Equipment for a full boil

[jldc]

Say you want to do a full boil for a 5.5 gallon extract/specialty grains brew.

I assume you need a propane burner to get 6+ gallons boiling, and a 9-10 gallon pot to keep it from boiling over. It also seems like a ball valve is pretty much essential to keep from having to lift and pour 5+ gallons of wort, but it seems like a false bottom and thermometer are options you could add later. It also seems like a wort chiller is a must.

Is this about right?

Do you need any special kind of tubing to drain the wort using the valve? I'm guessing not since you will cool the wort first - just something that fits.

 

[histo320]

I have used a 3 qt to boil 5lb LME, and 1 DME. Ideally you want a bigger pot (5 gal), and you can do it on a stove if you have too.

 

[Jaha35]

I am a beginner but for my first batch I did a full 5 gallon boil with a LME/Grain brew. I used a 9 gallon kettle with built in Thermometer and a 1/2 inch ball valve. I did not use a wort chiller though. Instead I used a Keg bucket, placed my kettle in it and with a garden hose ran cold water around it. I timed it and it took just under an hour to cool to 72 deg. (I had to empty and refill the bucket 3 times)

The ball valve and thermometer were great though and saved me a lot of time and frustration. By outdoor burner is great especially since it was free but you could conceivably boil 6 gallons on some ranges. I tested my range and got 4 gallons to boil fairly easily so 2 more should not be a big deal but all ranges are different. The burner though is just great because brewing outside saves a lot of mess. Also with a 9 gal pot I only had a problem with spill over from foam after adding hops and covering with a lid. In other words with no lid it would never have spilled over.

 

[bob1852]

IMO the chiller is the only must. with a 36-qt pot (9 gallons) you can easily boil boil 6-7 gallons down to 5.5. You need to chill it fast though - so a chiller is needed. A valve is nice, but pouring ~6 gallons of wort that's been chilled down to ~75ish (or cooler) isn't that bad (unless you're worried about wild yeast or other contaminants during a pour - but I've never had any problems and it helps aerate)

 

[bad coffee]

I can do full boils on my stove if I start it in two different pots. 4 gallons in my 8gallon pot and 3 gallons in a 4 gallon pot.

Once both are boiling, I slowly pour the contents of the smaller pot into my big pot and it stays boiling.

And i use an autosiphon to move the wort from the boil kettle to the carboy.

B

 

[Jaha35]

Yeah I forgot to mention that you can do without a ball valve if you siphon and it also helps limit sediment.

 

[Jaha35]

IMO the chiller is the only must. with a 36-qt pot (9 gallons) you can easily boil boil 6-7 gallons down to 5.5. You need to chill it fast though - so a chiller is needed. A valve is nice, but pouring ~6 gallons of wort that's been chilled down to ~75ish (or cooler) isn't that bad (unless you're worried about wild yeast or other contaminants during a pour - but I've never had any problems and it helps aerate)

AZ,

When I did mine I cooled in about an hour without a chiller. Do I need to be faster?

 

[shecky]

The faster you can cool the better. A good cold break will drop the proteins out and help your beer be clearer. Plus, less risk of wild yeast getting in there and messing you up.

 

[Surly]

You do have it about right. I would though add that a thermometer is essential. At the end of the boil and after you have cooled your wort you want to pitch those wonderful little yeastie into a wort of the proper temperature.

Not too warm, not too cold...just right.

And to know that temperature you need a thermometer. An accurate digital can be had for under $20.00. In fact, I picked one up for eight bucks and compared its measurement to other thermometers I have and it was spot on.

 

[Jaha35]

How fast does a Wort Chiller work? Say for a 6 gal batch reduced to 5 and just under boil. Are we talking like 15 minutes?

P.S. My kettle has a thermometer in it so the rod enters about 3-4 inches into the pot. Is it easy to get a Wort Chiller around that?

 

[bob1852]

The faster you can cool the better. A good cold break will drop the proteins out and help your beer be clearer. Plus, less risk of wild yeast getting in there and messing you up.

What he said - just don't look at his avatar!