What size brew pot to get?

[mtbiker278]

I got a $200 gift card as a directors award for a project I worked on. I want to buy a new brew pot but I have a couple of questions.

I currently do 5gal extract batches, but I'm planning on moving to partial, and then all grain in the coming year or sooner. I would like to have the versatility to do full boils for 5 gal batches as well as 10gal batches. Originally I was considering a 40Qt stainless pot from Bayou Classic (~$75), but now I'm considering the new Brewhemoth pot (16+ gal, $140) that was announced a couple weeks ago.

Is there any reason I couldn't/shouldn't do a 5gal batch in such a big pot? Also I would plan to modify it with a sight glass and thermometer in the future, but I hear we can get custom fabs if we wanted.

Thanks for the input!

 

[pwndabear]

go big.

 

[Beer_Maker]

^or go home!

No reason you can't go bigger. If you buy the smaller one and then you decide to go to 10 g batches then you get to buy another one. Simple economics...

 

[Mista_Sparkle]

Yeah, bigger is better. I originally picked up a 5 gallon stainless pot, but within a couple batches my friend had found a 60 quart for cheap so I started doing bigger batches.

Bigger is better. If you are going to do 10 gallon batches, go with at least a 12 gallon pot or so.

 

[soundsandsuds]

Brewhemoth Penrose Kettle is a pretty great deal, and you can add a thermometer and sightglass later. Plus it looks pretty serious.
That said, you don't want to go too big for a stovetop pot or the bottom will be a lot wider than your burner. And if you buy a 6-8 gallon pot now you can use it for other things later like a mash tun if you add a screen or false bottom. Then boil in the larger pot which you buy later.

 

[stevo155]

Does that pot have a ball valve? I will never buy a pot again without one. Something to consider.

If you're planning on 10 gallon eventually, go with at least 15 now.

 

[yodalegomaster]

A 40 Quart is too small to do 10 gallon batches. I would be looking for a 60 Quart.

 

[hamiltont]

Ohh I wish I had bought a 20 gallon pot! I went with a 15 thinking it would be big enough for 10 gallon batches, and usually it is, but I've had to boil a 2nd pot multiple times. Mostly for 90-120 minute boils. IMO the only down side with a bigger pot is that the diameter is usually bigger, meaning more boil off due to increased surface area. So, when comparing pots look for taller & smaller diameter pots. The "Brewhemoth pot (16+ gal, $140)" seems like the deal! Cheers!!!

 

[superjunior]

I started out with a 15g. pot to do 5 and 10 g. batches. than my buddies wanted in on the action so I told them to go in on a 25g. pot. some brew days we have both them bad boys fired up. I wouldn't try using something that big on the stove top though. you might want to consider a spigot too, makes life a lot easier

 

[ToastedPenguin]

+1 on going big....."thats what she said"....anyway always go for the largest pot you can afford. A decent rule of thumb I have used is to buy a pot that is 3-5 gallons larger then the volume I intend to brew when doing full boils to prevent boil overs , splattering and allow for boil off. If you are going to brew 5 gallons and do full boils chances are you will need 6+ gallons of water to keep at 5 gallons at the end of the boil and not have to top off with water that didn't have contact with the wort/hops during the boil.

A way to keep the price of a SS pot down is to buy a pot without all the bells and whistles and add them yourself. Drilling a hole in a SS pot is not difficult and DIY will save you a bunch of $$ and allow you to afford a bigger pot.

My first pot was a 10G SS pot I bought from a commercial cookware company for $110. I added a valve and thermometer for $35.

David

David

 

[Sensei_Oberon]

Does that pot have a ball valve? I will never buy a pot again without one. Something to consider.

If you're planning on 10 gallon eventually, go with at least 15 now.

Stevo, can you expand on the importance of a ball valve?

thanks

 

[superjunior]

Stevo, can you expand on the importance of a ball valve?

thanks

ball valve/spigot just makes things easier when doing bigger batches. no lifting heavy pots, no siphoning, just open up the valve and start filling fermentors.

 

[hiberntepaths]

I went with a 6 gallon pot...and I'm actually glad I did so!

My electric stove has a hard time getting a good boil going. I can get about 4 gallons going good without waiting toooo long. So yeah, heat source is something to consider!

 

[superjunior]

I went with a 6 gallon pot...and I'm actually glad I did so!

My electric stove has a hard time getting a good boil going. I can get about 4 gallons going good without waiting toooo long. So yeah, heat source is something to consider!

so true, I've been thinling about getting a 5 or 6g. for stove top brewing

 

[RugenBrau]

If your on a stove top don't go to big.
I'm outside on a propane fryer and went with a 15 gallon pot and like it. Just remember you only want to buy the pot once. Don't go to small and have to buy another one later

 

[cruckin78]

I say get the biggest pot you can afford. You will not regret it!

 

[ToastedPenguin]

Doing boils in the kitchen...build a heat stick.....I have been doing full 5 gallon boils (really 6.5 gallons cause of boil off) on my gas stove in my kitchen with the aide of a 120v/20A heat stick. I am sold on electric brewing and once I get my kegs after Christmas I will be converting them into e-keggles!

The e-keggles will require 240v elements but the concept is the same.

David

 

[mkirkland]

The biggest you can afford. As soon as you buy a 5 gallon pot you will need a 7.5 gallon, then a 10 gallon then a 15 gallon and so on... I just converted a keg to a kettle so i am good to go for anything that i need as far as size. BIGGER IS BETTER

 

[mtbiker278]

Thanks for the feedback.

Well I think I'm settled on the Brewhemoth Kettle. The Site says it's 16+ gal, and has a 16" base. I brew on an SP-10 burner so heating it shouldn't be an issue. I just need to get a hold of the Brewhemoth guys and talk about possible customizations, but I might just buy it neat as is.

Thanks again!

 

[KevinW]

I use the sq-14 and have a 52qt kettle and it works great! (flame on to boil in ~20 minutes)

My kettle is aluminum($39.00) so I bought the valve/sightglass combo from bargainfittings.com($25.00) and used a step bit for the holes and made an awesome kettle for about $65!

If you are not into DIY then it is worth spending the extra to have it done for you but you really should put in the valve and at sight glass.

Good luck!

 

[HSM]

Stevo, can you expand on the importance of a ball valve?

thanks

Because some day you will want a full rig and pumps and chillers and all kinds of stuff that will require that valve.

 

[mtbiker278]

Ok So I decided to get a 62Qt Bayou classic stainless pot for Amazon for $120. I'll add on a valve and thermo sight later probably from Bargain fittings.

From what I can tell there isn't really a need for a valve per say, but it can make things easier depending on what you want to do. For instance if you want to run a false bottom the valve will give you the connection to use it. Same with a diptube/whirlpool generator, or recirculation plumbing. Of course if you don't plan on doing any of this stuff in the future it's not really needed and you could be fine with just a racking cane/auto siphon.

 

[BrewThruYou]

Good choice. Since you are not stovetop, then I say bigger the better. I do stovetop, so I'm using 30qt.

 

[KMart104]

What are the bennifits of the glass site glass?

 

[mkirkland]

What are the bennifits of the glass site glass?

Benefits would be that you dont have to guess how much water is in your kettle so you really dont have to pre-measure liquid before it goes into the kettle. Site glass gives you an instant reading of what is currently in the brew kettle. Makes everything easier.

 

[mtbiker278]

It also helps you determine the amount of water you boiled off. For instance if you do a high gravity beer you're going to have more wort than your final batch volume. you might start with 8 gals of work but you have to go down to a 5 gal end volume.