Major brands of Boil Kettles

I'm a bit overwhelmed from trying to read the specs on all these different boil kettles from amazon, to Spike, Anvil, etc. Hard to know what's a respected brand or not.

So - what are the major/respected brands out there for a 15 gallon boil kettle (BIAB), with a ball valve, side pickup dip tube, thermometer, and whirlpool port at the top. Of course I can drill all of these ports myself, I'm perfectly capable so if that saves me some cash I'll go that route...of course I'll probably have to buy a $40 stepped bit.

What brand do you recommend?

 

I agree the market is flooded with options and it makes for decision paralysis.

You shouldn't put a thermometer into a BIAB kettle so skip that. It really depends on if you're doing it over gas or installing electric. Gas kettles benefit from the triclad bottoms of the major brands (Spike, BrewBuilt, and others). Then it comes down to budget. The Brewer's Beast 16 gallon kettle is an incredible value. Triclad bottom, heavy wall thickness, silicone grip handles, embossed calibration markings, welded drain port. $159
You'd have to plug the upper thermometer port unless you use it for the whirlpool return post boil.

 

Yep I’m on the blichmann propane burner that I picked up cheap from someone getting out of the game.

I’m leaning toward spike and anvil. I’ll check out brewers beast. I’d would be nice to see these all in person before buying but I don’t think my lhbs has many different brands.

 

There is nothing special about the Anvil at that price point. Weldless fittings and you'd have to plug the thermometer hole. The valve is also really hard to turn.

The Brew Built is superior in many ways for $50 cheaper: https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/brewbuilt15.htm it includes the valve.

The Spike is very similar to the Brew Built in build quality but is polished instead of brushed and if you stick to the single coupler, it's about the same price. https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/spikev4kettlenpt1_15g.htm it doesn't include a valve but that's $235 + 25.

I know you want to see it in person but I guarantee the Brewer's Beast is a kick ass well built kettle that also looks good for $159 plus $13 for a valve. https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/beastkettle16.htm


Of these four kettles, the Anvil is the least feature rich for the highest price. The Spike is the nicest looking one.

 

Is there anything that has a welded port at the bottom and at the top in the 15 gal size (a 1.2 ratio pot)

I’d like to have a port at the top for recirculating wort. Of course I could just hang some copper over the edge.

 

You should go through the lid for a recirc. Otherwise the bag won't neatly fold evenly over the top edge of the pot. The brewbuilt has the advantage of a pre-notched lid so you could use a clamp on whirlpool for both mash recirculation and post boil whirlpooling with no extra ports.

 

It really depends on if you're heating via propane, electric element, or Induction.

If you're running an electric element, then really any of the stainless kettles will work fine. I've used Concord and Gas one without any issue. Easy to punch with a step bit as well. I just use a harbor freight bit. Cost me like $15.

If you're using induction you obviously need something with a clad bottom, so that limits your options a little bit more

And finally if you're running propane, you should invest in a good heavy duty kettle with good thickness and a good heavy duty bottom. Otherwise you'll have issues in no time.

 

I agree here... although dimensions of the kettle also play a role for heating efficiency and evaporation losses... Taller narrow kettles are more efficient for achieving a boil with less power and less boiloff steam and this is why all the fairly underpowered budget all in one solutions use them.
I use cheap bayou kettles at home which btw work well for induction as well because they are misadvertised as 304 stainless and are really made of some other grade of magnetic stainless. (I dont use induction myself) The grade of stainless really doesnt matter for home brewing other than for induction use... in a real brewery 304 or better holds up to some of the caustic cleaning regiments they use. For home brewers its a marketing gimmick like the shallow conical bottoms many of the fermenting buckets now have... People seem to want them but they dont really know why.

 

I have used Spike Brewing kettles since they started. They are thick construction, tough as nails and induction ready. Also, you can get them customized any way you need for not a ton of money. I have been very pleased with them.

 

Is there a way to use a Blichmann Autosparge (or something that does the same job) when going through the lid?

