BoilerMaker vs Stainless Kettle...and more

[kimeye01]

Newbie here with several questions:

1. What is the benefit of a BoilerMaker vs a Stainless Kettle. There must be something significant that I'm missing seeing as how the price variance is absurd!

2. I am using malt extract as opposed to all grain brewing right now and am slowly building my supplies. I've got the bare essentials. Should I be looking to invest in a wort chiller? BoilMaker? Kegerator? CO2 tank? ....

Any advice would be excellent, thanks!

 

[TopherM]

A BoilerMaker is a Stainless Steel kettle, it's just one that has all the bells and whistles built in. For about 1/2 the price, you can build out a kettle to have all the same features of the BoilerMaker, but it just might not have the same BLING! factor. I personally just bought a 11 gallon pot and drilled it for a ball valve for a total cost of about $140.00. I don't really see the need for a sight tube or a built-in thermometer for MY process, through I'm sure some other brewers can't live without them.

If you are jsut starting out, I'd hold off on the wort chiller, kegorator, CO2 for now. Get a good Stainless Steel pot. If you think this is a hobby you are going to stick with, go ahead and get a kettle capable of doing full-volume batches. Think like a 40-48 qt. (10-12 gallon) for 5-6 gallon batches or 60+ if you think you will get into 10 gallon batches.

For now, you can chill your beer in ice water in your kitchen sink or bathtub, bottle your beer, etc.. Focus on getting the basic beer brewing process down before you go nuts buying add ons. Most of the equipment upgrades are just convenience items that make the process easier, but you can brew great beer with just a kettle and a fermenter.

Once you have 3-4 batches under your belt, you'll have a much better idea of the upgrades you want to make to make your unique process easier.

 

[AmandaK]

I wouldn't go ahead and say that a wort chiller is not important. I have a 10 gallon steel pot with a ball valve ($40 find) and two chillers - an IC for pre chilling the water and a CFC for actual chilling.

If you're set on a pot, go for it, but my next purchase would be a proper chiller. DMS ain't somethin to laugh at. It's a beer ruiner for me.

Cheers!

 

[kimeye01]

Thanks guys!

I didn't specify before but I already own a stainless steel kettle for brewing and have brewed 2 batches thus far. I find that chilling the wort in my bath tub takes WAY too long and adds cost for the ice.

I'll go with a wort chiller for now and move on from there.

 

[kimeye01]

I wouldn't go ahead and say that a wort chiller is not important. I have a 10 gallon steel pot with a ball valve ($40 find) and two chillers - an IC for pre chilling the water and a CFC for actual chilling.

If you're set on a pot, go for it, but my next purchase would be a proper chiller. DMS ain't somethin to laugh at. It's a beer ruiner for me.

Cheers!

What does "IC", "CFC" and "DMS" mean? I'm not so good with the acronyms.

 

[eastoak]

IC = immersion chiller

CFC = counter flow chiller

DMS = dimethyl sulfide

 

[unionrdr]

I've found that with a 5G ss stock pot containing up to 3G of wort,I can chill it down to pitch temp (+/-70F) in 20 minutes. Put the BK in the sink,then fill the empty space completely with ice. Then top it off with water,rather than the other way round. Way faster.
And my BK came in a nested set of 4 with lids & steamer trays for $25 at Giant Eagle on sale. All polished,purty SS. I took the 5G for myself,& gave momma the rest. She was def way happier (best way to get some!). But we also found that when she took the 4G pot to brew her latest batch,that it boiled easier! Damn me anyway...oh well,she's happy,so that's cool.
But yeah,I'm thinking of maybe blingin out my 5G BK,but I may just get a bigger one at that point. Maybe check the flea market.

 

[TyTanium]

Also, I'd recommend pursuing fermentation temp control before kegerator/co2, etc. I'd rather have good beer in a bottle than bad fusel beer in a keg.

As for the kettle, I have this one and have been very pleased:
http://www.homebrewing.org/2-WELD-9-Gallon-Stainless-Steel-Brew-Pot-_p_1684.html

 

[paraordnance]

you will want chiller really fast. I did ice bath chills and then no-chills but moved to IC and never looked back. Chill haze problem went away