10 gal kettle - thoughts?

[Redlantern]

Good afternoon all.

I will shortly be going to a 10 gallon kettle as it is a bit difficult to get a full 5 gallon batch of a double IPA done up properly in an 8-gallon pot.

Not using a RIMS system - just a three-tier system with two igloo coolers (HLT and Mash of course).

Based on experience or observation - what would you pick for a brew kettle. Over time, I will be improving my system with pumps and whatnot, but I am not quite decided on my choice.

What do the rest of you think?

 

[wilserbrewer]

concord 50 qt, 12.5 gallon $75 shipped

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CONCORD-Pol...hash=item20fd189049:m:mpPuevxvxy2IzMuXj4gs9ow

 

[divrguy]

Wow that's a great deal on SS pot. I've got a 10 and a 15 aluminum and I've been thinking about selling them both and getting a 12.5 (50qt) to replace them. That's nice!

 

[JayInAmes]

Down to $61 shipped, about to just buy it!

 

[okiedog]

This going to be your boil kettle over a burner? It doesn't look like it has a 3 ply bottom, which I would recommend for boiling, to prevent hot spots and scorching.

 

[TX_Brewing]

This going to be your boil kettle over a burner? It doesn't look like it has a 3 ply bottom, which I would recommend for boiling, to prevent hot spots and scorching.

Not an issue unless you have your burner up way too high.

 

[Sconnie12]

Looking for the cheapest option possible? Concord.

If you're looking for quality that also has a line of accessories (false bottom, pickup tubes, etc)? Spike Brewing, SS Brewing or Blichmann

Personally I have a Spike. I love the welded fittings. Super super easy to clean and install the accessories.

 

[55x11]

Looking for the cheapest option possible? Concord.

If you're looking for quality that also has a line of accessories (false bottom, pickup tubes, etc)? Spike Brewing, SS Brewing or Blichmann

Personally I have a Spike. I love the welded fittings. Super super easy to clean and install the accessories.

I may be in minority here but I like aluminum pots - thicker bottom, better thermal distribution, no scorching. Relatively light and inexpensive. Easy to drill if you want to install a ball-valve.

May not look as fancy as stainless steel but is functional and inexpensive.
Having said ALL that - Concord is a great deal.

 

[Sconnie12]

I may be in minority here but I like aluminum pots - thicker bottom, better thermal distribution, no scorching. Relatively light and inexpensive. Easy to drill if you want to install a ball-valve.

May not look as fancy as stainless steel but is functional and inexpensive.
Having said ALL that - Concord is a great deal.

I'd only recommend aluminum if you're on a super tight budget. Spike and SS have tri-clad bottoms which will evenly distribute the heat along the bottom. A fully aluminum kettle will actually be worse as the majority of the surface area is the walls which will be convecting heat out of your kettle. Bad for maintaining temps. Aluminum also dents much easier. You also need to mess with keeping an oxide layer; non-issue with stainless. You also can't use most cleaners (like PBW) on aluminum.

Again if you're on a shoe string budget yes it'll work. Also the Concord kettles are not true 304SS (see here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=574493) so just be aware of that.

 

[mrdauber64]

I love my Tall Boy from Northern Brewer. Just over $120. If you watch, sometimes they will give away a free Dark Star burner with $125 purchase so you can get both the 10 gallon pot and burner for a good price!

 

[55x11]

I'd only recommend aluminum if you're on a super tight budget. Spike and SS have tri-clad bottoms which will evenly distribute the heat along the bottom. A fully aluminum kettle will actually be worse as the majority of the surface area is the walls which will be convecting heat out of your kettle. Bad for maintaining temps. Aluminum also dents much easier. You also need to mess with keeping an oxide layer; non-issue with stainless. You also can't use most cleaners (like PBW) on aluminum.

Again if you're on a shoe string budget yes it'll work. Also the Concord kettles are not true 304SS (see here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=574493) so just be aware of that.

better heat conduction of aluminum means it's faster to heat up to boil and faster to cool (which are both pluses in my opinion). I mash in a cooler mashtun so maintaining an intermediate temperature is not an issue. I really never had problems with dents or cleaning (just rinsing out with warm water works well enough for me - as with my cooking pots - fermentors have to be super-clean, not a speckle of dirt, kettles just regular clean is fine for me). I don't worry about keeping an oxide layer, most cooks don't worry about it either.

