Quick Kettle question

[soccerguy83]

First kettle buy, will be ordering today to save on shipping from NB with their kit sale.

Plan on doing 5gal extract batches.

8 or 10 gal kettle?

MegaPot or Tall Boy? Seems that they are the same kettle, with rubber grips on the MegaPot.

Don't plan on getting a ball valve or thermometer. Can install those in the future if needed.

 

[alby44]

Spend the extra money and go for the 10...you'll have plenty of head space with 10 gallons if you plan on going BIAB/All grain.

 

[Rockn_M]

Always go the next size up when buy for this hobby. You might not need it today but down the road you might want to venture out and try new tecniques like BIAB that will require a bigger pot.

 

[djonesax]

+1 for the 10

 

[m00ps]

I'd get the valve and thermometer too. I started without one and got a bigger kettle with those preinstalled and it was definitely worth it. Unless you are very handy at DIY stuff, installing stuff like that can be a pain. The premade one I got had perfect welds so I wont have bacteria living in my shoddy weld jobs

 

[LLBeanJ]

Tall Boy is fine. I think the MPs are a little better quality and they have the convenient volume markings on the inside (that you could add yourself to the TB), but it depends on your budget. 10g minimum. 15g would be better if you ever decide you want to go BIAB.

 

[soccerguy83]

Awesome responses guys! I was leaning towards the 10, I like the gallon markings on the inside of the MP but like was stated, I can add myself.

 

[Foosier]

10 gallon for sure. It makes it much less likely to get a boil over. (5 gallon batches usually involve boiling 6.5 gallons of liquid and it can get very frothy.)

 

[suckmyale]

if you are ordering from NB, and possibly doing BIAB in the future, throw this in too.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewmaster-filter-bag-214-214.html

It fits perfectly in a 10G Tall Boy. I personally haven't used it yet, I just picked it up, but the reviews are good and for $6, hard to beat.

 

[mcbar]

I have a 7.5g turkey fryer and I wish I had laid out for the next size up.

 

[soccerguy83]

Thanks for the quick replies, ordering now!

 

[Mountainsax]

Thanks for asking soccerguy! I have been debating the same for a while now.

If I may add on a couple questions... How do you mark your own kettle? What about the valves that you can add yourself without welding? Do they make a thermometer like this also?

 

[JayDubWill]

This should get you started: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f257/how-add-permanent-volume-markings-kettle-illustrated-463099/

 

[LLBeanJ]

If I may add on a couple questions... How do you mark your own kettle? What about the valves that you can add yourself without welding? Do they make a thermometer like this also?

Yes, there are weldless thermometer ports too, which are basically the same thing as the weldless ports for the ball valves.

 

[brick_haus]

15 gallon, IMHO, is too big for 5 gallon batches. Larger diameter increases boil off rate.

Go with the 10 for sure

 

[LLBeanJ]

15 gallon, IMHO, is too big for 5 gallon batches. Larger diameter increases boil off rate.

Go with the 10 for sure

Interesting. I find that a 15 gal kettle is IDEAL for 5 gal batches. It's also great for 8 gal batches for those times when I want 5 gals in the keg and a couple more to bottle. It just opens up so many more possibilities. Boil-off doesn't bother me at all, since water is basically free, though my boil-off is only 1.25 gal/hr with my 15 gal MegaPot, which is pretty much the same as it was with my old 8 gal kettle.

Different strokes, I suppose.

 

[brick_haus]

Interesting. I find that a 15 gal kettle is IDEAL for 5 gal batches. It's also great for 8 gal batches for those times when I want 5 gals in the keg and a couple more to bottle. It just opens up so many more possibilities. Boil-off doesn't bother me at all, since water is basically free, though my boil-off is only 1.25 gal/hr with my 15 gal MegaPot, which is pretty much the same as it was with my old 8 gal kettle.

Different strokes, I suppose.

After thinking about it, I brew alternate 10/5 gallon batches and use a 20 gallon BK. It's the same diameter as my 15 gallon kettles. The smaller batches, although they turn out great, seem awkward because the liquid is WAY down there!!
So, besides leaving more wort in the BK(larger diameter) after transferring to fermentor and the increased boil off rate, it actually works OK, just seems awkward...

 

[soccerguy83]

I ended up ordering the 10gal Tall Boy and the three kit sale last night to keep it all on one order and one flat rate for shipping of $8.

The kits I ordered:
Imperial Stout
Dead Ringer IPA
Cascade Mountains West Coast IPA