Boilermaker kettle for MLT

[amrmedic]

I use a 10 gallon rectangular igloo cooler for my MLT with a cpvc manifold. Right now I have a Top Tier brew stand with a burner on top and bottom and a shelf in the middle. So top burner is my kettle to heat strike and sparge water and bottom kettle is BK, so I use gravity to feed the system. I am finding my cooler is on the small size and was looking at getting a larger cooler. When I priced a 15 gallon cooler plus parts to convert it I was around 100 dollars. So I was thinking of using a 15 gallon pot (not blichman) with a false bottom for my mlt and getting a third burner for my stand.

Is there any advantages or disadvantages to using a 15 gallon kettle for a MLT besides being to directly heat the mash?

Thanks

 

[Runyanka]

I also have a top tier with three burners, and Blichmann kettles on each. You can heat your strike water in it, do step mashes easier, mash out easier. I find that if i wrap my pot in an old ski coat, I lose 1 degree over a 60 minute mash (and that was when it was cold outside). I love it, and wouldn't go back to the cooler to save my life.

 

[Runyanka]

Oh, and the Blichmann false bottom is second to none, and the autosparge is my favorite feature.

 

[amrmedic]

I do 5 gallon batches, do you think the 15 gallon kettle will be big enough to hold large recipes such as a 25 lb barleywine?

 

[Markd27]

I'm confused, your thread title says "Boilermaker kettle for MLT" but you also say you are looking at a 15 gallon pot, not Blichmann?

 

[amrmedic]

Sorry to confuse you, but Blichmann is the maker. The actual name of their "kettles" are Boilermaker. You can use them for boil kettle, MLT or HLT. I used the term kettle to refer to the 15 gallon model.

On their website they say to use the 10 gallon pot for a MLT, but I am thinking of getting the 15 gallon model to be more versatile.

I am also looking at getting the autosparge with it, but dont know how well it would work when using it for 5 gallon batches as the fluyid level in the MLT would not reach the float I think.

 

[Rbeckett]

You can adjust the auto sparge arm height and do whatever grain height you need. You will love a 15 gallon kettle the first time you do a boil and not have to worry about boil overs.
Bob