For people who are clean-freaks or love the shiny look of stainless, and don't mind paying about x2 as much for quality stainless, it's a good choice. But to me, functionally, aluminum is basically just as good (and even better in some aspects) for half the price. Of course if money is no object, get the top of the line stainless with valves, false bottom etc. already installed.

I don't want to start another aluminum vs. stainless flamewar, just wanted to point out that it's a viable option for someone looking for a kettle. Both stainless and aluminum kettles can last a very long time.

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

I agree with most of the guys on this one. Its a pot..and it will work but you might find yourself wanting a new "better" one pretty fast. Getting the right pots really does make the process that much more smooth for all the above mentioned reasons. Also, watch for the sales for sure stuff like pots and burners do tend to have sales fairly often as we enter the holiday season.

 

[Redlantern]

Looks like I am going to have to balance looks, price and other intangible "cool factor" things. It is clear that a lot of people have made a lot of good beer with the simple aluminum pot and the high end, multiple fitting museum piece stainless steel pot.

I love the discussion but am woefully no closer to a decision.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Check craigslist lol

I wouldn't be overly swooned by museum piece kettles....IME any 10 plus gallon pot will work well.

While a ported kettle with valve and sight glass appears slick and tempting, also realize those fittings require cleaning. and a potential for other maintenance issues. A basic kettle requires measuring volumes with a simple dipstick or kettle markings, and racking the beer out of the kettle when chilled. Save work to make work....there are advantages both going simple cheap vs "museum piece" lol

 

[Justintoxicated]

You can punch your own holes later when you get a pump. I went SS brewtech cause I wanted something nicer but nothing wrong with a plan ol pot. In fact I almost wish I had just bought the concord tripple since I ended up buying a punch anyways to put in the whirlpool arm.

Concord makes tripple bottom pots as well.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CONCORD-Tri...hash=item1ea9e9b4a7:m:m-PVwLwFveLO-SH-UUFnSuA

IMO I won't go back not having a Drain valve. Less work, no need to sanitize my racking cane etc. More versatile too.

 

[azdavid]

I own a 10 gal Spike with 1 port, love this thing. Probably the best brewing purchase I have made. Welded fittings, solidly built. tri-clad bottom. This thing will last a lifetime.

 

[okiedog]

Not an issue unless you have your burner up way too high.

I'd think some burners are probably more prone to scorching, because they concentrate the heat on a smaller portion of the kettle. But it sounds like you are saying that is not a problem with proper control of the burner.

 

[TX_Brewing]

I'd think some burners are probably more prone to scorching, because they concentrate the heat on a smaller portion of the kettle. But it sounds like you are saying that is not a problem with proper control of the burner.

Correct, a jet type burner, which I popular among the crawfish boiling crowd down here, really concentrates the heat. No doubt those could scorch in a thin bottom pot. All of the other burners with the cast iron banjo shouldn't scorch, even with a thin pot, unless you are really cranking the heat, which is wasteful of gas anyway.

 

[Jim311]

Boil kettles are pretty uninteresting to me. Maybe it's because I use an old beer keg. I will say that I doubt I'd buy a 10 gallon pot. You just have so much more of a margin of safety against boilovers with a 15 gallon pot. You can even do full volume BIAB in it if you want. More flexibility. I could probably even do a 10 gallon batch in it if I wanted but it would be tight.

 

[liquidcourage]

I had a 12.5 gallon pot. I realized pretty quickly I was never going to actually be able to do a ten gallon batch in it. If a ten gallon batch seems even slightly appealing do yourself a favor and buy a 15 gallon pot or get yourself a keggle.

 

[Redlantern]

For me - just doing 5 gallon batches with a lot if hops. I lose a lot to the hops and and 8-gallon is not quite enough.

15 gallon does have my interest though

 

[augiedoggy]

I had a 12.5 gallon pot. I realized pretty quickly I was never going to actually be able to do a ten gallon batch in it. If a ten gallon batch seems even slightly appealing do yourself a favor and buy a 15 gallon pot or get yourself a keggle.

