4 Popular Brew Kettles Compared

[jfowler1]

This thread was inspired by this post...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/32-qt-40-qt-ss-5-gallon-batches-280240/

A question in that thread about kettle selection for 5 gallon batches prompted this post. Maybe this will give someone in a similar position something to think about.

I have been brewing 5 gallon batches on an undersized 30 qt aluminum kettle (and undersized 5G coolers for HLT and MLT) for a few years. I decided I wanted to upgrade all of my vessels, and spent a lot of time thinking about which SS kettles to go with. I looked at several options - B3, Megapot, Blichmann, and Polar Ware. HBT has threads for Megapot vs. Blichmann, Polarware vs. B3; it has been done. However, I have never seen someone lay out the +/- of all 4 kettles and really dive into how they made their choice. To try and keep things apples/apples, I will price compare each kettle with a ball valve and where possible, a port (or option) for a thermometer/thermowell. Also, the kettle sizes I was looking for are 10/10/10 (MLT/HLT/BK). IME, 8 gallons is too small for a kettle, and I'll explain why.

(Please give me a minute to get everything posted)

 

[jfowler1]

B3

Heavy Duty Brew Kettle - With Ball Valve (32 Quart/8 Gallon) | MoreBeer

32 Qt – $159.95 13H x 15W

60 Qt – $239.95 15H x 19W

Pro’s – Good price, Welded fittings

Con’s – Sizing didn’t work for me

I’ll start by saying the B3 kettle with 2 welded fittings is a great deal. I am pretty certain the kettle itself is sourced from the BrewRite line by Polar Ware (Stainless Steel Brew Pots ). Again, I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure this is also the same pot you will see sold under the Megapot product line at Northern Brewer. Several reviews of the Megapot mention the bottom is stamped “Polar Ware”. The obvious difference is that B3 features welded fittings - either fabricating the kettles themselves or buying them in a large enough quantity to have the fittings pre-welded by Polar Ware (after all, they are the same exact fittings used on the Polar Ware Kettles). As nice as the price and welded outlets are, I think B3 alienated 5G all grain brewers with their kettle sizing. From experience, 5G batches in a 30 QT (in the B3 case, 32 QT) kettle are do-able but not fun. Let me explain....

I want to collect exactly 5 gallons of clear wort in my kettle at the end of brew day. I opt for a 90 minute boil. I currently boil off 1 qt/ 15 minutes. My current kettle has 3 qts of dead space below the valve, and I understand that the B3 kettles are somewhere around that. So 20 qts finished beer + 6 qts boiled off + 3-4 qts of deadspace is a pre-boil volume of 29-30 qts. Personally, I can not justify an expensive upgrade that is still undersized for my desired batch size.

B3 continued to screw the 5G brewer by skipping the available 40qt kettle and electing to offer the 60 qt kettle as the next size up. On a forum somewhere I think JP mentioned that it was like $30 more for the 60 Qt over the 40 Qt, so B3 decided to just skip to that. I suppose you can opt for the 60 qt and still use them for 5G batches, but the appeal of a low cost disappears....and is there such a thing as an over sized kettle and mash tun? I know people struggle with the 15G Blichmann kettles in a 5G batch because the thermometer is too high for the kettle volume. The argument will quickly come that you can buy a 60qt now, and use it later for 10 gallon batches. However, aren't 10 gallon batches in a 60 qt kettle going to be just as tight as 5 gallon batches in a 30 qt kettle? To back me up, some literature (Blichmann’s website for example) states a 10 gallon batch should use a 20 gallon kettle. I understand that boil off and dead space will not scale linearly, but they still scale. If B3 offered a 10 Gallon kettle, I would have probably jumped at it…but they don’t.

