10gallon Kettle vs Keggle?

[cbzdel]

I am setting up my eBIAB system right now, I am moving up my my propane system with 7.5 gallon kettles. I plan on sticking with 5 gallon batches.

I can get pretty good deals on old kegs from the scrap yard and turn it into a Keggle for pretty cheap.

But with only doing 5 gallon I am a bit to worried that a keggle will be far to large for a 5 gallon batch.

So then I started thinking about a 10 gallon boil kettle, but then started doing the calculations, if I wanted 5.25 at finished boil that mean I would need 6.25 to 6.5 at pre-boil, plus 1gal grain absorbtion. Giving me 7.5 gallons of water total needed. Then the grain takes up space as well, at 5lb per gallon. So would that mean with a 10 gallon kettle I would be limited to 12.5lbs of grain?

Just wondering if I am thinking about this correctly?

Really I am trying to get a quality kettle that will last me forever, I know a keg will do it but I am worried it will be way overkill..

 

[bigdongsr94]

I have a nice 44qt bayou pot that was a gift. If I were paying for it or going keg, I would go keg. I have filled my pot up for 5 gal batches. It hasn't limited me yet but I have filled all the way up so a little more overhead could be achieved by the keg.

 

[RyeGuy]

Why would the keggle be too large? No problem with having some extra room. I do 5 gal batches all the time in my keggle

 

[wilserbrewer]

Why would the keggle be too large? No problem with having some extra room. I do 5 gal batches all the time in my keggle

Contrary to popular opinion, for five gallon batches, I feel one is much better served with a ten gallon kettle. Or a 15 - 20 gallon kettle for larger batches.

Keggles are heavy, oddly shaped, take a lot of heat, more effort to chill, clean and rinse etc.

It's also personal preference, kettle over keggle for me.

Ymmv cheers!

No intended disrespect to the keggle lovers amongst us, group hug? Nah I don't think so!

 

[KIAKillerXJ]

Having had both, kettle all the way. Especially for larger grain bills, its easier to get the grain out of the larger opening of a kettle.

I filled my keggle lots of times doing higher gravity brews. A keggle will NOT be to big. I wouldn't waste my time going less than 15 gallon kettle or keggle.

 

[wilserbrewer]

...Giving me 7.5 gallons of water total needed. Then the grain takes up space as well, at 5lb per gallon. So would that mean with a 10 gallon kettle I would be limited to 12.5lbs of grain?

Just wondering if I am thinking about this correctly?

.

No, your reasoning is not correct, from the rackers calc here, can I mash it
http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

7.5 gal strike and 10lbs of grain is 10lbs @ 3qt / lb or only 8.3 gallons total mash

8 gal strike water and 12 lbs of grain is 12 lbs at 2.67 qt/lb or 8.9 gal total mash

As you can see, with adding a little sparge if needed, a 10 gallon pot is capable of a pretty large 5 gallon BIAB.

Another option that I like is to cut the entire top off a keg and add handles on the sides...better for BIAB with the open top, you might lose a little capacity, or just cut it at 12 gallons if that works for you...

 

[Cider123]

No comment on kettle vs keggle, but

I would recommend a 15 gallon over a 10 gallon if you plan on true, no-sparge BIAB. With a true BIAB mash, you start with all the strike water that the recipe calls for and do not sparge. In this situation you are exposing all the grains to all the water at the same time. If you do this, there is no need to "flush" the leftover sugars with a sparge because you have already exposed them to the most dilute solution the recipe calls for.

When I had a 10 gallon pot, the grians plus water would bring me right to the rim of the pot. Now that I have a 15 gallon pot, I have no worries and no boil overs....yet

 

[HowardMBeers]

I BIAB in a Keggle and love it. I would certainly recommend having at least 12G capacity to avoid spilling and whatnot. Kettle might be cheaper and easier to modify especially if you go aluminum. Ease of use, I'd say the two are about equal, but I like the Keggle b/c there's no mistaking that I'm getting it out to brew beer. The keggle was a PITA of a project, but I'm proud to have one and brew in it.

I also tend to use the extra space to brew an extra half gallon or so for starter wort.

 

[cbzdel]

I think I have decided to go keggle, it might be more of a hassle in the begining but I think there is just something about making been in a keg over making beer in a big pot hah

 

[HowardMBeers]

:rockin::rockin: Rock on! :rockin::rockin:

 

[KIAKillerXJ]

I think I have decided to go keggle, it might be more of a hassle in the begining but I think there is just something about making been in a keg over making beer in a big pot hah

Just try and make the biggest opening up top that you can. Nothing worse than when you pull the bag out for the hole to start squeezing hot sticky wort out and down the side of the keggle onto the burner and floor.