I used to do 10.5 gallon brews on my 13 gallon kettle all the time... Of course I use electric so no boil overs to worry about and I have total control over boiloff rate so I start with 11.5 gallons and end up with 10.5 to the fermenter... I did go bigger for more versatility for bigger beers and cosmetic reasons (got my 15.5 gallon stainless kettles very cheap so why not) I drilled and used weldless fitting which have given me no problems with my cheap bayou kettles in the last few years ive been brewing.

I think the flame setups are the limiting factor here along with all that wasted efficiency and limited brewing area choices but thats another discussion in itself :cross:

in all seriousness though one thing to look for its a pot thats taller than it is wide... the taller the more efficient.

And not to go off topic but im not convinced aluminum doesnt have health factors to factor in... there is a reason more and more aluminum cookware is being made with some sort of sealing coating on them..Same thing happened with copper cookware before it was mandated to be coated. History has shown its not uncommon when evidence starts showing that something is not ideal for health reasons its often slowly phased out before its really fully realized by the public. To each their own though...For me any metal that continues to pit and slowly dissolve away into my food or beer is not ideal short of maybe iron in small quantities.
Some people here still cook using hot water from copper pipes soldered with heavy metal leaded solder even though thats not recommended by anyone with knowledge and testing on the subject so..

 

[stouttanksandkettles]

If you want a long term kettle that replicates a commercial brew kettle design, with a tangential inlet and dish bottom, Stout Tanks and Kettles has some great options that are in the 10 or 16 gallon range.

Here's a 9.8 gallon kettle http://conical-fermenter.com/BK9TI-9-Gallon-Brew-Kettle.html

Before I scaled up, I used this 9.8 gallon size to make 6 gallon batches all the time.

 

[yo1dog]

Try making 5 gallon batches in a kettle that holds 5.1 gallons lol. You get really good at controlling the boil when you only got about an inch of head room.

 

[helibrewer]

I have a 20gal Stout kettle and love it.

 

[okiedog]

Try making 5 gallon batches in a kettle that holds 5.1 gallons lol. You get really good at controlling the boil when you only got about an inch of head room.

If that's what you do (or have done), my hat is off to you. I do 5 gallon batches with just over 7 gallons in a 7.5 gallon pot. The 1st 3 minutes I have really watch it. I sometimes use my big SS stir spoon to keep it from rolling over the side. But then, as the foam starts to collapse, it settles down. A 10 gallon pot would be nice!

 

[MizzouFermentationScience]

If you live in a college town, go pull a keg out of a dumpster. I know it's technically illegal but AB (that is AB/InBev/Sab/Miller/coors now)has enough money as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Johow]

I'd only recommend aluminum if you're on a super tight budget. A fully aluminum kettle will actually be worse as the majority of the surface area is the walls which will be convecting heat out of your kettle. Bad for maintaining temps. Aluminum also dents much easier. You also need to mess with keeping an oxide layer; non-issue with stainless. You also can't use most cleaners (like PBW) on aluminum

I don't have any trouble heating and boiling in my aluminum kettle and my burner is nothing special. As for the oxide layer, it happens naturally the first time you bring Something to a boil. Also no reason to use PBW or anything that strong on your boil kettle. I use a green scrubby and dish soap to give a quick scrub and the oxide layer stays put quite nicely. I love my aluminum kettle.

 

[yo1dog]

I have been lugging around an old half barrel keg that I bought years ago because I wanted to turn it into a keggle. It's been through 3 moves. Still haven't done it lol. After every brew I tell myself I am defiantly gonna do it before the next one.

 

[bajabuc]

We have a scrap metal buyer here in Knoxville. I bought an extremely heavy 10 gal commercial stainless pot for 13 bucks. You might have one in your neighborhood

 

[Sadu]

I use the cheapest nastiest 10 gallon kettle I could find. Steel is thin, no thermowells or sight guages or any of that stuff - just a cheap kettle with a lid. The one thing I was conscious of when buying was whether the welds on the handles were decent - don't want a handle breaking off when it's full of boiling wort.

And it makes good beer. If I was a bit richer I would invest in a nice thick quality kettle that will last a lifetime, maybe with a thermowell, but to be honest this cheap kettle works great and I'm really happy with it.

 

[ChelisHubby]

I am with Sadu , I have a Cheap alumininin kettle no frills or ports or nothing but a lid. You can make very nice beer with it. you might work a little bit harder and have to pay attention but the darn thing makes good beer CHEAP. If money is not a issue I would buy a spike kettle!

