Starter budget kettle advise

[Scuba_Steve81]

I have spent way to much lately, but I need to finish out my brew setup. Therefore, budget is important.

Please advise on a good kettle with valve and thermometer that wont break the bank.

I currently have an 8 gallon, but from what I've read, that wont do for 5g biab. I assume I'll need at least a 10g correct?

I have found these.
HomeBrewStuff Heavy Duty 10 Gallon Stainless Steel Kettle with Valve and Thermometer Includes SS Barb and Silicone Tubing

Bayou 16g kit

Or DIY
Bayou Classic 1044 44-Quart Stainless-Steel Stockpot
HomeBrewStuff 1/2" Stainless Steel Valve Weldless Bulkhead For Home Brew Kettle
Bayou Classic 800-770 Brew Thermometer
Neiko 10194A Titanium Step Drill Bit, High Speed Steel | 1/4" to 1-3/8" | Total 10 Step Sizes

What would you choose? Any better and/or cheaper options?
Thanks!

 

[gromitdj]

I can't seem to open your links without cutting and pasting everything, so I quit trying.... But the Home Brew Stuff kettle is a pretty good deal.

I DIY'd my 10 Gallon Tall Boy kettle. I might not do it again. After buying all the accessories and step bits, the frustration of drilling stainless steel, and the time consumed. It might not be worth it to me.

On the other hand, I did buy the kettle and use it "as-is" for a few brews, and then added the accessories as budget allowed. Kind of like an easy payment plan.

 

[Scuba_Steve81]

Links fixed, I think...

I also found this, although makes me nervous on quality.

17g eBay kettle

 

[btbnl]

A second-hand keggle would likely set you back $150-$200 (depending on the added hardware & welded vs weldless couplings), and a 15G mash/boil kettle and 8G sparge kettle to dunk the bag in after mashing gets you comfortably up to 10G batches.

 

[chrilr]

I have used a 10 gallon aluminum winware pot from Amazon for over 2 years with no problems. 50$

 

[mongoose33]

Rethink that thermometer requirement--if you have a thermometer sticking out into the kettle, you're going to have a difficult time hoisting that bag w/ a thermometer sticking into it. Maybe a very stubby themometer might work, just keep that in mind as you go through this process.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

If your tight on cash at the moment you could always just buy a pot and add the extras later.The cheap Harbor freight step bits work fine for the hole.FWIW I EBIAB and just use a floating thermometer and auto siphon.(Now I use my Inkbird from my ferm chamber to measure temps) I feel no need for the bells and whistles but that's me
Heres a pot that many use including myself.Very heavy duty will last a lifetime.http://www.ebay.com/itm/CONCORD-40-...rew-Kettle-w-Lid-Heavy-Cookware-/140948806101

 

[SlickTX]

FWIW, I have the 11 gal Bayou kettle and it works will with grain bills of 11.5 lbs or so. I don't think I'd be comfortable doing a really big brew with it so you may want to calibrate your needs based on that.

 

[eadavis80]

I have an 8-gallon TallBoy and can do 5 gallon BIAB batches with it - IF I sparge. If you want to be sparge-free, then yeah - you'll need a bigger kettle, but if budget is a top priority, I can easily get 10-12 pounds of grain in there wit about 5 gallons of water to start. Mash that up for an hour or so, left the bag, I then put it on a steel milk crate (this is where having 2 people really helps on brew day), put the bag in the milk crate and then carefully pour a few gallons worth of 168-degree water through the grain bag until I get to 6 gallons of pre-boil volume. My efficiency is pretty good with this technique too and it won't cost you anything (minus maybe trying to score the steel milk crate). Just an idea.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I have spent way to much lately, but I need to finish out my brew setup. Therefore, budget is important.



Please advise on a good kettle with valve and thermometer that wont break the bank.



I currently have an 8 gallon, but from what I've read, that wont do for 5g biab. I assume I'll need at least a 10g correct?



What would you choose?
Thanks!

If things are as tight $wise as you imply, I would choose to use the 8 gallon pot and spend my available cash on ingredients to make beer and worry about a bigger better kettle down the road.

With a little dunk sparge action in a free bucket you can make the same beer in you 8 gal kettle as you can in a shiny 10 gallon Blichmann.

Run what you brung, just learn the work arounds, not that big a deal really!

IMO you already have a perfect "starter budget kettle" Cheers now go and make some beer.

Work arounds....

1. Sparge
2. Use a hand held thermo, some actually remove a kettle thermo for BIAB.
3. Either rack the chilled beer from the kettle, or get a 1/2 or 1 gallon pitcher, sanitize it and use it to transfer chilled beer to your fermenter, when there is only a gallon or two left, pour kettle to fermenter.

 

[Dcpcooks]

I give a deal on my old mash/ boil keggle. 15.5 gallon dip tube, thermometer, false bottom. Where do you live?

 

[TexasWine]

I wouldn't upgrade from an 8 gallon to a 10 gallon. @wilserbrewer suggested the same.

Save your money. After a few months, if you get tired of sparging and want to upgrade, go with a 15 or 16 gallon kettle. That size is very flexible for 5 gallon batches.

I started with 9 gallon kettles. Brewed with it for over two years. Finally got tired of sparging just recently and bought a 15.5 gallon Bayou Classic. Built the kettle out myself (valve, sight glass, electric element) and saved a wad of cash.

If you see yourself making more upgrades in the future, I'd recommend picking up a few tools so you can do the work yourself. You'll learn a lot, and it allows you to trouble shoot should something go awry.

Hope this helps.

 

[MrO]

I agree with TexasWine. I brewed 5-6 gal batches for years in a really cheep 9 gal pot. And when it was time to upgrade I went with the ebay concord 100 qt (I moved to larger batches) and outfitted it myself for a very reasonable price. They are stainless steel, durable, and the thick enough to drill easily. A word of warning about customizing really cheep pots: when I went electric I converted my old 9 gal stainless to a heat exchanger/hot liquor tank and the thin walls (22-24 gauge don't remember) made it difficult to drill and hard to mount fittings in leak free way.