Boiling Kettle

[ruskii]

Hello,

I am trying to find something to make a big boil kettle. Let's say for 20 gallon batch. So like 23 gallons. I was thinking about getting like one of these commercial kegs (the ones you used to get a for a party at college). Then I would make proper cuts and use that for boiling wort.

Has anybody done that? or do you know of any other method?

Thanks.

 

[iijakii]

Kegs are 15.5 gal.

I've seen people repurpose pool-filter enclosure thingys for cheap large-volume kettles. Or you could buy proper ones from Stout, maybe find an old Dairy Farm, etc.

 

[ruskii]

Maybe 15.5 gallons should be sufficient for me. I just wonder if they can be used with burners. Because it was not meant for boiling liquids.

 

[Atog]

It will work fine. A lot of people hear use them.

 

[iijakii]

Look around on the DIY forum. That's what probably 70% of the forum uses. Cut the top off and they're durable, albeit heavy BKs.

 

[redman67]

My cousin's a heating guy and he gave me a 40 gallon stainless water heater
strip off the insulation and stuff
Cut off the top
weld on some legs

 

[ruskii]

Water heater sounds like a good idea. I wonder if it is food grade.

Otherwise I will use 15.5 gallon kegs. Does anybody know where I can find these?

Thanks.

 

[Lost]

Keg aka keggle is the way to go. Place a "wanted" ad on craigslist for $40 bucks.

Do a search, there are a bunch of different ways to convert a keg to a kettle (keggle). I prefer the triclover center drain approach.

It is easy to mount a hot water heater element in the keg or pot, again do a search. Bargain fittings has the nut and oring you'll need.

Make 10 gal batches in the keggle and then use a keg to ferment in, that's how I do it.

 

[LedZeppelin]

Technically using a Craigslist kettle involves stealing from a brewery.

I can get you a 20 or 25gal kettle with 1/2" fittings.

-Ben

 

[Lost]

Technically using a Craigslist kettle involves stealing from a brewery.

I can get you a 20 or 25gal kettle with 1/2" fittings.

-Ben

People selling them on craigslist are doing so because the distributor they rented it from won't take it back. It's a problem created by the distributors not the people selling them. Furthermore, you not buying the keg does nothing to get the keg back to the brewery. It can either sit in their garage, be sold for metal scrap, or be put to use in your home brewery. Those are the options.

Besides I think there are far worse wrongs in this world than Bud, Miller, or Coors losing a few kegs so that others might have drinkable beer.

I'm all for actual kettles and have a 20 gal aluminum one myself. It is better than a keggle in some respects - straight sides and an actual lid. But for a cheap pot a keggle absolutely cannot be beat.

 

[audger]

Technically using a Craigslist kettle involves stealing from a brewery.

I can get you a 20 or 25gal kettle with 1/2" fittings.

-Ben

only if you rent the keg and dont return it. breweries/distributors routeinly sell decomissioned keg. so no, just because you bought it on craigslist doesnt mean its stolen. unfortunately you cant really tell which is which by looking at them...

also a 15.5gallon keg is only good for 10 gallon batches, max (well, maybe 11-12 depending on the recipe). 15-20 gallons of finished beer can not be made in one batch in a 15.5g keg.

 

[LedZeppelin]

People selling them on craigslist are doing so because the distributor they rented it from won't take it back. It's a problem created by the distributors not the people selling them. Furthermore, you not buying the keg does nothing to get the keg back to the brewery. It can either sit in their garage, be sold for metal scrap, or be put to use in your home brewery. Those are the options.

Besides I think there are far worse wrongs in this world than Bud, Miller, or Coors losing a few kegs so that others might have drinkable beer.

I'm all for actual kettles and have a 20 gal aluminum one myself. It is better than a keggle in some respects - straight sides and an actual lid. But for a cheap pot a keggle absolutely cannot be beat.

I agree 100% with you. I hate supporting AB and MillerCoors but when boiled down you are technically stealing. A keg new is almost $200, used about $100. Looking at it from a business stand point I would hate losing millions each year in 'stolen' kegs.

 

[Puckhead]

There is a lbhs/ brewpub around here that has two kegs welded together to form a 1 barrel system. You could do that for a 20 gal...

Sent from my iPhone using HB Talk

 

[Lost]

There is a lbhs/ brewpub around here that has two kegs welded together to form a 1 barrel system. You could do that for a 20 gal...

Sent from my iPhone using HB Talk

Interesting. How exactly are they welded together? Top to bottom? Do they cut the top and bottom skirts off with a plasma cutter?

A photo would be nice.