Kettle Recommendations

[GurGinator28]

I'm transitioning from extract and plan to do BIAB for a bit and eventual try AG. Was wondering what an ideal size would be for a 5 gal BIAB batch and could also be used down the line for bigger AG batches.

My initial research tells me 15 gals but I could be wrong.

Any recommendations? Models?

Was looking at some of the bayou pots on Amazon but was unsure of the quality.

Cheers!


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[LLBeanJ]

I'd go with 10g minimum, but, yeah, 15g would be better.

I recommend the MegaPot 1.2 from Northern Brewer. Whether doing BIAB or traditional MLT, you'll appreciate the ball valve and the clad bottom is great for BIAB as it prevents bag scorching. IMO, skip the kettle thermometer and put that money toward a Thermapen.

 

[WhamFish]

I use the 10gal megapot from NortherBrewer for 5gal batches. I find the size of the 10gal kettle to be perfect, although I can't think of a reason to not go to 15gal, more room is always nice. I haven't felt squeezed for space in the 10 gal though.

I would, however, suggest getting a kettle with a ball valve on the side. That has made everything soo much easier on brewday.

 

[natnov]

Concord Pots are great. They are affordable and you can get single ply or triclad.
They come in many sizes. I'd say get the biggest one you can afford. You can always do smaller batches in a big pot, can't do big batches in a small pot though.

 

[solbes]

This is what I bought back in May, 15 gallon heavy duty stainless with Ball Valve from Midwest Supplies. I looked at price ($219), SS-Aluminum-SS Clad bottom, and sidewall thickness. Love everything about this kettle and I can see it will last me a lifetime. Upsizing from 10 gallons to 15 was a tad over $40. Which is easily justified by the fact that I can brew average strength BIAB 10 gallon batches now. Or go as big as I want for 5-6 gallon batches. Sidewall was 1.2 mm. Bottom thickness was 5 mm.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/15-g...-brew-kettle-with-ball-valve-thermometer.html

Megapots from NB looked nice too, but were $30 more and I could not see any obvious reasons in quality to switch from the Midwest pot. Megapots were 0.8 mm sidewalls for 10 gallons and under and 1 mm sidewall for 15 gallons+. Bottom thickness was 4 mm. So a little thinner on sidewall and bottom, though not by much.

I also recommend getting a custom BIAB from Wilserbrewer once you get your pot. Quality and good price. Perfect fit to the kettle and a strong drawstring you can use to hang from ceiling.

I brewed with Aluminum for years, but finally decided that ol' girl had had enough.

 

[how1]

I bought a 15 gallon kettle from Spikebrewing a couple years ago. Extremely happy with it.

 

[GurGinator28]

Any opinion on wider v taller kettles. Seems to be the biggest difference between NB and Midwest ?

This is what I bought back in May, 15 gallon heavy duty stainless with Ball Valve from Midwest Supplies. I looked at price ($219), SS-Aluminum-SS Clad bottom, and sidewall thickness. Love everything about this kettle and I can see it will last me a lifetime. Upsizing from 10 gallons to 15 was a tad over $40. Which is easily justified by the fact that I can brew average strength BIAB 10 gallon batches now. Or go as big as I want for 5-6 gallon batches. Sidewall was 1.2 mm. Bottom thickness was 5 mm.



http://www.midwestsupplies.com/15-g...-brew-kettle-with-ball-valve-thermometer.html



Megapots from NB looked nice too, but were $30 more and I could not see any obvious reasons in quality to switch from the Midwest pot. Megapots were 0.8 mm sidewalls for 10 gallons and under and 1 mm sidewall for 15 gallons+. Bottom thickness was 4 mm. So a little thinner on sidewall and bottom, though not by much.



I also recommend getting a custom BIAB from Wilserbrewer once you get your pot. Quality and good price. Perfect fit to the kettle and a strong drawstring you can use to hang from ceiling.



