Is a keggle for 6 gallon batches overkill?

Ok, so I've been doing boils 6 gallon boils in my 7 gallon pot, but someone just gave me a fully put together keggle.

I would love to increase my pre-boil volume to 7 gallons from 6, but I thought a 15 gallon keggle might be a bit much for a 7 gallon boil.

I'm not ready to move to 10 gallon batches yet, and was wondering if anyone else uses their keggle for smaller than 10 gallon batches?

 

Yes it will work great for a 6g batch.. Keggles are great.

 

Not at all. The price is right. Around here $30 for a pot? You're crazy to buy a $150 kettle. Also, the keggles will let you up size your batches. Make a starter and your yeast is the same price. Hops from hopsdirect are like a buck an ounce and if you pay more than $45/bag for base malt of $55/bag for specialty malts your crazy. Go 10 gallon and split into 5 gallon fermenters and pitch diffrent yeast, dry hop, spices, other wierd additions, etc. I've even had 5 gallons of stout with clams and jap peppers and another without.

 

I brew 6 gallon batches, and I love my keggle. Wouldn't brew without it now that I've brewed with it.

 

I brew 5.5 gallon batches, I have boiled my keggle over a few times LOL

 

I brew 5 gallon batches in my keggle, I am about to convert a keg into a MLT, I am wondering if that is overkill for 5 gallon batches.

 

Thanks for the responses! Looks like I'll be washing out that keggle for my next batch. Since it has a valve, tha means no more racking on brew day :rockin:

I've actually done 6.5 gallon boils in my 7 gallon kettle thanks to foam control. It's a thing of beauty. Only about an inch and a half from the top of the kettle. You juyst gotta watch it like a hawk when it first boils.

 

That's the best thing about doing 5-6 gallon batches in a keggle -- unless you're The Pol you don't have to worry about boilovers and don't have to be there every second of the boil.

 

Keep in mind that a keg is typically taller and thinner than a pot. My keggle is roughly the same diameter as my 8 G pot. Evaporation is largely determined by surface area.

My guess is your boil off with the keggle will be pretty close to what you now see with your 7 gallon pot.

 

Just finished my keggle and I'm doing 5 gallons now. Once I make my mash tun, I'll be moving to 10 gallon.

 

Well, boilovers arent t problem now...

Basically it was from leaving the PID at 100% during the hot break... 18,000BTUs will boil over 6 gallons of wort pretty easy in a 15 gallon kettle.

So, now I set the PID for 180F while I sparge. After that is complete I use 100% to reach a boil in 5 minutes, then dial back to 70%. Once I am boiling and dial it down to 70%, there is no need to watch. My boilovers have almost all happened during brewcasts while I am talking to viewers and the kettle is kicking at 100% behind me

 

it is not overkill to use a keggle for MT......be sure to install your screww in thermometer low though......mine is perfect for 10g batches but sits too high for 5g .........good luck

 

I do anywhere from 5 to 7 gallon batches with my keggle. I haven't done a 10 gallon batch, but it's nice to know the option is there.

The best part is I picked mine up at a flea market for $15.

 

Have you considered how it will work with your chiller? If your using an imersion chiller it may not fit as well in the larger keggle.

 

Yes.

That is why it's a match made in Valhalla.

 

During my transition from extract to AG I used my new keggle to finish up the last of my LME. It was a 5 gallon batch. It was probably my best extract batch ever! The freedom from watching the pot for boil-over was also a huge plus.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Is, of course, not implying that the kettle did not boil over. Just that he was relieved to not be watching it do so, this time.

 

I have had boilovers using a keggle during a 5 gallon brew. I now use a 30 gallon pot but i don't do 5 gallons anymore :rockin:

 

LOL! well, what i SHOULD have said is that I did not have to watch it like a hawk in case there was a boil over that made such a mess of the stove that I could be banished to the garage a second time!

 

Not at all, I've had 5.5G batches (7Gin pot) boil over before in my keggle.