Do boiling pot dimensions matter that much?

[Killian_77]

I found a 32qt, aluminum turkey fryer pot for $29. It is a short stocky pot, as opposed to the taller, narrow ones. Does more surface area lead to too much boil off, more boil overs because it is shorter, etc?

Any thoughts are appreciated

Killian

 

[android]

you'll be fine. it might evaporate a little more, but the difference will likely be negligible. i think factors such as relative humidity, heat source, etc. will make a larger difference. that's a pretty good price, i'd say go for it. the only thing might be finding a burner that can supply heat to the entire bottom.

 

[Tech211]

I wouldn't go smaller than 40 quarts. With a 32 quart you will never be able to boil more than 6.5 gallons or 7 gallons maximum. If you do all-grain, or plan to, you will be limiting yourself.

 

[Homercidal]

I bought my whole fryer setup for just a little bit more. Came with 7 G pot and burner and stand. Yes at 7 gallons you will be limited to all but the heavier beers.

 

[Saccharomyces]

If you look at most commercial brew setups you'll see a kettle which is roughly as tall as it is wide. I use wide pots myself. My boiloff rate is 1 gal/hr with a 40qt and 1.4 gal/hr with a 60qt pot.