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$59 dollars really!!!!

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I use my washer as a guide on the inside to get a feel for how far down I can get it before it goes off the flat. If I want it lower, then I grind a flat on the edge of the washer so it can sit farther down in the pot.

On this particular pot I just installed it as low as the washer would go without having to cut it down.
 
I ended up buying the $45 60qt aluminum pot from Sam's Club. The lid was another $8.

I'll be using a 50' IC so no need for any weldless fittings in my brewhouse. I will get the wort out of it in no time flat using a 1/2" autosiphon. When the IC gets here I will cut the lid so I can get a solid fit with the chiller in the pot.

(Besides, weldless fittings look too professional. I need to uphold my reputation as a redneck brewhouse brewer. :D)
 
I received my pot last night. It was pretty badly damaged on the bottom, so I'm sending it back. By damaged, I'm talking about a massive dent in the bottom/side of the pot. It was at least six inches wide and bad enough to warp the bottom so that it did not sit flat.The shipping box wasn't damaged, but the actual box for the pot was really beat up. I think it's quite possible it left the Cabelas warehouse damaged.

Originally they were going to send me a new one by January 6, but I wasn't satified with that solution. The extremely nice and helpful lady at Cabelas put me on hold and got a faster shipping method appoved. I should have another one delivered by December 30.

It's a bit frustrating, but as long as the new pot arrives undamaged I will be happy.
 
I received my pot last night. It was pretty badly damaged on the bottom, so I'm sending it back.
You have to wonder if these pots are seconds. There seem to be a lot of reports of dents. I got two of the stainless and both are dented. Minor and I'm going to keep them but . . . . damn. I want my shiny thing to be perfect.
:(
 
You have to wonder if these pots are seconds. There seem to be a lot of reports of dents. I got two of the stainless and both are dented. Minor and I'm going to keep them but . . . . damn. I want my shiny thing to be perfect.
:(

They are probably just poorly handled in the warehouse - most of those guys assume that things in factory boxes are packed well enough to be shipped, so they toss them around - these pots are definitely NOT well packaged in their original boxes.
 
All the pots I bought were just fine. Just wanted to update with a good story about the pot. I like mine, It'll be theroughly tested this weekend.
 
Yeah, my 24 qt aluminum one arrived pristine and is well on its way to becoming an indoor electric kettle. After a $20 off coupon, it was a whopping $10. Can't go wrong with that!
 
They are probably just poorly handled in the warehouse - most of those guys assume that things in factory boxes are packed well enough to be shipped, so they toss them around - these pots are definitely NOT well packaged in their original boxes.

I agree. Back in college I worked for a Meijers Store unloading trucks. The skids would come off the truck shrink wrapped holding all kinds of merchandise. We'd cut the wrapping off the skids and throw whatever it was to the appropriate pile for stocking. It was nothing for VCR's, stereo's whatever to be dropped then put on the shelf.
 
16" diameter
17" height
50" circumference
3418 cu/in volume = 14.8 gallons capacity
Lying ad! I'm missing a quart!

Finally got the chance to play with my pot today. Want to brew tomorrow, so I stole the ball valve off my old pot. Installation went pretty smooth. The center of the valve is 1" up from the bottom of the pot.

One thing about the dimensions above. The inside diameter is actually smaller than 16”, so the pots volume is a good ½ gallon short. No big deal, but strange.

I made a dipstick up to check volume. If you’re going to make one, here are the dimensions that I got. The first gallon is 1 ¼” deep because of the radius on the bottom. Every other gallon adds 1 3/16” of depth.

15 gallon pot 01.jpg
 
One observation:

With my 42 quart aluminum pot as it approached boiling I’d have to watch very closely. For a while after reaching a boil it would be a challenge to stir and adjust the heat to prevent boiling over, but once a steady rolling boil was reach there was no need to worry. My best hope was that with the extra room in this new 60 quart stainless, this transition would be more manageable. What I found was better than expected. The changeover to boiling was smooth with no excess foaming. I was amazed to see the clean rolling boil just start. This is with 9 gallons pre-boil and FWHs.

So can I expect this to repeat in the future? Is it because it’s a stainless pot or may be the extra surface area?


15 gallon pot 02.jpg
 
I would guess that its the lower thermal conductivity of the stainless. It allows a "gentler" increase in the wort temperature.
 
I got my 60qt aluminum pot in today. Besides some dings in the lid and a slight bend (which I easily straightened out; hey, it's aluminum) the thing looks like a quality pot. Walls aren't thin at all and it's quite sturdy. Can't wait to use it.
 
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