I brewed with Aluminum for years, but finally decided that ol' girl had had enough.

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[LLBeanJ]

A wider kettle will have a higher boiloff rate than a narrower one. I'm not sure if the geometry affects the BTUs needed to get the same volume of water/wort up to a boil. I would think a narrower kettle would require less BTUs, but I really have no idea whether or not it does. Other than that, I don't think there is much difference as far as the geometry is concerned.

The Midwest kettles appear to be stainless Winco models like this one. I have the Winco 8g (40 qt) model and can confirm that it is a solid kettle. Unfortunately, I've pretty much outgrown my 8g BK and feel that it's about time to upgrade to either a 10 or 15g. As much as I like the Winco, I'll probably go with the NB MegaPot due to the narrower geometry and the volume markings on the inside. Also, others may not be so picky, but for BIAB I wouldn't even consider a kettle that doesn't have a clad bottom.

 

[fosaisu]

I'm transitioning from extract and plan to do BIAB for a bit and eventual try AG. Was wondering what an ideal size would be for a 5 gal BIAB batch and could also be used down the line for bigger AG batches.

My initial research tells me 15 gals but I could be wrong.

Any recommendations? Models?

Was looking at some of the bayou pots on Amazon but was unsure of the quality.

Cheers!

I agree with the general advice to go with a 15 gallon pot. I bought a 10 gallon pot and while it's served me well, there are many times I wish I'd gone bigger.

As for what type of pot to buy, all the ones people recommend here look super nice but I've been very happy with a (far cheaper and much more basic) aluminum pot from WaresDirect. It's plenty sturdy for home brewing and the relative thinness of the pot keeps it nice and light for its size.

Of course if you want the ball valve, you'd need to either buy one of the kettles listed here or install your own.

 

[fosaisu]

Also, others may not be so picky, but for BIAB I wouldn't even consider a kettle that doesn't have a clad bottom.

Another alternative to avoid potential scorching is to use a steamer rack in the bottom of the brew kettle while your bag is in and the flame is on, as discussed in this thread.

 

[LLBeanJ]

Another alternative to avoid potential scorching is to use a steamer rack in the bottom of the brew kettle while your bag is in and the flame is on, as discussed in this thread.

Yep, been there done that. It definitely works, but it's one more piece of equipment to deal with/forget. For me it's all about simplifying the process and reducing the need for unnecessary equipment.

 

[GurGinator28]

I'm pretty set on 15 gal and am still tossing up between the megapot and Midwest. I like the shape of the mega better (taller than is wide), but see several reviews mentioning having to address leakage. The video on NB also shows that the spigot still moves a little after affixing which I thought was weird.

After all the Midwest is only 2" wider. I think I'm currently leaning more toward that one.

I'm also realizing the turkey fry burner I have isn't big enough for either kettles so I'm thinking the Edelmetall.


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[solbes]

I think going from a 7.5 gal aluminum to a 15 gal Stainless had much more effect on needed heat BTU than kettle geometry, but I can see how a taller, skinnier pot may have some advantages there. Certainly get a burner that has med/hi to high BTU as you don't want to be waiting around for it to come to a boil.

Honestly I don't think you can go wrong with either NB or Midwest pots. I just wanted the beefiest one I could get to avoid dings and avoid bottom scorching.

A sightglass would be nice, but its just one more thing to have to take apart. I've tried marking volume on the inside before and had a hard time seeing it, especially in the winter in my garage. Solution was to mark my mash paddle, which works beautifully.

 

[Minbari]

Another alternative to avoid potential scorching is to use a steamer rack in the bottom of the brew kettle while your bag is in and the flame is on, as discussed in this thread.

this is how I keep the bag off the bottom.

$11 in materials

 

[GurGinator28]

Nice tip

Solution was to mark my mash paddle, which works beautifully.

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[GurGinator28]

Does anyone have any experience and or an opinion about this...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0082X3D06/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20




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