 

I've been using a Brewbuilt for several years with propane. I am in the process of switching to induction and it works well with my induction burner too. I really like the welded ports and the notch in the lid is perfect for my immersion chiller. I just wrap a starsan soaked towel around the I/O legs of the chiller where they come through the notch and I'm protected from insects getting into my wort while I whirlpool etc.

I also think Spike is very good, but the only driver for me to go that route is if I want something custom, otherwise I'll stick with Brewbuilt. I haven't looked recently, but I got mine on sale for quite a bit less that an equivalent Spike.

 

Unless I missed something unique, why would you use a blichman autosparge for BIAB though? As long as its mounted in an elbow in the lid and the arm is short enough to allow travel without hitting the kettle wall I would think it would work although if your just recircing a BIAB setup a regular hose would seem to be the better choice vs an on off valve.

 

Yeah the purpose of the autosparge is to maintain a steady amount of liquid on top of the grain bed during sparging in a traditional 3v system. It turns on the sparge water when the level drops, shuts it off when it raises. That way theres a consistent amount of sparge water going over the grain bed without having to fiddle with valves. If you're BIAB, then its pointless, just use a length of 1/2" silicone tubing coiled over the top of the grain bed during recirculation and you're fine

 

Yes this my understanding of it also.. and why I asked in case theres something I missed.

 

Thanks I will look into the elbow solution. And yes I am a 3 vessel brewer who uses a BIAB bag in his mash tun to ease cleanup and other benefits. Would be nice not to have to navigate it around the autosparge when taking it out.

 

I suppose there'd be a way, but how the heck would you properly set the float level?

Cheers!

 

gotcha so your not really doing recirculating traditional BIAB your using the bag as a false bottom for easy cleanup. I did something very similiar myself with a floatswitch wired to my pump and had the float switch attached to some lockline I could adjust the height on..

 

I'm not following why you'd use an autosparge in the lid of a BIAB rig. If you do choose to recirc, the flow leaving the kettle is the same as the flow returning. The Autosparge is specifically designed to maintain a certain selected liquid level in a dedicated mash tun while wort is draining to the boil kettle and sparge water is incoming from the HLT.

If you just mean a device that gently distribute the recirc liquid back to the top of the mash, something like this does a fine job.
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/mashrecirculation.htm

Under no circumstance would I recommend gadgets that spray, shower, spin, or whisper sweet nothings to the liquid.

 

I asked the same thing and he clarified he is not doing BIAB, he just uses a bag in place of a false bottom in his 3 vessel system.

 

I am not running a BIAB rig. I run a 3 vessel system. My mash tun is direct fire recirculation with a norcal false bottom and a customized wilser fabric filter (AKA a BIAB bag with a partially open seam to fit over the autosparge). Recirculation return is through a Blichman autosparge. During mash I remove the float ball so the autosparge is in "always on" mode. Once I start sparging I screw the float back on and now the autosparge is controlling flow from HLT to the top of the grain bed "sparge" mode.

The reasons I added the fabric filter are:

• eliminated bits of grain getting underneath my false bottom
• made the mash tun super easy to clean - hoist out the grain, rinse / light scrub and put it away
• made the spent grain disposal much easier - leave it hoisted over a bucket, let it drain and cool, lower into hefty bag and pull out the wilser bag and hose it off. Grain is cool enough and now light enough not to rip the hefty bag in time it takes to get the bag to the trash can
• eliminated occasional stuck sparges - not sure why but I have not had a stuck sparge since adding the fabric filter. Probably 20 batches now and it just works great even permitting higher flow rates.

So the one challenge is hoisting that bag out of the tank over that autosparge. If I could mount the autosparge to the mash tun lid I could replace my filter with one without the open seam and have a much easier time hoisting out that bag over the protruding autosparge.

 

Ok, I had blinders on since the OP was talking BIAB single vessel rig.
Unfortunately you can't mount an autosparge in the lid directly. The only orientation of the float in the position would open the valve more as the level increased. You could come in through the lid through a elbow underneath which would put the A/S back into the correct horizontal position.

