I need a pot/kettle advice

[ak-71]

I need a pot/kettle advice
I am very new to brewing, did 2 “Brewhouse” liquid kits (just add water and yeast type).
I would like to get into extracts and later in AG. Hope to do 6gal (5 Imp. gal) batches and hope to be able to do it in the kitchen in winter.
I am looking at two options for now:
- local restaurant supply store has a 10gal aluminum pot “Thermalloy” for 56$
- LHBS has a 9gal SS with 2 ports (for temp. and ball valve) for $110.

-Aluminum is bigger, cheaper and would be easier to heat on a stove top (tall – less free surface).
-SS has ports and looks cool

I lean towards the aluminum pot, but I am not sure if it will be possible to handle hot strike water later on for AG (no valve), but small enough.
9 gal seems to be too small and will be at least x2 more $ after valve and thermometer. Will be harder to heat as well.

Also 56$ is cheap enough to buy and keep for 5-6 gal batches and get a bigger pot later if I decide to do so – is there any problems I am missing?

 

[mightynintendo]

I need a pot/kettle advice
I am very new to brewing, did 2 “Brewhouse” liquid kits (just add water and yeast type).
I would like to get into extracts and later in AG. Hope to do 6gal (5 Imp. gal) batches and hope to be able to do it in the kitchen in winter.
I am looking at two options for now:
- local restaurant supply store has a 10gal aluminum pot “Thermalloy” for 56$
- LHBS has a 9gal SS with 2 ports (for temp. and ball valve) for $110.

-Aluminum is bigger, cheaper and would be easier to heat on a stove top (tall – less free surface).
-SS has ports and looks cool

I lean towards the aluminum pot, but I am not sure if it will be possible to handle hot strike water later on for AG (no valve), but small enough.
9 gal seems to be too small and will be at least x2 more $ after valve and thermometer. Will be harder to heat as well.

Also 56$ is cheap enough to buy and keep for 5-6 gal batches and get a bigger pot later if I decide to do so – is there any problems I am missing?

enamelware pots are always an economical solution. i am still using the one i bought three years ago. I'm about to upgrade to keg pots but if you take care of them, this type of pot is both cheap and big enough to handle those higher gravity brews:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000A3ZZXO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[ak-71]

Link seems broken. The largest enamelware I've seen localy was 23 liters.
Online shopping here in Canada is not what I was used to in the US and I would like to avoid it if I can.

 

[gr8shandini]

Personally, I'd go bigger than 10 gal. I started off with a 40 qt stockpot from the restaurant supply. It works plenty well for my standard 5.5 gal (US) batches, but it wasn't long before I wanted to go to a 10 gallon batch.

Also something to consider - if you're going all grain, you're going to have to collect at least 6 gallons of wort to make a 5 gallon batch. Can your stovetop even bring that much wort to a boil? I'm currently using a 55,000 btu turkey fryer burner and it takes a good 20 mins to get from mash temps to boiling. You may want to look into going electric if you need an indoor solution.

 

[mightynintendo]

Link should be fixed now.

Anyway you may see if you can find that type of pot at an outdoor store. I think a 10 gallon pot is pushing the limit of being able to handle a 6 gallon brew. In my 50 quart pot, I have had a couple close calls with boiling over making a 6-gallon final product.

 

[ak-71]

No idea if stove will handle it - don't have a large pot to test, but it is the most powerful stove I used and if it doesn't I will need a heat stick and insulation made.
Aluminum pot has a better chance I think.
I just can't picture boiling anything in -20C outside (in normal winters). And any larger than 10 gal would be a no-boil inside I recon.

 

[ak-71]

Link should be fixed now.

Anyway you may see if you can find that type of pot at an outdoor store. I think a 10 gallon pot is pushing the limit of being able to handle a 6 gallon brew. In my 50 quart pot, I have had a couple close calls with boiling over making a 6-gallon final product.