 

[jfowler1]

Megapots (Priced from Northern Brewer)

10 Gallon MegaPot - MegaPots - Brew Kettles - Equipment - Brewing : Northern Brewer

10G – Plain Stock Pot - $132.99 13H x 17W

10G - (weldless w/ Ball Valve and Thermometer) - $219.99 13H x 17W

Pro’s – heavy duty, DIY option available

Con’s – weldless (a con to me), shaped like a can of tuna instead of can of soup – doesn’t fit my rig

Mega Pot offers an 8 gallon (just like B3), but I eliminate it for reasons I listed above. Basically, I find it undersized. The plain 10G Mega Pot is a great option for someone who can weld, or is brave enough to drill a hole in their new $130 kettles. I am neither of those things. The weld less option with thermometer puts you in the normal price range, but as odd as this seems, I really wanted welded fittings. Also, the ratio of height to width was a far cry from what I am used to, so I was a little scared the dramatically increased surface area would screw with my boil off and dead space. Also, the 17” width of these kettles didn’t really work with my existing rig. For someone else, the weld less feature and low height may be the two biggest selling points, but for me, they were the deal breakers. On the flip side, for someone who can weld, the stock pot option is a very inexpensive way to get the features of the 10G Polar Ware kettle I will be talking about later but with a kettle shaped more squat than tall.

 

[jfowler1]

Blichmann
Boilermaker Brew Kettle - BoilerMaker Brew Kettles - Brew Kettles - Equipment - Brewing : Northern Brewer

10G – $315.99 (dimensions not listed, roughly 14W x 16.5H)

Pro’s – Everyone loves Blichmann….don’t they? Re-imagined false bottom for mash tun, A height to diameter ratio I am accustomed to (shaped like a can of soup instead of a can of tuna).

Con’s - $$$$, weld-less, limited choices when it comes to options

I know everyone loves Blichmann…but man are they expensive. I know the cost is justified by Blichmann when you price out a competitive model (like Polar Ware) with the added sight glass and thermometer, and 3 piece ball valve upgrade….but what if you didn’t want those options.

I personally don’t want a sight glass. I see it as a fail point; something extra to break or clean. I can see into all of my vessels, and I think a notched stick works just as well at checking volumes as a sight glass. A sight glass in my mash tun or boil kettle just seem odd to me. I also don’t need a three piece ball valve. I had one on my old kettle, and I’ll give you 1 guess as to how many times I took it apart (If you guessed zero, you would be right.) The thermometer is nice, but what if I wanted so sub out a thermowell for a HERMS system? That multi-angle thermometer retails for about $75 – that is an awfully expensive door stop. Again, I dislike that they are weld less. Several reviews talk about the weldless feature resulting in scratching the hell out of the kettle every time you reinstall the valve. I am sure these are nice kettles, but passing on them saved me almost $300.

 

[jfowler1]

Polar Ware

42 QUART BREW POT WITH 1/2" VALVE @ Williams Brewing

10G with BV – $232.90 – 16H x 15W

Pro’s – Welded fittings, available without add-ons, my preferred kettle shape

Con’s - $$$

So I chose to order 3) 10G Polar Ware kettles from Williams Brewing. I basically chose them because they met criteria for me that the other kettles didn’t. First, they came with welded fittings – for me that was huge. The bottom fitting is ½” male thread, and the kit includes a 2 PC stainless Full Port ball valve to screw onto that fitting. That bottom fitting also has an inner ½ female thread, which would accept a boil/mash screen. It also comes with a ½ female threaded (plugged) port above the ball valve for an added thermometer or thermowell should you choose. This is the same welded set-up that B3 uses for their kettles. You can even add a sight glass, but the price then matches the Blichmann kettle. No sight glasses for me.

They are also shaped like the Blichmann kettles (taller than they are wide) which fit seamlessly to my existing system. Finally, they shipped the day I ordered them from Williams Brewing, rather than drop shipping from Blichmann in 2-3 weeks…not super important, but nice.

 

[jfowler1]

That’s it – I went with the Polar Ware Kettles and I am really happy with my purchase. I’ve never seen a comparison quite like this for the popular 5 gallon systems, so I hope it helps.

Joe

 

[Spartan1979]

However, aren't 10 gallon batches in a 60 qt kettle going to be just as tight as 5 gallon batches in a 30 qt kettle?

