Please help me to select a boiling kettle

[eimar]

I'm a newbie on this forum but has been homebrewing for more than ... 15 years , you know the good old days when no one ever heard about a yeast starter
Now that I just retired I can use my retirement bonus to replace my good old 15 years old homebrewing equipment.

I mash in the oven of an electric stove. I really like it because it gives a very accurate digital control over the temperature.
For sparging I use a 5 gallons Gott cooler ( will soon upgrade to 10 gallons ) with a false bottom and a sparging arm.

So I'm left with selecting a good simple reliable no frills 10 gallons boiling kettle.
I boil the wort on the electric stove ( I live in an apartment ) .
The kettle should have a stainless steel spigot and some kind of screen to filter the trub and the hops pellets.
Right now, after chilling the wort, I transfer it , using a sanitized 1 quart pyrex measuring cup , in the carboy through a plastic funnel with a small screen.

I checked various reviews on this ( great ) forum and was interested in the Boilermaker but noticed that some members have problems with the boil screen clogging.

So could any member suggest a stainless steel 10 gallons boiling kettle with a reliable boil screen ?

Jacques

 

[Catt22]

I would suggest using any SS ten gallon kettle equipped with an outlet port and valve. Screens of any kind don't work very well when using pellet hops. Instead, you might consider using mesh bags for the hops. I foresee a couple of issues you may face when up sizing your system.

1. If you are planning for 10 gallon batches, you will need a kettle large than 10 gallons for the boil and it may not fit into your oven. It's something to consider.

2. You may have difficulty boiling a ten gallon batch on your electric stove. You may need to span two burners with the kettle and sometimes this can result in damage to the stove top or burners depending on the stove design etc.

Give some thought to the above. Otherwise, most any kettle with an outlet port will do the job as a boil kettle. You could also easily drill a hole in any kettle and add a weldless fitting yourself.

Hope this helps some.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I know you said you wanted stainless, but for an electric stove, I would take a serious look at aluminum kettles. I feel the greater heat transfer of aluminum outweighs the benefits of stainless for stovetop boiling. Whatever you buy, a layered or sandwich base stainless will have the most trouble boiling large volumes w/ a minimal heat source. Kettles can be found at instawares, fittings/valves at bargainfittings.

oh and I know you have had success w/ oven mashing, I don't doubt it, but for the trouble of transfering to a cooler to lauter, try mashing in the cooler, once you learn how to do it, it works very well and might be one less step for you...

hah...sorry, I realize my post pretty much contradicts waht you said you wanted, and the methods for brewing....but I guess that's what these boards are for, opinions??

hah, one more, IMO don't bother with the false bottom and sparge arm, try a braid and batch sparging. If you are set on fly sparging, a false bottom is good, but lots of folks thing the sparge arm is kinda silly...just keep an inch or so of sparge water over the grain bed.

 

[eimar]

Thank you Catt22 and wilserbrewer for taking some of your valuable time to reply.

To Catt22: I purchased the Heavy Duty Brew Kettle - With Ball Valve (32 Quart/8 Gallon) from MoreBeer. I'm brewing 5 gallons batches so an 8 Gallons kettle gives me some room. It is made out of stainless steel and has a outlet port. I should receive it next week.
There is a bazooka screen , but I didn't order it because I'm using pellets and I'm afraid they'll clog the screen. Maybe I should order it now that I have a bigger kettle so I can "graduate" to hops flowers.

To wilserbrewer: I have nothing against aluminium, as a matter of fact I ( like most homebrewers 15 years ago ) started brewing using malt extract and an aluminium kettle so I already paid my dues
And the commercial breweries use Stainless so there must be a good reason ?

I do 3 steps mashs so mashing in the cooler would be a little complicate.

About batch sparging, does it have the same efficiency as with a lauter tun ?
Some argument that has no technical justificatio: I like to sit and look at the little rotating sparging arm while sipping a Trappist ale ( I'm Belgian ).

But as you judiciously say: "but I guess that's what these boards are for, opinions??"

Jacques

 

[uncia]

And the commercial breweries use Stainless so there must be a good reason ?

Yup. It is easier to clean.