I bet I've seen one just like that before... Basspro may be? We have one here will need to check it, thanks

 

[CPFITNESS]

I would go aluminum and put your own ball valve on it but the price on that stainless kettle is very good too. Check out a crude youtube video I made of me putting the ball valve on my kettle. I live in a tiny nyc apt and use an 8 gallon pot and have now done two batches without issues with boil overs. I have a gas stove and getting it up to a boil is an issue so if you have the space and ability to get a gas burner, go for it. BTW, I started with All grain. it was an inexpensive one gallon kit and it was really easy. I didn't even know what Extract was when I started 2 months ago. I hear people talk about all grain in an almost fearful tone. It's really not that hard and honestly, grain is cheap. my recipes have cost me $25 for grain, yeast and hops.

 

[mightynintendo]

I have successfully boiled 8.7 gallons of wort in my 50 quart pot with a fish fryer in my garage with an ambient temp of around 0C.

 

[ak-71]

OK, sounds like I need to keep looking... Both bigger pot and burner for a garage. I have a CO monitor already
I see at least one more "Brewhouse" kit in my nearest future

 

[CPFITNESS]

your pot size is fine for what you say you are trying to accomplish. BTW, you have it backwards, aluminum conducts heat better than stainless. most stainless pots are thick on the bottom because there is a big chunk of aluminum sandwiched in to help conductivity. Just make sure if you get an aluminum pot its relatively thick. Also, aluminum is really easy to drill through to add the spigot as you saw in my video I just used a spade bit and it was like butter.

 

[tre9er]

I just ordered two 32qt. aluminum pots today at a combined $67 shipped US. They are 4mm thick, twice as thick as the Bayou Classic aluminum type pots.

All this talk about not being able to boil 6 or 7g. in an 8g. pot I don't quite get. I boiled within an inch of the top of the pot on Saturday (too much sparge water) and never had a boilover. I attended to the boil like a hawk, never left the room, sprinkled water on foam, stirred, etc, but never boiled over. It wasn't an insanely active boil, but it was over 212 and there was good circulation.

 

[ak-71]

I think the pot was 4.1 mm and I know that aluminum is conducting heat better (must be my English). I will check other cookware stores in town before I buy it, Will check bigger pots out. BTW do you need to clean/sanitize the spigot or heat does it for you?
Good tip on spade bits - I used one backwards to drill a hole for an airlock for a bucket but aluminum(!) is good to know

 

[tre9er]

It's mostly sanitized but wouldn't hurt to spray it with some starsan water on the outside prior to racking.

 

[mightynintendo]

I just ordered two 32qt. aluminum pots today at a combined $67 shipped US. They are 4mm thick, twice as thick as the Bayou Classic aluminum type pots.

All this talk about not being able to boil 6 or 7g. in an 8g. pot I don't quite get. I boiled within an inch of the top of the pot on Saturday (too much sparge water) and never had a boilover. I attended to the boil like a hawk, never left the room, sprinkled water on foam, stirred, etc, but never boiled over. It wasn't an insanely active boil, but it was over 212 and there was good circulation.

All other things being equal, the wider the pot diameter, the faster the boil-off rate. Some people boil off around 1.5 gallons per hour. For a 6 gallon final product in a 90 minute boil that would require a minimum of 8.25 gallons. An 8 gallon pot isn't even large enough to hold that volume. Then you have to figure a 3% heat expansion so 8.25 gallons become about 8.5 gallons. On top of that, the wort will foam quite a bit so to prevent it from foaming over you need additional space.

 

[ak-71]

http://www.katom.com/158-5813140.html
this looks like the one I was looking at localy.
Will buy it if I can't find anything 50-60qt < 100$. I think it's a good price for 10gal. More I read less confident I am in my stove to boil it.. Will have to look at heatsticks or burner next

 

[tre9er]

All other things being equal, the wider the pot diameter, the faster the boil-off rate. Some people boil off around 1.5 gallons per hour. For a 6 gallon final product in a 90 minute boil that would require a minimum of 8.25 gallons. An 8 gallon pot isn't even large enough to hold that volume. Then you have to figure a 3% heat expansion so 8.25 gallons become about 8.5 gallons. On top of that, the wort will foam quite a bit so to prevent it from foaming over you need additional space.

I had no choice, too much wort and the first runnings weren't in the BK yet because I dunk-sparge in the BK (BIAB). I had to boil off, add first wort, boil off more, add first wort, etc. Boil was within 1" of the top of kettle most of the time and I had to temp control, stir, etc. Ended up with 6g. after not racking the last few cups since it had so much hops/trub in it.