I haven't found that to be the case, I have both a 10 gallon kettle and a 15.5 gallon keggle. For your statement to be true, you have to assume that the boiloff rate per hour would be twice at much for 10 gallons as it would be for 5. That hasn't been my experience. While a 10 gallon batch may boil off more hour than a 5 gallon batch, it's not significantly more.

Good review, btw.

 

[TopherM]

Let me add:

Bayou Classic 44 QT Stainless Steel ($87.99 WITH optional basket...about $102.00 shipped) 15" W x 19" H
AKA Barbour International 44 QT Stainless Steel

11 Gallons with optional Stainless Steel Basket for BIAB

PROs: Taller, less diameter shape = lower boil-off, lower starting volumes. Price, much cheaper than other quality pots this size. Optional SS Basket is PERFECT for BIAB, sitting 3" above the bottom and providing a perfect way to drain the bag.

CONs: Thinner walls than most pots. Some have reported this leads to denting, though I have never dented mine in 4+ months, 10-11 batches of use.

If you are looking to BIAB, I believe this is one of the best options for 5-7 gallon batches. The pot itself is lower gauge (304 gauge) Stainless Steel than the MegaPots, PolarWare, and Blichmann, but I find that it is VERY sturdy, and the lack of a "tri-layer" bottom is actually a plus, as the pot heats faster to mashing and boiling temps, and cools more quickly to pitching temps than higher gauge SS does. Uneven temps is nto an issue at a rolling boil or when mashing in/mashing out (due to stirring), which are the times when it would be most critical. The thinner pot also makes it much faster and easier to install a ball valve. I did my first one in about 10 minutes. A weldless bulkhead, three-piece ball valve, and pickup tube cost me about $35.00 from Bargain Fittings.

The real beauty of this pot is the optional SS basket, which makes it ideal for BIAB batches. The SS basket has ample holes to allow the wort to flow freely though it. It is shaped to naturally sit 3" above the bottom of the pot, so no chance of scortching your bag or grains. The 3" space below the basket can also accomodate valves, pickup tubes, and even a heating element without it ever coming in contact with your grain and grain bag. On brew day, I just line the SS basket with a 5 gallon paint strainer bag, which fits perfectly, then mash into the basket. Once the mash is complete, draining the bag is as easy as pulling everything out by the SS basket's handle. I then put the entire basket over a ferm bucket to drip, then sqeeze the bag by pressing down on it with a smaller cooking pot lid. With this method I can squeeze pretty much all of the viable wort out of the grains in less than 5 minutes without having to manually suspend the bag.

Anyway, just wanted to provide an alternate pot review for you guys looking to get into AG through BIAB!!

 

[iijakii]

Yeah, I have the 62Qt Bayou Classic and love it. I'm sure the Polarware kettles are very nice, but double the cost nice? Hard to imagine.

 

[jfowler1]

I haven't found that to be the case, I have both a 10 gallon kettle and a 15.5 gallon keggle. For your statement to be true, you have to assume that the boiloff rate per hour would be twice at much for 10 gallons as it would be for 5. That hasn't been my experience. While a 10 gallon batch may boil off more hour than a 5 gallon batch, it's not significantly more.

My friend started doing 10 gallon batches in a 15 gallon pot, and he does it with success. There is a lot more room in his 10 gallon full volume boil in a 60 qt pot than there is for my 5 gallon batch in a 30 qt pot...but I still wouldn't turn my back on it when it gets started. I would call it more than do-able, but maybe not ideal.

And good adder on the Bayou Classic review. I left out Bayou Classic as well as converted kettles only because of their DIY nature - and my desire to avoid DIY this time. But for someone else, they could be perfect.

 

[TopherM]

I left out Bayou Classic as well as converted kettles only because of their DIY nature - and my desire to avoid DIY this time. But for someone else, they could be perfect.

If you can use a power drill, you can drill and install a weldless fitting.

On the DIY profficiency scale, I'm just about as solid 5 as it gets, VERY AVERAGE. I'm not a metrosexual with manacured nails, but I certainly couldn't make a collar for a keezer.

I drilled and installed a flawless weldless fitting and ball valve in about 10 minutes with a step bit and some dish soap for lube.

