Which Boil Kettle, comparing several

[bd2xu]

I have a 9 gallon cheap SS pot with ball valve and thermometer. Currently using it for HLT and the boil kettle. Looking for a new boil kettle, 15 gallons, so I can do all grain or extract/PM 10 gallon batches (full wort boil on second two). Using a 10 gallon cooler for the MLT. Considering these boil kettles, all look good and the same thickness so thinking it's down to the cheapest. Austin's has a 3 piece valve. Any thoughts? Or a better deal?

http://www.homebrewstuff.com/15-gallon-kettle-w-valve-thermometer.html

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_463&products_id=12894

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...tles/megapot-with-ball-valve-brewmometer.html (15 gallon with valve and thermom is $273.99

These all have 1.2 mm walls and a 5 mm bottom which is aluminum bw SS.

 

[Golddiggie]

Consider making a keggle... Provided you have a propane burner that is. You should be able to make a keggle for less than even the lowest cost of the three you listed. Of course, that does depend on the cost of the keg and such.

 

[manoaction]

***Shameless Plug***

I'm not a vendor, but I just listed my cut keggle on ebay the other day. 15.5 gallons, stainless ball valve, and I'll drill any extra holes you want for it. Opening bid just $85.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stainless-K...375?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2c6c58a7

 

[SpikeBrewing]

If you're handy and don't 'stealing' a keg from a brewery than keggle is a good option.

If you haven't taken a look out our kettles I would suggest doing so

-Ben

 

[manoaction]

If you're handy and don't 'stealing' a keg from a brewery than keggle is a good option.

For the record, I bought my kegs decommissioned from a local brewery.

 

[Golddiggie]

If you're handy and don't 'stealing' a keg from a brewery than keggle is a good option.

If you haven't taken a look out our kettles I would suggest doing so

-Ben

Actually, you CAN get legal kegs without too much effort. I've done it and have a source for when I want/need more. There are plenty of people buying decommissioned kegs from scrap yards and recycle centers, which are 100% legit/not stolen.

 

[JonW]

If you're handy and don't 'stealing' a keg from a brewery than keggle is a good option.

Just because you have a keggle doesn't mean it is stolen. There are plenty of legitimate ways to obtain a keggle.

 

[manoaction]

Ha... Poor spike, we all sort of piled on at once there.

 

[SpikeBrewing]

For the record, I bought my kegs decommissioned from a local brewery.

Wasn't trying to infer anything. You must have posted when I was still typing because I didn't even see your post when I replied.

Actually, you CAN get legal kegs without too much effort. I've done it and have a source for when I want/need more. There are plenty of people buying decommissioned kegs from scrap yards and recycle centers, which are 100% legit/not stolen.

I highly disagree with that. I first got into this business by making keggles. My kegs were sourced from local college kids that couldn't/didn't return them. Once I found out that a new keg costs upwards of $200 and how big of a problem it is to the breweries I looked into sourcing them totally on the up-and-up. I emailed every brewery in the state of Wisconsin and not even one brewery had a 'decommissioned' keg.

I know you're a big keggle advocate and this is nothing against you personally. Most kegs that are at scrap yards and recycling centers are not legit. Here in Wisconsin it is actually a felony for a scrap yard to take a keg because it's such a problem. These kegs are built like tanks and I just can't see them getting decommissioned unless a fork truck punctured one. The valves and o-rings are replaceable and I know breweries fix the bottom rings if they get dented badly.

I'm sure a few people have 'hookups' to get them but even then I'd be surprised if they were 100% totally on the up-and-up.

Just because you have a keggle doesn't mean it is stolen. There are plenty of legitimate ways to obtain a keggle.

Again I would argue this...

Ha... Poor spike, we all sort of piled on at once there.

Ha ha no worries. I know it's a hot topic. I used to have the mind set of 'screw the large brewies' especially when they are not US owned any longer. But as a business owner I'm starting to see things differently...

 

[Golddiggie]

Ha... Poor spike, we all sort of piled on at once there.

He brought it onto himself... His first error was assuming that ALL keggles are made with 'stolen' kegs. People are smart, and more aware of such things these days. I actually make it a point to NOT get kegs that I suspect are not obtained in legal ways. IMO, even though it's probably not going to be something you'll get arrested for, why risk it? Besides, I'm NOT about to get a commercial keg full of beer, just for the keg it came in. Besides not having a setup to handle such a keg, I'm not buying beer to drink at home. I brew what I drink.

