000 BTUs which is the same as the SQ-14 I think? I guess I'll try the burner once and if not great, I'll be shopping for a better one lol. Wanna get the kettle first.
 
I just went through the 15 gal debate and went with the mega 1.2 because NB had a Black Friday sale which gave me 50 off. Because it's just going to be a brew kettle and not a hlt I went with ball valve only. I am not disappointed with my decision. It's a great kettle.
 
Side note I also have the dark star and got it free with a purchase of I think 250. My buddy and I needed random stuff and went in on the whole order so I could grab the burner. It's not bad for 50 but it does tend to char the bottom of the kettle. But it really does sip fuel and works well. It's a whole new world off the stove.
 
Well if you're patient enough wait to buy the 1.2 from NB and there should be a dark star promotion coming up and BLAM....I really should go to sleep.
 
Spike is what I am looking at next. I wanted Ss because they're a wonderful sponsor here and have offered amazing prizes for the contests. The only issue I had was that their volume markings start at 8 gallons. This was a show stopper for me because I measure sparge water using those volume markings and I do 5 gallon batches mostly.

I ruled out Blichman for cost mostly. I'll eventually need 3 kettles and that will get costly. I do have a 10 gallon Bayou classic which I absolutely love. I've also considered just buying the 15 gallon BCs and drilling holes myself or finding an able-bodied young man to do it for me.
 
I'm in the same situation as the OP here except I'm looking at primarily brewing 10 gallon batches with occasional 5 gallon brews.

Can you get away with a smaller HLT say 15 Gallons and use a 20 gallon brew kettle or would I be better off just getting 2-20's?

Spike is out of their 20 gallon kettles right now unfortunately
 
Wreck99 said:
Haven't done a 10 gallon batch yet. I may in the future though. For now, just sticking with 5 gallon batches. I'm currently using a 13-gal aluminum kettle. It's very wide and is awkward to empty into a fermenter.
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Keep in mind that when you have a valve there's going to be like a gallon of dead space at the bottom so for a 5 gallon batch in a 15 gallon kettle a diptube is going to be a must-have.

I went with morebeer heavy triclads for all three and I really like them.
 
p40whk said:
Can you get away with a smaller HLT say 15 Gallons and use a 20 gallon brew kettle or would I be better off just getting 2-20's?
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You could get away with all 15's but a twenty for the boil kettle would make my brew day easier (14.5 gallon boil in a 15 gallon pot is a tad scary sometimes)...
 
christyle said:
Whats the story on these, or even the full price ones? Just really thin gauge? I was set on a Bayou Classic when I get my larger pot. Why no mention in here?
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I have the 15 gallon and had a 9 gallon from aih. Bottom is not clad but I have not had any scorching issues with my sq14 burner. I thought it was 18 gauge so on par with most other brew kettles on the market. Handles are spot welded on, I would not pick up the pot when it is full. I have not had any pinhole issues where the welds are.
 
christyle said:
Whats the story on these, or even the full price ones? Just really thin gauge? I was set on a Bayou Classic when I get my larger pot. Why no mention in here?
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It's probably not triclad bottom and it may be thinner. I haven't fully looked into it. I bought a 17.5 gallon pot for $70 shipped off eBay brand new. It's ss with a lid. It may not be the best in the world, but it works great!!
 
I picked up the same 15 gal. 2 weld scratch/dent around Christmas and it's great. Thick gauge, heavy bottom. dents dont detract at all. Had them include the therm. and ball valve for another $30. Shipping was reasonable too. Made a BIAB SMASH and it worked perfect. DO IT you wont regret. :mug:
 
I'm just not understanding what can make a pot 3x better than another? we're talking $100 vs $300+ It's a pot!
 
I love my BC 16 gal kettle. Great for 5 gal batches, and have been considering doing a 10 gal batch which is why I went with this size. I figure it'll be tight with 13-14 gals of wort, but will just have to be careful about boil over.

Has gallon markings indented into the ss.