 

[Kuhndog]

If you can use a power drill, you can drill and install a weldless fitting.

On the DIY profficiency scale, I'm just about as solid 5 as it gets, VERY AVERAGE. I'm not a metrosexual with manacured nails, but I certainly couldn't make a collar for a keezer.

I drilled and installed a flawless weldless fitting and ball valve in about 10 minutes with a step bit and some dish soap for lube.

Is there any downside to a weldless fitting? Safety of the materials? Cleaning? Compared to a welded fitting?

I'm getting pretty interested in the bayou classic SS 36 or 44 qt pots. Although if some good deals come up within the next week - I may jump on them. I want to be able to do full boils for 5 gals but at the same time have the capability to do BIAB batches as well without getting tons of equipment upfront. The more I read about things - I'm realizing that the scortch thing is more hype than reality. I love to cook at home and you don't turn on the stove - put something in a skillet and then go watch tv for an hour. You need to be close by and tend to it so your food doesn't burn or boil over...etc. Same with brewing beer.

 

[JonW]

Is there any downside to a weldless fitting? Safety of the materials? Cleaning? Compared to a welded fitting?

There is no issue with a good weldless fitting. Proponents of welded fittings will tell you that weldless fitting can harbor bacteria and are not as sanitary. Like your scorching example, that is more hype than reality. Even welded fitting have issues with harboring bacteria as they usually have additional threaded areas that can easily hide nasties (tri-clover systems help eliminate this though). However, the reality is that proper cleaning keeps both welded and weldless systems free of bacteria. Additionally, anything from your HLT, MLT or BK is going to be thoroughly boiled, so any nasties that were hidden will be gone. The only real place that you don't want to mess with weldless fittings is in a fermenter where any hidden nasties could spoil your wort.

 

[Kuhndog]

There is no issue with a good weldless fitting. Proponents of welded fittings will tell you that weldless fitting can harbor bacteria and are not as sanitary.

Is it better/cheaper to get the weldless kits or create your own?

Do you recommend any in particular?

Thanks! I'm loving the information.

 

[iijakii]

Bargain Fittings has good prices on weldless bulkheads, etc.

 

[jfowler1]

However, the reality is that proper cleaning keeps both welded and weldless systems free of bacteria.

This is a great sentence, and it kind of highlights why one of my wants was for welded fittings. I have been using weldless bulkheads for almost 3 years. I would disassemble them for thorough cleaning every 2 or 3 uses, and there was always a bit of gunk between the layers. While true that a welded fitting has a set of threads that can harbor bacteria (ie: where the valve meets the fitting on the kettle), a weldless bulkhead has many fail points (valve, nipple, washer, gasket, kettle wall, gasket, washer, lock nut).

Both can harbor bacteria, but I felt a welded fitting and valve with 1 fail point to be the lesser of the two evils.

 

[Jamming]

I just got these. only want to buy one time and be able to do 10 gallon batches. got them from adventures in brewing ! Great service !

 

[NCGrayson]

Great thread, thanks for the review.

 

[CanadianQuaffer]

For what it's worth, I have a 10 gallon Megapot and am probably going to get a 15 gallon Megapot for Christmas so I can do 10 gallon batches.
I like them. They're a bit wide, but they are tough as nails, they look great and I really like the thick aluminum clad bottoms.

 

[Kuhndog]

For what it's worth, I have a 10 gallon Megapot and am probably going to get a 15 gallon Megapot for Christmas so I can do 10 gallon batches.
I like them. They're a bit wide, but they are tough as nails, they look great and I really like the thick aluminum clad bottoms.

I'm not trying to start anything here...but why do you like the thick aluminum clad bottoms? Other than the better heat distribution while heating...which is better but not worth the extra money probably unless you plan on turning on the cooker and taking a nap. I'm not saying you have to baby SS kettles without clad bottoms but I tend not to leave anything cooking by itself unattended unless I'm cooking something in a crock pot or smoker.

I was just curious considering breweries don't use aluminum clad bottoms (usually a current in the boiler), many homebrewers use converted SS kegs that don't have alum clad bottoms...etc.

