Will a 8 gallon pot suffice. Do I really need a 10?

Looking at getting a good kettle. Should I go with a 8 gallon or 10 gallon. Do you really need a ten or can you brew all your 5 gallon batches with a 8

 

Go 10. I have a 10 gal kettle and almost boil over half the time.

 

I just used an 8 gallon and It was a little sketchy. Too close to the top when boiling in my opinion.

 

Like a lot of homebrew equipping - you can get by with smaller/cheaper/lower quality, but it all depends on your personal system and preferences.

I brew all of my 5 gallon batches in an 8 gal pot, and I'm perfectly happy with the setup. I tend to boil off just over 1 gal/hr. I like to go into the fermenter with 5.5 gallons to assure 5 into the bottles. Some recipes call for a 90 min boil, so I am looking at 7.5 gal to start the boil.

With these criteria, I have to be VERY watchful for boil-overs, and even a vigorous boil after the hot break with throw the occasional splash over the side. YMMV.

I also have to account for the weight of the pot. 7.5 gal in an 8 gal pot is about 65 lbs that I have to lug from wherever I mash to wherever I set up the burner. Carrying kettles full of water is not terribly ergonomic. Adding just a couple of pounds and bulk with a bigger pot just might put things over the line, so to speak.

You gotta get whatever you feel you can afford, and will work well for you for an acceptable amount of time.

 

10 sounds like the way to go

 

I used a 7.5 gallon pot for years, it was very annoying and tended to boil over pretty often. When I upgraded I went to a 20 gallon kettle and now have no problems with ten gallon batches, and I couldn't be happier!

 

The correct answer is "15."

 

+1 on the 15. I know it's a little more expensive, but it's the way to go. Plus you can do 5 and 10 gallon batches. Always go bigger if you can.

 

If you can get a 10, get a 10.

I have a 6.5,7, and 11 gallon pot.

I fry turkeys and make steam pots with the 6.5 and 7 gallon pots. There's no real use for them in my brewing anymore.

I love my 11 gallon pot, but can't wait to get a 15 gallon!!

You see where I'm going with this right?

 

Usually more/bigger/more awesome is the way to go, if you can justify the price.

Is it likely you want to upgrade in some future?

How much do you want to brew?

Do you have a big enough heat-source?

I would either way go for the 10. It gives you more headroom.

I bought a 6.3G as a first time homebrew-shopper, and I already want to upgrade my heat source and kettle (this was two months ago). (But I can't since my cellar has limited power). But still, If I went with the big kettle in the first place, I wouldn't have to buy another kettle + heatsource when I'll do the upgrade, I would just have to buy the heatsource.

EDIT: Btw, your topic "Will a 8 gallon pot suffice. Do I really need a 10?" says it all, get a 10.

 

Yup, if I had to do it over again I'd get at least a 10 in favor of my current 7.5 gal.

 

Bigger = Better

To quote John Blichmann "Buy once, cry once."

 

Well it will still be a while before I do a ten gallon batch. I like doing smaller batches because I brew more often that way. A lot of my experimental and long fermentation beers are done in 1 gallon batches. If I do a 5 its for a beer I have already gotten the recipe down pat on and I know I will love and love 5 gallons of it.

 

I use an 11 gallon turkey fryer and feel VERY comfortable when hot break time approaches. I've seen the foam get to within a few inches of the top when starting with 7.5gallons of wort but don't ever expect to see a boil over in this pot for 5.25 gallon batches. I would assume 10 gallon pots would work equally as well. I personally wouldn't go smaller for a BK; now a HLT on the other hand could be smaller.

 

the price difference between a 8 gallon and 10 gallon pot is small, the performance difference is large. Its a PITA to use a pot without a lot of head room for boil overs and you would also be limiting yourself from doing beers with 90 or 120 min boils.


Also, an 8 gallon pot will become obsolete in your brewing progression quickly. A 10 gallon pot on the other hand can serve many purposes down the road even if you expand. For instance, you could use a 10 gallon pot as a HLT for 10 gallon batches which would take you pretty far from a time and hobby progression standpoint.

Buying too small ALWAYS costs you more money.

A 10 gallon pot will not work for a 10 gallon batch, BTW. A side effect of brewing for longer periods is that more people know you brew and want your beer, thus higher production is needed.

 

And when exactly do we start to charge money for this?

 

With all honesty, you'll probably be kicking yourself within a few months if you go for a 10gal instead of a 15. They're usually around only $30 more expensive, and worth every single penny. Even if you don't do 10gal batches often, you have that option. Plus they're excellent for experimenting since you like to do that... like an 8 gal batch with 5.5 for a known good recipe and 2.5 experiment with the same wort... maybe different yeasts, dry hops, oak, bourbon, fruits, spices, etc. Or a couple 1 gallon experiments with the same wort. The small cost is really worth the extra space for an investment like a nice kettle.

