Finally: an Adequate Kettle

[Evan!]

Well, when I switched over to AG, I wasn't concerned about volumes because I had an 8 gallon kettle. After a few batches where I had to split it up into two kettles because of all the runnings, I knew I needed something bigger.

Well, bigger it is. Almost twice as big, in fact. :rockin:

I just ordered this. $70 shipped. Sounds like a damn good price. My friend owns a restaurant, and I don't even think sysco has them for that much. I think I paid like $70 for my 8-gallon one that I got from sysco before.

No more split boils!!!

 

[JustDave]

Nice find!

I need to get AG equipment .... I think I have to pull the trigger on this.

Sincerely,
The copycat

 

[El_Borracho]

Wanna sell your old one

 

[Evan!]

Wanna sell your old one

nah, I need it. I use it for HLT's, primary runnings, etc. I even use it as a mash tun if I need to. The one thing that it wasn't adequate for was full boils, especially on higher-gravity brews. But I'm sure that eBay has one for cheap. The guys who i ordered from, instawares, has one for $39.87 plus shipping...a damn good deal if you're not doing AG.

 

[El_Borracho]

I sorta figured you had plans for it..worth a shot though. I'm trying to start all-grain, well my first will probably be a variation of "Your First Beer" article by Palmer from the BYO magazine.

I actually found a 30qt turkey fryer on eBay for 40 bucks shipped (the dude at 17 of them).

 

[Fenster]

Good God, you could boil 20 lobsters in that thing!

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

nah, I need it. I use it for HLT's, primary runnings, etc. I even use it as a mash tun if I need to. The one thing that it wasn't adequate for was full boils, especially on higher-gravity brews. But I'm sure that eBay has one for cheap. The guys who i ordered from, instawares, has one for $39.87 plus shipping...a damn good deal if you're not doing AG.

How was your experience with instawares?

 

[Germey]

Do you know what the thickness is on it? That's a great price, but only a bit less than the one from Upstate that is 4mm. I'm sure it's probably the same (and likely the same Mfg.) but it'd be nice to know for sure.
Thanks,
Jeremy

 

[BierMuncher]

I see 10-gallon batches in your very near future.

 

[ScubaSteve]

60 qts is the magic number! Believe it or not, as massive as that pot is, boilovers still happen. Ask me how I know

 

[Alamo_Beer]

Sweet! I've got a 60qt as well...works out great

Congrats

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

60 qts is the magic number! Believe it or not, as massive as that pot is, boilovers still happen. Ask me how I know

Why not instawares
160 qt for $80! I couldn't resist once they dropped the price another $40...

 

[ScubaSteve]

My IC would barely get wet in a pot like that!

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

My IC would barely get wet in a pot like that!

Isn't that what CFC's are for?

 

[RadicalEd]

Holy cr@p, just ordered one. You have no idea how long and hard I'd been searching for a reasonably priced 60qt! Thanks a bunch for posting this!

 

[PseudoChef]

n00b question, but I've been puking all evening and don't feel like searching?

Can you drill a spigot into an aluminum pot?

 

[Short Drive]

Can you drill a spigot into an aluminum pot?

I bought a stock pot just like that the one Evan! bought. Paid $99 from Edward Don & Co. (food service equipment wholesaler).

Used a step bit and it cut really nice. Put a 1/2 inch ball valve on it. Weldless of course.

 

[briandickens]

these pots look awesome, especially for the price. 60qt seems really a bit big for 5 gallon batches, no? I see they have a 40qt for about $40 or so on their site. Should I be looking for a specific manufacturer, or is "heavy duty aluminum stock pot for professional use" enough to go on?

I'm trying to get my AG gear put together and this plus a good sized burner seems a lot more future proof than a cheap turkey fryer set. I don't see myself doing 10 gallon batches for a year or so. and still, paying $40 now for a pot doesn't make me feel so bad about having to buy a bigger pot down the road. Thoughts?

 

[RadicalEd]

At the least, that 40qt would serve as a decent HLT for the future...

 

[Evan!]

My experience (so far) with instawares has been great. The one snag is that, when you place your order on eBay, they ask YOU to enter the shipping total...which you have to estimate using their calculator. My shipping said $11.55 for standard ground 3-6 day, so I entered "$11.55". But when my receipt came in my inbox, they had charged me $11.34 and listed it as super saver ground, ships in 5-10 days. I called them and they switched me to standard, so it wasn't a big deal...it just seems like it'd be much easier to select the kind of shipping you want, and let THEM figure the cost...since they do it anyway.

Briandickens:

I had the same idea...8 gallons is more than enough for 5 gallon boils. I was dead wrong. If I were you, I'd get at least a 50 quart. It's not much more money, but you really are well-served to have that space...especially when you have huge grain bills and your pre-boil volume is like 7 or 8 gallons.

 

[ScubaSteve]

You'll never have a problem that the pot is too big, but you will if it's too small.

 

[briandickens]

only problem would be that my chiller would be dwarfed inside a 15gallon kettle. so that would mean making a new chiller. 50' of 1/2" tubing would work, right? is this okay? or is that tubing too soft or something?

 

[RadicalEd]

No, that tubing is the exact kind you need. IMHO that's a pretty dang good price, too! <Dabbles in HVAC> "Soft" is merely relative; it's still pretty hard to bend (especially in a "pretty" manner). But it's soft in comparison to hard copper pipe. This here is the exact kind of tubing that 99% of chillers are made of.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

You'll love having the extra space. I got a keggle a while back, but haven't gotten around to a 10 gallon batch yet... yet being the key word.

 

[ScubaSteve]

only problem would be that my chiller would be dwarfed inside a 15gallon kettle. so that would mean making a new chiller. 50' of 1/2" tubing would work, right? is this okay? or is that tubing too soft or something?

I'm at work, and can't get on ebay, but 50' of 1/2" tubing is perfect. It'll chill the hell out of your wort, especially if you whirlpool while cooling and recirculate ice water once it's past ~120F. Look at morebeer.com for their "B3 Superchiller" as it'll be hard to DIY any prettier/cheaper. Some people like CFC's/ plate chillers too, but that's a different school of thought. To each his own, but my IC is sweet, awesome, and it also rocks.

 

[Evan!]

Well, they shipped it yesterday and UPS tracking said it'd be delivered tomorrow. Unfortunately, UPS gets to my house around 5pm typically, and I'm planning on getting mashed in around noon, so that isn't gonna work. Called UPS Cust-serv and tried to get them to hold the package at the local distribution facility so I could pick it up during the day; they said that request had to be made by the shipper. Called Instawares, and after a bit of trouble navigating the maze of automated customer service, I spoke to a really nice girl who put me on hold, called UPS, and worked it out for me. Got off the phone, checked the tracking info, and the intercept request was already there.

Awesome. I'm digging instawares so far.

 

[neckbone]

Awesome!!!

I've got an 80qt aluminum coming. Wish I would have seen that place, I would have bought one from them. But, of course, I still need two more for true AG 10 gal batches.

 

[El_Borracho]

For someone planning on doing 5gal batches, all-grain, and some partial.. What would be the right size pot?? I assume more than 5 gallons?

 

[Cheesefood]

For someone planning on doing 5gal batches, all-grain, and some partial.. What would be the right size pot?? I assume more than 5 gallons?

15 gallons is just about the right size. My keggle can boil over when I use wheat in 5 gallon batches

 

[Lukus]

This may be a little off topic ....but I have an Aluminum pot and want to know what other people use to clean their Aluminum pots. After reading many threads about how you need to be more careful while cleaning Aluminum I want to make sure I'm not damaging my pot.