 

[CanadianQuaffer]

I'm not trying to start anything here...but why do you like the thick aluminum clad bottoms? Other than the better heat distribution while heating...which is better but not worth the extra money probably unless you plan on turning on the cooker and taking a nap. I'm not saying you have to baby SS kettles without clad bottoms but I tend not to leave anything cooking by itself unattended unless I'm cooking something in a crock pot or smoker.

I was just curious considering breweries don't use aluminum clad bottoms (usually a current in the boiler), many homebrewers use converted SS kegs that don't have alum clad bottoms...etc.

I dunno, just peace of mind I guess. Aluminum gives better heat distribution than SS and the thick bottoms just make me feel as if I'm using a piece of serious equipment. It's based on nothing really other than purely superficial things. It makes me feel good. lol.

 

[Dog House Brew]

I used to use a 10 gallon Polarware kettle when I moved from a keg. It way out performed my 15 gallon keg HLT in the speed at which it heats. I don't like the keg, too heavy. The heat transfer isn't nearly as efficient. I moved to larger batches and use a homemade 25 gallon stainless BK. It is made of 3/16" stainless and the heat transfer is great. IMO the thicker bottoms do make a difference. I've never had any scorching of the wort, but I can say when I did use the keg BK it took me longer to bring it to boil. They all work, but it is hard for me to justify the Polarware cost. Could have bought a lot of brewing things for what I paid for it. After using my BK, I think I'm going to make my own or go with a 25 gallon Mega Pot for my HLT.

 

[Calichusetts]

How about a Stout kettle review?

 

[bdjohns1]

A little background for those who don't know me. By day, I'm a manufacturing/engineering manager in a large dairy plant. By large, I mean we go through 2 million pounds of milk a day.

There is no issue with a good weldless fitting. Proponents of welded fittings will tell you that weldless fitting can harbor bacteria and are not as sanitary. Like your scorching example, that is more hype than reality. Even welded fitting have issues with harboring bacteria as they usually have additional threaded areas that can easily hide nasties (tri-clover systems help eliminate this though). However, the reality is that proper cleaning keeps both welded and weldless systems free of bacteria. Additionally, anything from your HLT, MLT or BK is going to be thoroughly boiled, so any nasties that were hidden will be gone. The only real place that you don't want to mess with weldless fittings is in a fermenter where any hidden nasties could spoil your wort.

Any kind of threaded fitting poses a harborage risk. That's why we don't allow threaded fittings on any surface that makes product contact. 3A sanitary design standards don't even allow a non-radiused 90-degree corner inside a tank. Maybe if you go at every threaded fitting with a toothbrush and cleaner, you can get a pipe thread truly clean.

Saying that there is "no risk" with a weldless or threaded fitting is incorrect. Period.

Here's a practical example:

1) Joe Brewer makes a batch of beer. After he's done, he cleans his mash tun, but there's a couple of grain flecks that get hung up around the threaded fitting in the pickup off his false bottom in his mash tun cooler. He does all the usual cleaning. Those flecks are still there.

2) He stores the mash tun in his garage. Before everything's dry, a spore of something nasty like C. Botulinum blows by and ends up landing in the tun. Since there's some moisture, a little bit of grain to eat, and the temperature is comfy, the spore wakes up, clones itself into a small colony, eats that speck up, makes some toxins, and goes back into dormant spore form.

3) Next week, Joe goes to make another batch. He sprays everything down with StarSan before he goes to mash. Since he cleaned up after the last run, it must be OK, right? Nope. StarSan isn't going to affect the toxin. It may or may not kill off the spores.

4) Worst case, there are still some viable spores - they end up in the boil. Boil doesn't phase them. They have a chance to grow again during cooling once the temperature gets below about 125F or so. If Joe doesn't pitch enough starter, the bacteria might be able to grow a little more and make some more toxins.

If you had an all-sanitary system, that harborage point in the mash tun wouldn't exist.

 

[JonW]

Show me some documented cases of botulism in beer.