Doesn't have a thermometer, but you can get a kit to add it or do like I do and hang one over the side.

I ordered it one day and it was by my front door by noon the next day.

http://www.provantage.com/bayou-classic-1064~7BAYC001.htm
 
christyle said:
I'm just not understanding what can make a pot 3x better than another? we're talking $100 vs $300+ It's a pot!
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When you see an 'economy kettle' vs a heavy duty one, you'll understand. I started off years ago with cheap SS kettles that were paper thin (early Spike kettles) and now have heavy duty ones and they're so much better with boiling and distributing heat. The water also keeps temp longer in my HLT. Now I can't understand $500+ kettles though.
 
ndinh said:
When you see an 'economy kettle' vs a heavy duty one, you'll understand. I started off years ago with cheap SS kettles that were paper thin (early Spike kettles) and now have heavy duty ones and they're so much better with boiling and distributing heat. The water also keeps temp longer in my HLT. Now I can't understand $500+ kettles though.
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For gas I would completely agree but for electric I'm not sure why would anyone need a thick walled kettle the 1mm ones like the Concords or ballington are plenty heavy duty enough...Bayou classics dent very easy if your not careful though and they are the thinnest I have seen yet (I use two with no issues as well as a ballington.)
 
ulnpiper said:
I love my BC 16 gal kettle. Great for 5 gal batches, and have been considering doing a 10 gal batch which is why I went with this size. I figure it'll be tight with 13-14 gals of wort, but will just have to be careful about boil over.

Has gallon markings indented into the ss.

Doesn't have a thermometer, but you can get a kit to add it or do like I do and hang one over the side.

I ordered it one day and it was by my front door by noon the next day.

http://www.provantage.com/bayou-classic-1064~7BAYC001.htm
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These are the same as I use... They dent very easily compared to all my other cheap pots but are otherwise very nice as far as size and design.... I noticed two new dings and have no idea how they got there... I have had my 13 gallon ballington ($70 shipped on ebay) for over a year and and its held up perfectly and its much heavier duty...
 
Just ordered a 15 gallon from Spike with horizontal ports. I like the idea of welded fittings. no worries about a melting gasket with a no-weld fitting.

It should last for a lifetime of brewing with proper care.
 
khawk95 said:
Just ordered a 15 gallon from Spike with horizontal ports. I like the idea of welded fittings. no worries about a melting gasket with a no-weld fitting.

It should last for a lifetime of brewing with proper care.
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Send us a picture and review when you get it all together and use. I'm still a couple weeks away from making my purchase. Sounds like the way I'll go too.
 
My newest Spike Kettle.

Spike-30G.jpg


Spike-30G-Inside.jpg
 
That's for whirlpooling. And the layout is a custom one from Spike. It's a 30G kettle so that I can brew 15G+ batches. BUT... I wanted to also brew 10G at times so Ben@SpikeBrewing worked up the location of the thermometer and whirlpool port to be low enough that they would still be submerged with those lesser volumes.

I cant say enough good about their customer service and quality of their stuff these days.
 
khawk95 said:
Just ordered a 15 gallon from Spike with horizontal ports. I like the idea of welded fittings. no worries about a melting gasket with a no-weld fitting.

It should last for a lifetime of brewing with proper care.
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The gaskets are high temp silicone..... if you melt them you have much bigger problems to worry about... For those considering them, keep the direct flame away from them and you'll be fine...

those spike pots look nice... those are the ideal dimensions to go bigger and still brew smaller batches since they are much taller than they are wide..
 
Those Spike kettles are nicer than anything blingman offers IMO.
Makes you wonder why blichman wants twice as much.
 
I got my new Spike (15gal) a couple weeks ago, looking forward to my first batch with it tomorrow...IPA!!
 
Got a bonus at work. As soon as the $ transfers, I'm getting one.
I am going to try the 15gal for boil first, if I need to go 20, that's fine becuase I'll just transition it to the HLT.
 

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