Brew pot advice

[mikfire]

Thanks for all the information. It has helped me settle one of the larger questions -- how large a pot. I have to admit I was already tempted by the Blichmann pots and wanted to make certain is was a good value.

I will be trying to talk SWMBO into a Blichmann 15 gal pot. Wish me luck

Mik

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Second, one of the biggest considerations for a boil kettle is the material of the base of the pot. Aluminum, copper-sandwich, or aluminum-sandwich are the best. They facilitate even distribution of heat, faster boils, and less concern with scorching. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but the Blichman kettle has a plain (and thin -- 18 gauge) base right? That's the big turn-off for me. Otherwise, those are nicely outfitted kettles.

This is very true for most cooking applications. However, we are not talking about a sauce or rue or any highly viscous liquid. Heat transfer throughout the heating and boiling wort is good and the liquid moves around the pot a lot. For this reason, a thick walled bottom doesn't really do any good for boil kettles. Instead of the pot supplying the even heat surface via a aluminum core, the wort evens the heat out by convection. This is how the Blichmann can afford to have so many upgraded features at a similar price to other BKs. I think this is the best choice.

From the horse's mouth:

Do I need a Clad Bottom

Clad bottoms are great for cooking viscous foods like spaghetti, gravies etc, especially on an electric stove. Since these foods don't convect like thinner liquids (like beer wort) scorching is more likely. With the full rolling boil of a wort boil, and the use on a gas/propane burner, scorching is not an issue even on the lightest worts. We have thoroughly tested the BoilerMaker pots on high BTU burners with very light beers (Koelsch, Pils etc) and experienced no discoloration or scorching whatsoever. While the clad bottoms look impressive, they add cost, but no real benefit to the brewer. Since we designed these pots from a clean sheet, we added cost only where it added specific benefits to the brewer. The stepped bottom, quality level gauge, adjustable BrewMometer, and snap-in dip tube are a few examples.

 

[jldc]

This is interesting.

Since (for right now at least) I'm only doing partial boils, and I'm not particularly interested in a built in thermometer (because my Polder digital with the clip is fine), and I don't need a clad bottom, I should probably just buy the cheapest 5 gallon pot I can find. Stainless, probably, but that's not a big deal either.

Hmm . . .

 

[FlyGuy]

This is very true for most cooking applications. However, we are not talking about a sauce or rue or any highly viscous liquid. Heat transfer throughout the heating and boiling wort is good and the liquid moves around the pot a lot. For this reason, a thick walled bottom doesn't really do any good for boil kettles. Instead of the pot supplying the even heat surface via a aluminum core, the wort evens the heat out by convection. This is how the Blichmann can afford to have so many upgraded features at a similar price to other BKs. I think this is the best choice.

Perhaps this is a reasonable trade-off for many people, particularly for those brewing all grain on gas-fired systems. But I disagree with the manufacturer's assertion that the pot bottom is of no concern. If you are an extract brewer (particularly if using viscous liquid extracts), or if you are trying to boil on a stovetop, or you have a weak gas burner that takes a long time to get up to boil temps, the base of the pot will have a substantial impact on your brewing experience. But I do agree that scorching is a relatively minor concern that can be mitigated.

 

[Parker36]

Don't brew it, smoke it!

 

[tuoply]

LARGE 48 QT STAINLESS STEEL STOCK POT HOME BREW POT - eBay (item 150310750504 end time Dec-18-08 06:17:37 PST)


look at this in ebay. 48qt. for about 100bucks with shipping!!

I have this very same one, it's been working great so far --though it's huge!

 

[McKBrew]

Is the thermometer on the Blichman removable? Could you remove it and put in a plug for smaller batches and then re-install for larger batches?

 

[billtzk]

No offense to Forrest... but...

the cheapest place to get a Blichmann is from your LHBS. No shipping, no waiting and and you pay the same price for the item.

That depends on what the shipping cost is and your local sales tax rate. If I bought the 15g locally for $369 I'd have to pay .0875 on the dollar for sales tax = $32.29 in sales tax. That's the AHS price. I have no idea what my LHBS sells them for.

I'm not saying your wrong, just that it depends.

 

[Pez]

If money weren't an issue, I would have definitely gone with a Blichmann kettle with false bottom and all that. Since it was, i went with a keggle and haven't been disappointed. It works out well with the valve I installed...

 

[marc06]

I am about to order a new brew kettle from a grilling website and they have either a 62qt or an 82 qt stainless steel kettle. I do 5 gallon batches but I want to be able to do some 10 gallon batches, is an 82 qt pot too large for 5 gallon batches?

Here is the website, I think its really cheap (82 qt ss for $156 shipped)
Bayou Classic Stainless Steel Stockpot - 82 Qt : BBQ Guys

Cheers,
Marc

 

[Hegh]

I am looking for a brew pot also. I tried one from Walmart, 22qt stainless with a triple-layer bottom, but it was too small; my 5 gallon batch only had a couple inches at the top, and if it had been a really good rolling boil, I'm sure I would have lost quite a bit in messy boilovers.

So while I'm browsing, I was wondering if anyone had any advice regarding wide vs. tall pots. I am leaning towards a wider pot in the 32-36 qt range so I don't need to crane my neck to see inside on the stove. Is there any reason to prefer one over the other? Will the extra surface area from a wider pot make a significant difference?

 

[Yambor44]

Thanks for all the information. It has helped me settle one of the larger questions -- how large a pot. I have to admit I was already tempted by the Blichmann pots and wanted to make certain is was a good value.

I will be trying to talk SWMBO into a Blichmann 15 gal pot. Wish me luck

Mik

So its been awhile..... did it go that bad with mama??