can i brew a 5 gallon in a 20 gallon pot

[mthenry87]

Hi all so I'm new here and I want to try my first all grain batch. I already have a 20 gallon pot from other hobbies I'm just wondering if the 20 gallon pot is to big for a 5 gallon brew. i would do a 10 gallon brew but i don't have a 10 gallon fermenter if i did could i just do half and half in 6 gallon buckets or carboy.
Any help or advice thanks

PS: im kinda scared to do a 10 gallon batch because this will be my first all grain brew.

 

[Psylocide]

Easily.

I do 5.5 gal batches in my 20 gal kettle. I do boil off close to 1.75 gal per hour though.

 

[Zippox]

I brew 5 gallon batches in a 25 gallon aluminum boil kettle. Primary concern is cooling the hot wort. Can your immersion chiller reach the bottom of the pot? Do you have an immersion chiller? Doesn't sound like you will be able to do an ice-bath in the sink since the container is most certainly too large.

 

[mthenry87]

i am making an immersion chiller so it will be able to reach the bottom. i also have a aluminum pot its old but I'm going to try to clean it up really good and make it work i don't really want to buy a new pot. thanks for the help

 

[mthenry87]

i am making a chiller so ill make it long enough to reach i also have a aluminum pot its old but I'm going to try to clean it up really good

 

[invictusbrew]

Boil off will be a bit higher, but other than having to adjust for that, there is no problem brewing 5 gallons in a 20 gallon pot. Furthermore, once you are confident you can certainly split the batches into two fermenters - actually a great way to test out different things (yeast strains, dry hopping, additions like oak, fruit, etc) on the same wort. Welcome to all-grain!

 

[Psylocide]

I brew 5 gallon batches in a 25 gallon aluminum boil kettle. Primary concern is cooling the hot wort. Can your immersion chiller reach the bottom of the pot? Do you have an immersion chiller? Doesn't sound like you will be able to do an ice-bath in the sink since the container is most certainly too large.

Cooling the wort isn't that big of deal... I no chill in the kettle for a few hours with the lid on, transfer to fermenter, wait until pitching temp, ~18-24 hrs, then pitch.

Not really a huge advantage to chilling wort quickly, if you use kettle finings and fine in the keg (or primary if bottling).

 

[Zippox]

Cooling the wort isn't that big of deal... I no chill in the kettle for a few hours with the lid on, transfer to fermenter, wait until pitching temp, ~18-24 hrs, then pitch.

Not really a huge advantage to chilling wort quickly, if you use kettle finings and fine in the keg (or primary if bottling).

Thanks for the nice chilling idea. I'll probably use this process for this winter. I'm not trying to hijack this thread but quick question -- any styles of beer this procedure doesn't work well for? Or are most types fair game.

 

[Psylocide]

Thanks for the nice chilling idea. I'll probably use this process for this winter. I'm not trying to hijack this thread but quick question -- any styles of beer this procedure doesn't work well for? Or are most types fair game.

No, I haven't run into any that it doesn't work well for.

It does mess with hop stand timing, but I just come back an hour or so later and chuck hops in there.

Just use Whirlfloc @ 15 mins and hit the keg with Gelatin after crashing a couple of days. Crystal clear.

 

[smitty8202]

You could also get a cheap $20 pond pump and submerge it in ice water in a Tupperware bin and pump it through the chiller if your water doesn't get cold enough. Just my .02 cents.