 

[stouttanksandkettles]

If you live in a college town, go pull a keg out of a dumpster. I know it's technically illegal but AB (that is AB/InBev/Sab/Miller/coors now)has enough money as far as I'm concerned.

Please don't steal kegs from any brewery, large or small. As a former brewery owner, I can attest that kegs are a huge expense and keg losses quickly sap profits. If you want to support the beer industry, then please procure your kegs legally. And avoid the risk of legal hassles if you are caught.

We sell new kegs for a reasonable cost, or you might go to a brewery and ask if they have any kegs destined for the scrap heap that they would sell for cheap.

Regards,

John Watt
Stout Tanks and Kettles
stouttanks.com
Portland, Oregon

 

[wilserbrewer]

If you live in a college town, go pull a keg out of a dumpster. I know it's technically illegal but AB (that is AB/InBev/Sab/Miller/coors now)has enough money as far as I'm concerned.

JMO, and apologies to all the keggle lovers out there. JMO, and strictly my opinion, kegs make lousy boil kettles. I also have a hunch they take more fuel to heat, making them more costly to use.....

Heavy as hell, tough to clean with a narrow top opening, a bottom rim that gets dangerously hot while heating, etc etc...

My advice would be to pull two kegs out of a dumpster, return them to the store and buy a shiny new concord 15 gallon kettle with lid for $90 shipped and hopefully have money left over.

Kegs are designed for serving beer, not boiling it JMO cheers!

 

[ryanryates]

If you want a long term kettle that replicates a commercial brew kettle design, with a tangential inlet and dish bottom, Stout Tanks and Kettles has some great options that are in the 10 or 16 gallon range.

Here's a 9.8 gallon kettle http://conical-fermenter.com/BK9TI-9-Gallon-Brew-Kettle.html

Before I scaled up, I used this 9.8 gallon size to make 6 gallon batches all the time.

I have 20 gallon HLT, MLT, and BK from stout. I have been very pleased.

 

[Homercidal]

If you live in a college town, go pull a keg out of a dumpster. I know it's technically illegal but AB (that is AB/InBev/Sab/Miller/coors now)has enough money as far as I'm concerned.

I think the important part to notice is that it's TECHNICALLY ILLEGAL, meaning it's ILLEGAL.

I cannot condone this practice, and I believe HBT would not either.

I personally own 2 keggles purchased used from a reseller. I actually don't care for them either. If I had to do it all over again I'd spring for a nice flat-walled kettle. At the time I bought them I was just looking for the cheapest usable kettle I could find, and they do work.

Now, I'd love to replace them, and still might once I get all of the other brewing needs procured.

And with the price of keg deposits these days, I don't know if there many sitting around in college dumpsters like there used to be.

 

[govner1]

If you live in a college town, go pull a keg out of a dumpster. I know it's technically illegal but AB (that is AB/InBev/Sab/Miller/coors now)has enough money as far as I'm concerned.

Illegal is illegal. If you or your family had "enough" money would it be ok to steal their car?

 

[MizzouFermentationScience]

In some states the attach little tags to the side of the keg so it can be traced back to purchaser. Underage kids get caught, that tag gets ripped off. At that point the keg cannot be returned easily (I never figured out how because the stores wouldn't take them back after the tag was removed). I saw two kegs poking out of the top of a dumpster, neither had tags (one of which had been drilled into, looks like the kids had a broken tap or something, not the work of a homebrewer) and tried to return them to two different stores and could not. So maybe I'm just dumpster diving criminal with a fluid sense of right and wrong, or maybe the landfill is a worse place for kegs than a homebrewer's garage. If someone knows if AB sends people out to pick up kegs at the landfill, I stand corrected and apologize.

 

[DrBuzz]

I use an aluminum kettle. I like it and it works. I bought it used for cheap. Oxidation is not a worry and heat distribution is great. It doesn't burn. My concern every time I use it, though, is the link of aluminum to Alzheimer's. They haven't proven anything yet, but if I could lower my chances of any health risk I would. I want a stainless kettle. And eventually I will buy one. So if your anything like me, go for the best off the bat and save up your money so that down the road you never have to re-invest an anything. Changing out something over time is not efficient and not cost effective. Go for the best. Get stainless and get the bells and whistles.