 

[jkarp]

You must be new to brewing bdjohns1. The mash tun is pre-boil in the brewing process. Even if there was botulism toxin, the boil destroys it. Botulism toxin is not formed in finished beer because it's too acidic.

Most brewers know all this and don't give their mash tun anything more than a quick rinse.

 

[rockfish42]

A little background for those who don't know me. By day, I'm a manufacturing/engineering manager in a large dairy plant. By large, I mean we go through 2 million pounds of milk a day.



Any kind of threaded fitting poses a harborage risk. That's why we don't allow threaded fittings on any surface that makes product contact. 3A sanitary design standards don't even allow a non-radiused 90-degree corner inside a tank. Maybe if you go at every threaded fitting with a toothbrush and cleaner, you can get a pipe thread truly clean.

Saying that there is "no risk" with a weldless or threaded fitting is incorrect. Period.

Here's a practical example:

1) Joe Brewer makes a batch of beer. After he's done, he cleans his mash tun, but there's a couple of grain flecks that get hung up around the threaded fitting in the pickup off his false bottom in his mash tun cooler. He does all the usual cleaning. Those flecks are still there.

2) He stores the mash tun in his garage. Before everything's dry, a spore of something nasty like C. Botulinum blows by and ends up landing in the tun. Since there's some moisture, a little bit of grain to eat, and the temperature is comfy, the spore wakes up, clones itself into a small colony, eats that speck up, makes some toxins, and goes back into dormant spore form.

3) Next week, Joe goes to make another batch. He sprays everything down with StarSan before he goes to mash. Since he cleaned up after the last run, it must be OK, right? Nope. StarSan isn't going to affect the toxin. It may or may not kill off the spores.

4) Worst case, there are still some viable spores - they end up in the boil. Boil doesn't phase them. They have a chance to grow again during cooling once the temperature gets below about 125F or so. If Joe doesn't pitch enough starter, the bacteria might be able to grow a little more and make some more toxins.

If you had an all-sanitary system, that harborage point in the mash tun wouldn't exist.

Botulism needs an anaerobic environment to grow, so it's not a problem on gear exposed to the air. Beer pH is too low for it to survive, so it's not a problem after the boil.

 

[bdjohns1]

You must be new to brewing bdjohns1. The mash tun is pre-boil in the brewing process. Even if there was botulism toxin, the boil destroys it. Botulism toxin is not formed in finished beer because it's too acidic.

Most brewers know all this and don't give their mash tun anything more than a quick rinse.

I am new to brewing, but not to food safety. Bacillus cereus, to name one example, produces a toxin that can survive a commercial sterilization process. Lethality is exponential with respect to temperature, so a 60 minute boil is meaningless compared to something like 255F for 10 minutes.

 

[bdjohns1]

Botulism needs an anaerobic environment to grow, so it's not a problem on gear exposed to the air. Beer pH is too low for it to survive, so it's not a problem after the boil.

Replace C. bot with something aerobic that produces heat-stable toxins and you're housed.

 

[JonW]

I am new to brewing, but not to food safety. Bacillus cereus, to name one example, produces a toxin that can survive a commercial sterilization process. Lethality is exponential with respect to temperature, so a 60 minute boil is meaningless compared to something like 255F for 10 minutes.

Replace C. bot with something aerobic that produces heat-stable toxins and you're housed.

The point that myself and others here are trying to make is that these types of toxins are VERY rarely if ever seen in home brewing. Mostly because of a combination of factors including the boiling of wort, the low ph, the preservative nature of hops, the presence of alcohol, etc. Not saying it couldn't happen, but the possibility for this type of infection is rare.

To get back to the original topic that fueled this, it's a stretch to make an argument in home brewing for using sanitary fittings to prevent this type of infection. Yes they're nice and don't have all the nooks & crannies for stuff to hide, but when you look at the rest of a brew rig that includes barbed hose fittings, threaded pump fittings, pump head internals, plate chillers, false bottoms, etc. there are just too many other areas that could allow potential nasties to breed. The bottom line is that either welded sanitary fittings or o-ring based weldless fittings are just fine for home brewing and using one over the other is not going to get you out of the risk of an infection.