Ooops big brewpot...mistake??

[newfiebrew]

Hey folks i'm a newguy on the homebrew scene and just bought a 15g brewpot and didn't realize how big this thing is.I was planning on only 5g batches but 5g batches only come up about 1/4 the pot height and barley reach the thermometer sensor inside the pot(based on just filling with 5g water).Should I return it or are there any issues i may face with using such a large pot on 5g batches???

I do like the flexibility to eventually doing 10g but i guess id looose alot more due to evaporation with this size??

thanks.

Jamie.

 

[uatuba]

Hey folks i'm a newguy on the homebrew scene and just bought a 15g brewpot and didn't realize how big this thing is.I was planning on only 5g batches but 5g batches only come up about 1/4 the pot height and barley reach the thermometer sensor inside the pot(based on just filling with 5g water).Should I return it or are there any issues i may face with using such a large pot on 5g batches???



I do like the flexibility to eventually doing 10g but i guess id looose alot more due to evaporation with this size??



thanks.



Jamie.

You're going to boil a lot more than 5 gallons. I do 5 gallon batches most of the time and I have a 15 gallon brew pot that I use exclusively.


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[max384]

Hey folks i'm a newguy on the homebrew scene and just bought a 15g brewpot and didn't realize how big this thing is.I was planning on only 5g batches but 5g batches only come up about 1/4 the pot height and barley reach the thermometer sensor inside the pot(based on just filling with 5g water).Should I return it or are there any issues i may face with using such a large pot on 5g batches???

I do like the flexibility to eventually doing 10g but i guess id looose alot more due to evaporation with this size??

thanks.

Jamie.

First of all, if you fill a 15 gallon kettle with 5 gallons of liquid, it'll come up to 1/3 the kettle height (assuming straight walls), not 1/4.

Are you doing all grain or extract?

If you're doing all grain, you'll boil more than five gallons.

You'll likely have a higher boil off rate than on a smaller kettle because your 15 gallon pot will likely have a larger diameter than a smaller pot. This can be good though if you're doing AG, as you can sparge with a larger volume of water, and get better efficiency this way.

I boil with a 15 gallon kettle for five gallon AG batches and love it. Even if I'm not good about watching the boil, it's difficult to get a boilover because there is so much extra room.

 

[NTXBrauer]

I do like the flexibility to eventually doing 10g

Based on this^^^, I would keep the 15 gallon. You will not have an issue making 5 gallon batches in it, and don't have to worry about boil overs. When your are ready for 10 gallon, you have the right size kettle.

 

[newfiebrew]

Thanks guys guess I'll keep the pot!!

I'm getting excited now as i've got my brewpot,mashtun,wort chiller on the way and will pick up my fermenter and bottling bucket in a week or so!!!

Now i gotta decide weather to go all RO or mix it up with my tap water which is very alkaline???

Thanks.

Jamie.

 

[MindenMan]

The last time I brewed, I brewed a 1.080 beer, and I wish I would have had a 15 gallon pot. I really had to watch it when I hit the hot break and added the hops.
I boiled down from somewhere close to 8 gallons, and with the boil rolling fast, the 8 gallons had expanded to almost the top of the pot

 

[IvanTheTerribrew]

Yeah Newfie, you're all good!
You can brew 5 in a 15, you can brew 10 in a 5 :0

Since you have it I wouldn't return it. I recently converted some 1/2 barrel kegs into brew pots so they will be 15 ish gallon pots and I'll keep using them.

Congrats on your purchase really excited for you to get to try this! Just an idea but if you plan on sticking with 5 gal batches to consume for some time you could now make a 10 gal batch with a brew buddy and just split the end result. That's what I do good luck!


- ISM NRP

 

[max384]

By the way, what part of Newfoundland are you from? I took a motorcycle trip there a couple of years ago. What a beautiful island!

 

[newfiebrew]

By the way, what part of Newfoundland are you from? I took a motorcycle trip there a couple of years ago. What a beautiful island!

I'm from St Johns originally but now living on the west coast out in kippens which is about an hour from Gros morne national park.

Where did you visit ......when you were here??

Jamie.

 

[Dawgs47]

Don't do all RO. The yeast need a certain amount of calcium to floc.

 

[Roadie]

I can do 5 gallon batches in my 20 gallon pots so you should be ok. I use all RO water and add brewing salts so that's not a bad thing if your water sucks.


Almost Famous Brewing Company

 

[max384]

I'm from St Johns originally but now living on the west coast out in kippens which is about an hour from Gros morne national park.

Where did you visit ......when you were here??

Jamie.

I visited lots of places. I actually rode right through Kippens while I was there on the way back through the Port Au Port Peninsula. I got off the ferry in Port Aux Basque, then rode up through Gros Morne and then up to L'anse Aux Meadows. From there I rode to Twilingate, and then to St. John's. I explored the Avalon Peninsula for a few days before heading back along the Trans Canadian Highway. I took a ride around the Port Au Port Peninsula the last day before catching the ferry back to Nova Scotia from Port Aux Basque.

Here's a ride report I wrote on advrider:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=800195

 

[newfiebrew]

Wow man that was quite the write up I hope you enjoyed our province as the weather can be discouraging at times


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[max384]

Wow man that was quite the write up I hope you enjoyed our province as the weather can be discouraging at times


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Thanks man. I definitely enjoyed the hell out of Newfoundland. I plant to go back either this year or next year with my kids. They've heard my stories, and now they're chomping at the bits to see it for themselves. I'd also like to ride the trans lab highway on my bike in Labrador and then come down on the Northern Peninsula.

The thing I loved the most about Newfoundland were the people. You guys are seriously the friendliest people I've ever met as a whole. I had to turn down so many offers for places to stay on account of making time on my trip it was unbelievable.