BTW, the person I get my kegs from gets them from the recycle center the breweries/distributors (in the area/region) use. There's an actual paper trail proving the kegs are 100% legit. They are not dirt cheap, but I'm not looking to get something for below fair rate. I won't use ebay for these things since [very often] they charge far too much shipping. Plus, they're not smart enough to fully empty the keg before shipping it, so the cost is far more than it should be.

I'm a keggle advocate more since I have the tools, and brains, to modify a keg into a killer keggle. IMO, the pots being sold by so many places are seriously over priced for what you get.

 

[bd2xu]

If you're handy and don't 'stealing' a keg from a brewery than keggle is a good option.

If you haven't taken a look out our kettles I would suggest doing so

-Ben

Good price and look nice, I love the idea of welded couplers vs weldless. I really wanted something with a thick clad bottom though.

 

[Golddiggie]

Good price and look nice, I love the idea of welded couplers vs weldless. I really wanted something with a thick clad bottom though.

Why?? thick clad will take more time to get heat up for the initial heat transfer and then retain heat longer during the chill phase.

 

[SpikeBrewing]

Good price and look nice, I love the idea of welded couplers vs weldless. I really wanted something with a thick clad bottom though.

Great thread! You've brought up two highly debated topics.

Not to be lazy p) but I posted this in an earlier thread and I'm just going to copy/paste.

"On paper, yes. Practically, not really.

Now we offer single layer kettles BUT we used to sell the same exact kettles the MegaPots are made from so I'll try and give an unbiased answer...

The tri-ply kettles can be marketed very easily as a 'no scorching kettle'. But in real life the tri-ply kettles are designed for making thick soups and sauces in restaurants; not making beer. The sauces and soups have a much higher tendency to scorch than beer.

Out of all the kettles we've sold I have NEVER had even one person mention anything about scorching with their kettle. Companies like Blichmann and Stout would also not be around if all single layer kettles did was scorch the wort.

The three main reasons we ditched the tri-ply kettles and moved exclusively to the single layers were:
1. Add cost with no real added benefit
2. Added weight
3. MegaPots are wider than tall"

-Ben

 

[bd2xu]

Great thread! You've brought up two highly debated topics.

Not to be lazy p) but I posted this in an earlier thread and I'm just going to copy/paste.

"On paper, yes. Practically, not really.

Now we offer single layer kettles BUT we used to sell the same exact kettles the MegaPots are made from so I'll try and give an unbiased answer...

The tri-ply kettles can be marketed very easily as a 'no scorching kettle'. But in real life the tri-ply kettles are designed for making thick soups and sauces in restaurants; not making beer. The sauces and soups have a much higher tendency to scorch than beer.

Out of all the kettles we've sold I have NEVER had even one person mention anything about scorching with their kettle. Companies like Blichmann and Stout would also not be around if all single layer kettles did was scorch the wort.

The three main reasons we ditched the tri-ply kettles and moved exclusively to the single layers were:
1. Add cost with no real added benefit
2. Added weight
3. MegaPots are wider than tall"

-Ben

That's good to hear and if the case I'd rather have a standard bottom. My current pot is a bayou classic 36 qt, I think it's this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JXYUA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20. It does scorch every time I use it, either on inside gas stove or outdoor propane. I've learned to turn it down a little but it's so thin (says.8 mm) that I even had issues with it bending when I drilled it.

 

[bd2xu]

Also is it more desirable to have a taller pot? I know a wider pot promotes more evaporation but not sure what would be better about taller than wider? I'm new to this, but all in! Have brewed 8 extracts and my first all grain this weekend. Second all grain coming up this Saturday.

 

[Ajgeo]

I have gone through a lot of different kettles in the past three years. If you are still doing some extract batches I don't think clad bottoms are a bad idea. I had scorching when I was still doing extract brews in a single layer kettle over a bayou classic burner, not enough to taste, but enough to make cleaning more difficult. It always happened with LME, even when stirring like crazy and reducing heat considerably. When I switched to an eight gallon HD morebeer kettle, I never had scorching. I didn't notice a difference in heating or cooling times. If I still did extract batches, I would have kept that kettle. In case you decide to go single layer, here is a nice and cheap single layer kettle that morebeer sells.

