All Grain Brew Kettle Size

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snow145532

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So I'm looking to make the move to All Grain brewing already. Only on my second batch, but i like the idea of controlling more in my beer. So my girlfriend is going to buy me a pot for my b-day (awesome) and i'm trying to decide on the correct size. I only plan on doing 5 gallon batches and from what i'm reading with batch sparging techniques, you need to boil around 6.5 gallons to get to your 5 gallon batch size? Does this 30qt pot look good, or should I up the size to a 10 gallon pot?
thanks for any input
 
pots are expensive, get one that you won't grow out of.
personally i would invest in some keggles. thus giving you the ability to do 10 gallon batches if you decide.
 
30 quart is way too small. i have one. it's way too small. you really need closer to 7 gallons in the boil

15 gal is my honest recommendation. 10 gal would be adequate.
 
I have a 35 Quart SS brewpot and have not had any problems with a 6.5 gallon boil... But I do use FermCap-S just in case. FWIW
 
I ended up choosing a 15 gallon pot, even though at this point, I only brew 5 gallon batches. I wanted the room to grow in case I wanted to step up to 10 gallon batches later on. My only complaint regarding my 15 gallon pot is the placement of the thermometer. It's a Blichman and they install their thermometers at the 6.5 gallon mark. So, I barely get to use it for 5 gallon batches. No big deal though. Otherwise, the 15 is great. Never had a boil over.

If I knew I would never want to cook up 10 gallons at a time, I would consider the 10 gallon pot. I just didn't want to take that chance. The beer tastes too good.

I hope your girlfriend really likes you. Pots can get expensive if you let them. Good luck.
 
I've been doing split pot boils on my stove for quite some time now. I just upgraded to a 15 gallon. I almost bought the ten gallon because I only plan on doing 5 gallon batches but at over 300 bucks for the pot I figured to go a little bigger and get the 15 gallon just in case I ever wanted to do 10 gallon batches. I even get some feed back that the 15 gallon may be too small for a 10 gallon batch...but if that is so I can just use the 15 Gallon as a HLT and purchase a 20 gallon later on down the road.

Most importantly is to make your system as scalable as possible. It is much easier to buy a bit bigger now and grow into it, then it is to replace everything you already purchased. Just my 2 cents though.
 
I suggest planning on going to 10 G batches and purchase a 60 qt. I am doing 10 G batches now in a 50 qt now but have to fudge it a little.

I am going to buy a 60 qt and use my 50 qt as a HLT.

15 Gallons is plenty of room for 10 gallon batches.
 
I'm going All-Grain very soon. Looks like being able to grow into doing 10 gal batches is the best route. As I was recently hauling my 5 gallon fermenter around, I started wondering is it possible to work with a 15 gal kettle without a spigot?
 
I got a 10 gal last Christmas and it suits me fine for 5.5 gal batches.
(Aluminum $49.00)

I decided I was not a good enough brewer yet, nor can I drink enough beer to do 10 gal batches.

Bottling 10 gal at a time would also suck.

One day, I will be kegging and have my process down and then I might be ready to do larger batches, but that day is not here yet.
 
I'm going All-Grain very soon. Looks like being able to grow into doing 10 gal batches is the best route. As I was recently hauling my 5 gallon fermenter around, I started wondering is it possible to work with a 15 gal kettle without a spigot?

Depends on what you're doing. Moving hot liquid and you'll want the valve. Just moving cooled wort and you can probably get away with siphoning.
 
I use a 5 gallon pot, doing 4 gallon boils, and topping off with 2 gallons of water. Using beersmith helps get my hop calculations correct.
 
So I'm looking to make the move to All Grain brewing already. Only on my second batch, but i like the idea of controlling more in my beer. So my girlfriend is going to buy me a pot for my b-day (awesome) and i'm trying to decide on the correct size. I only plan on doing 5 gallon batches and from what i'm reading with batch sparging techniques, you need to boil around 6.5 gallons to get to your 5 gallon batch size? Does this 30qt pot look good, or should I up the size to a 10 gallon pot?
thanks for any input

8 would be min, i have zero problems with my 9 gallon pot from Homebrewing.org

http://www.homebrewing.org/One-Weld-9-Gallon-Stainless-Steel-Pot_p_1683.html

9 Gallon Pot with Weld + SS Ball Valve is $60 cheaper.
 
I used the 7 gallon pot that comes with the Target turkey fryer kit for a couple of batches. I found that a nominal 5 gallon batch recipe was really pushing the limits, even using FermCap in the boil it was ridiculously easy to get a boilover.

I bought a 15 gallon pot from Amazon for $60, which should cover me for 10 gallon batches too. Bigger than that means I'm upgrading my mash tun too.
 
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