 

I had the same dilemma and wound up buying a Spike 15gal with an extra port. I looked at a lot before making the decision (SS, Blichman, Anvil, Brewmaster, Northern, Bayou Classic). They all had their benefits but what ended up selling me were:

1. Easy to expand/modify
2. Customer service reviews
3. Product reviews
4. Sorry, but they just look amazing.

Good luck and let us know what you pick!

 

I ended up finding someone selling a used 15g Spike with a false bottom, center dip tube, 3-piece valve, and thermometer for 2 bills. So I now have that!

 

The elbow is what I recommended as well

 

Still...even with an elbow, how would one adjust the float arm setting appropriate for the mash volume? You can't see where the recirculation level is - even with a sight gauge, so...

I underlet the strike volume and even after a hundred brew sessions on my 3v2p rig I always have to adjust the float level after the first 10 minutes or so of post-strike (underlet) recirculation as it takes about that much time for everything to reach equilibrium. I have a pair of long insulated rubber gloves almost exclusively used to adjust the autosparge because it's always hot AF when it needs setting

But once set it stays there for the duration of the brew day...

Cheers!

 

I unscrew the float from the stick during the mash recirculation. So the float never pulls the stick up and the valve never closes. Then when I start the sparge I screw it back on once the stick is sufficiently exposed.

I started doing this early days with the mash tun. Thought I had this terrible stuck sparge but was just tun was too full and autosparge kept stopping the recirculation flow.

I’m gonna look at that elbow idea think it could work well for me.

 

But you're doing that with a side-mounted autosparge like this, yes?



So you can see how high to set the float arm when sparging yes?
How are you going to do that when the assembly is hanging from the lid?

Cheers!

 

I’m running a very full mash tun anyway. With the autosparge mounted like yours, the adjustment wing nut is buried in the mash. Having it on lid would let me easily pull it out to adjust.

 

And you'd know where to position the arm...how?
I don't know how I'd do it and I've been running an autosparge for many years.

btw, that's a 20g kettle. The only brew that submerges the valve assembly at all is a massive 1.110 stout, which even with the gloves can be an adventure.

Oh - another btw: while I appreciate the intent Blichmann had with the two different sides of the float arm "gearing", I stick a thin Buna-N washer between the arm and the valve before tightening down the thumbscrew.

With that, it doesn't matter which side of the arm I attach to the valve assembly, I can infinitely adjust the arm angle, relying on the washer to keep the two sides in a stable relationship throughout the brew day...

Cheers!

 

Just saw this, sorry I'm late. I brew on my back patio and have a Blichmann gas burner, converted to natural gas, and a 15 gallon Spike kettle. The Spike is built like a tank, couldn't be happier with it.

 

I think I’m satisfied with a position that closes the valve before the tun overflows. It’s ok if on some batches that’s 2” above the grain bed and on other batches that’s 4” above the grain bed. Not worried about infinitely adjustable, close enough is perfect.

 

Well I dont know for sure but they look the same and on the generic version I have I can just left the arm by hand to get an idea where the liquid level would be... I dont see why someone couldnt measure the ball distance from the lid... It might take a couple checks with plain water to verify in the beginning but I dont see why it wouldnt work.

 

I’m running an electric system that’s similar to the brew easy (2 Vessel Kettle RIMs) and I’ve been thinking of getting an auto sparge to help balance out the flow from the kettle back to the top of the mash. Currently I have to fiddle with the pump valve and really watch it so my kettle doesn’t run dry (aka, too much being pumped to the mash tun) and wondering if the auto sparge would make that easier and less worrisome during mashing.

 

It should.. thats what they are for. if your looking for a budget solution these are under $20 shipped...
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/400...chweb0_0,searchweb201602_8,searchweb201603_53

 

I'm considering the same type of rig. From what I've read, the autosparge is great for balancing the flow between the mash tun and RIMS kettle.

 

I keep forgetting about Aliexpress! I was able to snag one off of ebay for $55 shipped and it came in today. I'll get it installed once I'm home tonight and I can't wait to brew with it!

 

yeah with aliexpress you sometimes have to pay extra attention to the details though.. I bought one last year from there and only certian components were actually stainless and others rusted.. in reading the description more carefully it not state it was all stainless... when I buy another it WILL.