 

[bd2xu]

***Shameless Plug***

I'm not a vendor, but I just listed my cut keggle on ebay the other day. 15.5 gallons, stainless ball valve, and I'll drill any extra holes you want for it. Opening bid just $85.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stainless-Keggle-Keg-with-Ball-Valve-for-Hombrewing-No-Reserve-/121004382375?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2c6c58a7

Thanks may bid on this. I've seen tons of pics of brew rigs using keggles so they must be great. However I haven't known where to get a keg, then find a welder with a plasma cutter, etc. I have a step bit now so I could drill the holes. But I think buying an already made keggle may just be the best.

 

[Golddiggie]

Thanks may bid on this. I've seen tons of pics of brew rigs using keggles so they must be great. However I haven't known where to get a keg, then find a welder with a plasma cutter, etc. I have a step bit now so I could drill the holes. But I think buying an already made keggle may just be the best.

NO plasma cutter needed at all. Simply get a right angle grinder (or have a friend with one) and use cutoff wheels for stainless. You can get the tools from Harbor Freight if you want to go the cheap route. People have posted about making jigs to cut the top. I found that a simple PVC 'T' fitting does it just fine. I'd have to look at the size, but I think it's a 1-1/4" 'T' fitting. Simply remove the valve/spear from the keg, and that fits inside the hole. Couldn't be easier that way. Make several circuits/passes to do the cut and you'll be fine.

 

[bd2xu]

Why?? thick clad will take more time to get heat up for the initial heat transfer and then retain heat longer during the chill phase.

Scorching issues with my current pot and I cook a lot and know the huge difference between my all clad and original calphalon cookware than my old cheapo stuff. Retaining heat is the main benefit but you're right, I didn't think about the heat retention being a bad thing in the chilling stage, that's true.

How thick are kegs compared to these pots which range from .8 to 1.2 for the walls? I've used a keg many times in my life but never seen the inside ;-)

 

[bd2xu]

NO plasma cutter needed at all. Simply get a right angle grinder (or have a friend with one) and use cutoff wheels for stainless. You can get the tools from Harbor Freight if you want to go the cheap route. People have posted about making jigs to cut the top. I found that a simple PVC 'T' fitting does it just fine. I'd have to look at the size, but I think it's a 1-1/4" 'T' fitting. Simply remove the valve/spear from the keg, and that fits inside the hole. Couldn't be easier that way. Make several circuits/passes to do the cut and you'll be fine.

Sounds like I could do that. I have a grinder but not right angle, but my buddy has plenty of tools.

 

[bd2xu]

I have gone through a lot of different kettles in the past three years. If you are still doing some extract batches I don't think clad bottoms are a bad idea. I had scorching when I was still doing extract brews in a single layer kettle over a bayou classic burner, not enough to taste, but enough to make cleaning more difficult. It always happened with LME, even when stirring like crazy and reducing heat considerably. When I switched to an eight gallon HD morebeer kettle, I never had scorching. I didn't notice a difference in heating or cooling times. If I still did extract batches, I would have kept that kettle. In case you decide to go single layer, here is a nice and cheap single layer kettle that morebeer sells.

Thanks, did my first all grain this week and it scorched. Not dark but could see light tan lines on the bottom of my thin (.8mm) pot. Not bad but I was jut thinking thicker is better when it comes to cookware and clad bottoms are great on my smaller stockpots. I'm sure I will still do some extract too when I get lazy and/or want to brew inside.

 

[Golddiggie]

Scorching issues with my current pot and I cook a lot and know the huge difference between my all clad and original calphalon cookware than my old cheapo stuff. Retaining heat is the main benefit but you're right, I didn't think about the heat retention being a bad thing in the chilling stage, that's true.

How thick are kegs compared to these pots which range from .8 to 1.2 for the walls? I've used a keg many times in my life but never seen the inside ;-)

Just measured the top I cut from my last keg. Comes out to 1.3mm (converted from inches since that's what my caliper reads).

I get minor heat marks from my Blichmann burner, depending on how high I turn it up. Easily wipes off (on the inside) though.

