kettle size

I mostly brew 5 gal but may eventually do occasional 10 gal. Would a 15 gal brew kettle be too large for 5 gallon batches. Quick search didn't provide what I was looking for if you have link post away.

 

It depends on the dimensions/proportions of the kettle. A 15 gallon kettle shaped like a stock pot would work pretty well in my opinion. One shaped like a kiddie pool would not.

For instance, I have an 8 gallon kettle. If I had the space, I would get a 15 gallon kettle that was the same width but about twice as tall... for doing a 5 gallon batch it would end up brewing almost exactly the same.

 

I've actually been looking to upgrade too. I've got the burner, plate chiller, hoses, etc. Just need the kettle/pot now. From everything I've been reading they say go twice the size of the biggest batch you want to brew. So for a 10 gallon batch get a 20 gallon kettle.

On here I've read you can do 15 kettles for a 10 gallon batch but that you have to really watch your head space. Personally, I'm probably going to go with a 20 gallon kettle.

What kettle/pot have you been looking at? Have you looked at doing a keggle?

My biggest question right now is do I just buy a kettle that has the ball valve and thermometer in it or buy a stock pot and have someone do the welds for me? Welds from what I've been finding in this area (Kansas City, MO) are about $40 per weld. Also does wall thickness really matter? 1mm vs 1.2 mm. Is sight glass really needed or is it just a really nice to have?

Keep in mind that when you start doing 10 gallon batches the wort is going to become extremely heavy. So lifting up a 15 gallon pot with 10 gallons of boiling wort probably isn't advisable. Even with a 20 gallon pot I'm still planning on doing 5 and 10 gallon batches.

I'm interested to hear what you've been going through and your thoughts.

 

Marc my wheels are always spinning LOL. I have thought about keggle just haven't found one for right price. At this point most of my brewing is 5 gal. I know if I go with 15 g kettle I should try for taller rather than wider to avoid too much boil off.
I have a chugger pump in the cart for great price from one of the sponsors from site but need to upgrade kettle and burner first so not sure if I''ll pull trigger on pump yet.
I know I want low pressure burner because I like how quite they run just not sure if I'll spend a little more for fancy or just go for function.

Paul

 

I ended up going with the SQ14. Haven't had a chance to use it though. My batches before now have been 5 gallon extract. One boil over and I got banished to the garage. Stupid boil overs. I mean it's not like we had to get a new stove...oh...we did. Hmm.

Anyway, I'm trying to get to extract and will have to do BIAB for a while. I've been looking at getting a Bayou Classic 82 qt for $160 and then having the work done to add the ball valve and thermometer. Just ordering and being done with it has occurred to me as well and I've been looking at spikebrewing.com as I know he's a vendor on here. Past that it's been comments of "holy hell you wanna spend how much when we're going to have our first kid in less than three months!?!" and other things that have made me say...yeah, not going to work.

I'd really like to go with spikebrewing and support the HBT community, I'm just stuck at a point where I don't know what the best answer for me would be.

It sounds like you're leaning towards a finished 15 gallon kettle then?

 

I'm still undecided on 10 or 15 gal economy grade or tri-clad bottom. I don't believe sight gauge is necessary. Obviously need ball valve with large boils and is all around safer. You could get by with only one fitting weather welded or weldless. They do sell connections where you could hook up ball valve and thermometer or sight gauge to same fitting.

 

I have done 11 gallon batches with my Keggle, which is 15.5 gallons. So to end up with 11 gallons, I start of with Pre Boil amount close to 13 gallons. And that pushes the limit for hot break. You have to use foam control or a spray bottle for hot break to be careful.

 

That's pretty much what I've heard and read which is why I'm going to up the anti to a 20 gallon kettle.

The more I'm thinking about it the more I'm leaning towards a 20 gallon kettle with a ball vale and thermometer and leaving the sight glass out. It'd be nice to have but I could use the $80 difference to make a beer.

The main question I have is do people leave the thermometer off for BIAB? I'd be worried about the bag ripping because of getting caught on the thermometer.

Sorry to kind of hijack your thread Paul or are these some of the things you've been going through in your head too? If I've been hijacking I'll offer this link up. It's a 15 gallon kettle with a ball valve and thermometer. You can add a stainless steel braid for something like 8 bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ASIN=B003EWLTHY&linkCode=as2&tag=hombrefin-20

 

No problem Marc I don't care if other questions are asked. I did see that kettle but it looks like its wider than it is tall by about 4 inches

 

I have a bayou classic 16 gallon kettle that came with a false bottom. It works great for 5 And 10 gallon batches. Good for the price as well.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0082X3D06/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

For that price, I would get a Keggle, and add my own valve, etc to it. I did mine much cheaper than that. Mine also has a dip tube doing through my false bottom.

 

Is there any advantages of going HD kettle with clad bottom over they economy pots other then economy ones could easily dent if dropped.

 

Subscribed...

I'm in this same boat at the moment. I'm still working with the 32qt aluminum pot that came with my turkey fryer setup. I brewed this weekend had had a small splash from the rolling boil put out my burner, and realized that I really need to upgrade my pot.

With Christmas coming, and my wife buying herself a tablet...I am in the hunt for home brew equipment.

 

I did a little more research on kettles. Tri-ply's vs single layered. 18 guage vs 20 guage, etc. After looking up all the data and talking to my father who welded a lot back in the day we figured out that the tri-ply's while heating evenly across the bottom isn't worth the extra cost (around $60) for me. The 18 guage vs the 20 guage steel while it'll help hold the heat in the grand scheme of things won't make that much difference in my boil kettle.

Basically if you're wanting to retain heat after burn out when mashing just wrap a towel around the kettle and pin it with some of those big paper clips.

So according to my math when getting the cheapest but best kettle I can find will be a little over a $100, two welds ($40 a weld for $80), $30'ish for a ball valve and $14'ish for a thermometer adds up to about $230. That's not including shipping costs, collecting all the parts, taking the kettle to the welder and putting in the ball valve and thermometer. I'm assuming this is just putting the pieces in and having the welder put TIG welds on the inside.

With all of that I'm thinking around $270? So I'm going to look for some deals and if I can find them I'll post them here. I'm hoping to keep this under $250. I went and looked at spikebrewing like I mentioned and he has a 20 gallon kettle with two welds for $250. But then you have to go and buy the thermometer and ball valve separately which pushes the price up to around or just over $300.

 

ROFL! I have done almost exclusively extract brewing or partial extract/specialty grains and had a couple bad boilovers. Fortunately/unfortunately, I only have to answer to myself (and the ants attracted to the caramelized wort).

 

I only do 5 gallon batches and love my 15 gallon concord pot.

 

Well I ended up finding keg at recycling yard and I'm going to make keggle. They said they may have two more so may eventually end up with three keggle system.