 

I thought my 9 gal pot is the best but almost every time now I get dangerously close to the edge brewing 5 gal batches... if you can afford it but the bigger pot. If you can't afford it, wait, save, then buy the bigger pot

 

Another vote for 15 if you can do it. I have a 15 gal. aluminum stock pot and love it! I've even done a couple of 10 gal. BIAB batches in it (though I did have to do a small sparge.) I should warn, however, that even that much head space doesn't eliminate the possibility of boil over. I just made 5 gal. of a pale ale and had a little hot break on the other driveway...still getting used to the new burner...

 

I posted earlier, recommending a 10 over the 8. But, if a 15 over a 10 isnt that much of a price, def go for the 15. If you have the heating capabilities for it.

As stated earlier, bigger = better.

But, let's not stress the OP into getting a huge ass kettle if he can't warm it up.. There's no point in having a huge amount of wort if you cant boil it.

 

Does nobody use Fermcap? It really makes boilovers a non-issue. I do 5 gal BIAB in a 7.5 gal pot, and out of 30 batches (first 5 or so extract) the ONLY time I had a boilover was last time, since I forgot to use Fermcap. It's crazy cheap, and works wonders. I usually do yard work or watch TV while I'm boiling.

 

Also, I paid I think $6 for my bottle and it has lasted 30 brews so far, and it's only half gone.

 

15 all the way. I have a 10 and hop additions can push the foam to the top fast!

 

A few years ago I bought 12.5 gallon Aluminum pot from Instawares. It's one of the best purchases I've made. And it was only $60 shipped. 10 is good but go bigger if you can.

 

Yep. I love my keggle for 5.5 gallon batches.

 

+1

 

Get at least a 10 but consider a 15. The price difference isn't significant.

 

Went with 10, but wish I'd went for a 15 or 20. For a 60min boil and 5.5gals into the fermenter, no problems with 10gal. But for a 90min (vigorous) boil to reduce DMS from pilsner malt, it gets really tight and I've had boil overs.

 

gettng only a 36 qt pot is my greatest brewing regret, 10 or really more is the way to go.

 

go at least 10. Best decision I made. After I started brewing I found that shooting for 6 gallons into the fermentor was the way to go. This way, after trub loss, dry hopping loss, gravity sample loss, It still gives me the ability to put at least 5 gallons into the keg each time. Yet still leaving me plenty of room to not worry about boil over so much. Now, looking back though, I have to admit, 15 gallon probably would have been the smartest move. Since moving to all grain, it would be negligable extra time and work to brew 10 gallon batches.

 

I would advocate starting with at 10 Gallon. I did the standard tin pot for extract then went to a 10 gallon pot. The next pot will be at least 15 gallons but if you do not anticipate doing more than basic five gallon batches a 10 gallon will be supported by most burners, is easy to find and heat and will not serve you wrong. However there is advice here for the 15 gallon ones. My take considering I will go to a 15 gallon pot in the future (Not the near future but perhaps... After all I can double my brewing recipes and cut my taste time for what I do in half..) Judge what you are going to do. Go off established recipes for five gallon batches? Go to Ten gallons and never look back. IF you are going to experiment and split batches often 15 gallons is the way to go. Nothing under 10 though.

 

Well I ordered the 10. 15 is just too big for what I do right now. Maybe in the future I can see upgrading to a 15 and having my 10 as a HLT

 

You did the right thing comparing your other option was 8 gallons. Perfect size kettle for five (or six) gallon recipes.

 

I see you bought the 10 gallon already. To echo what everyone else has said, you made the right call. I have a 10 gallon pot, do only 5 and 5.5 gallon batches, and have still managed to boil over more than a few times. This is for the following reasons: a) if you're shooting to end up with 5 gallons in the fermenter you'll need substantially more in the pot to acount for boil off and trub loss (I do about 6.5 gallons); b) assuming you're doing extract brews, 6-10 lbs of extract adds yet more volume to the pot; and c) tossing things into the brew, especially hops, really causes it to foam up.

 

I decided to go with a 10G pot and am just starting out, and making 5G batches. This past weekend was my first batch and the 10G pot seemed perfect, but it did get darn close to the top, too close for comfort. I'd say 10G would suffice, but if you plan on upgrading in the future, go big now.

 

I sometimes boil 8g of wort when brewing a beer. Big hoppy beers I will make it more of a 6+ g batch to account for trub loss