BTW, I had a friend help me cut my first keg. I didn't have my grinder at home (it was in my sister's basement, about an hour drive for me). I now have that one, a cordless model, and another (better) corded model. The original one is now used for polishing kegs (care less about killing it). The newer corded one is a higher power rating, and makes easy work of cutting the tops. The cordless is for when I just need to do a couple of quick cuts and/or don't have a power outlet to use.

 

[bd2xu]

Wow we are super geeks, I never my beer drinking and brewing would turn into a discussion of stainless steel wall thickness measured with a caliper. Just awesome. Already love this hobby.

 

[Golddiggie]

Wow we are super geeks, I never my beer drinking and brewing would turn into a discussion of stainless steel wall thickness measured with a caliper. Just awesome. Already love this hobby.

The dial caliper is from when I was reloading (need to check bullet length to ensure no feeding issues). I've used it on more than a few occasions when either making, or altering, my brewing gear. :rockin:

I also know a bit about metal working, having made knives before. I can gas weld as needed (about to have my oxy-acetylene setup at the new place) without issue. I also know enough to know that I don't know a lot. But, I also know where to look for info, and when to farm things out to professionals. I'm looking at three more 1/6bbl kegs, that I'll be converting into fermenters (for mead and such). I'm going to work on silver soldering in the base fitting to add ball lock gas posts to them.

BTW, just because I'm an IT professional during the day, doesn't mean I don't have other talents.

 

[bd2xu]

The dial caliper is from when I was reloading (need to check bullet length to ensure no feeding issues). I've used it on more than a few occasions when either making, or altering, my brewing gear. :rockin:

I also know a bit about metal working, having made knives before. I can gas weld as needed (about to have my oxy-acetylene setup at the new place) without issue. I also know enough to know that I don't know a lot. But, I also know where to look for info, and when to farm things out to professionals. I'm looking at three more 1/6bbl kegs, that I'll be converting into fermenters (for mead and such). I'm going to work on silver soldering in the base fitting to add ball lock gas posts to them.

BTW, just because I'm an IT professional during the day, doesn't mean I don't have other talents.

I could have guessed it, I'm an IT professional too. Spent 8 years doing everything from help desk to DBA to application manager, made the move to an SE role 7 years ago and has been awesome! My other hobby is reef keeping. Surprising how similar it is to brewing in many ways... Water quality, temp, I have a refractometer, and basically spending way too much money on being anal and investing in gear.

 

[Markd27]

Go with the Cadillac of brew kettles, the Boilermaker.

:rockin:

 

[bd2xu]

Go with the Cadillac of brew kettles, the Boilermaker.

:rockin:

Yeah really nice but at $400...

 

[300RUM]

I just bought a NB Megapot (used) and retired my Keggle to HLT. I like it alot better than the keggle, to each his own. Any of the kettles you listed would be about the same.

Man, the next one I buy will be the Boiler Maker:rockin: But I'd go 20 Gal

 

[Golddiggie]

When I'm ready for the next size up, I'll probably be going with a boil kettle and mash tun from Stout Tanks. That's going to be at least a couple of years from now though. I might have the cost of one BoilerMaker kettle (10 gallon) tied up in both my boil keggle and mash tun keggle. :fro:

 

[bd2xu]

***Shameless Plug***

I'm not a vendor, but I just listed my cut keggle on ebay the other day. 15.5 gallons, stainless ball valve, and I'll drill any extra holes you want for it. Opening bid just $85.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stainless-Keggle-Keg-with-Ball-Valve-for-Hombrewing-No-Reserve-/121004382375?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2c6c58a7

Got it! If you happen to have the cutout top can you include that?

 

[Dog House Brew]

I agree, to each his own, but I'm a kettle guy. My boil kettle is a stainless honey centrifuge I traded some welding for. 3/16" thick and and is tall and narrow. Bought me a 25 gal MegaPot. I think the Mega pot with the triclad bottom is an awesome kettle. My HLT is a keggle. The pot heats the water faster. Not sure how it all works in tech speak, but it does heat faster. When welding in the fittings, if I had it to do all over, I would weld in Triclovers and not have any threaded fittings. The keg was was thicker and easier to weld. For the money a keggle is a great deal, I just like The Mega Pot better.