Good pot for 5G batches?

[MrSmug]

Just purchased a Thunder Group 10 gallon kettle w/ ball valve and thermometer from homebrewstuff: http://www.homebrewstuff.com/brewing-equipment-1/brewing-kettles/brewing-kettles-heavy-duty-10-gallon-40-quart/10-gallon-kettle-w-valve-thermometer.html

I will be using this for full wort boils on 5 gallon batches and possible BIAB in th near future. My initial thought are it looks pretty solid and I can't wait to brew with it however I have some questions:

• Is this possibly a bit too wide measuring at 15.5 in width (from the inside)?
• Is this just a little too big in general for 5 gallon batches?

What are your thoughts? Anyone else you these pots?

Thanks.

 

[Zen_Brew]

MrSmug:

I've not used that pot, but for a couple years I used a 9 gallon pot for 5 gallon batches, and now I have a 10 gallon system with 15 gallon pots that I almost always brew 5 gallon batches on. No worries on the pot being too big, it just gives you more breathing room for boilovers, which is a good thing.

The fact that the pot is a bit shorter and wider doesn't hurt anything either. In general you are going to see a slightly larger amount of wort boil off with a wider pot as you have more surface area exposed to the air. After a couple brews you will know your average boil off amount, and then you just tweak your volume a bit to compensate.

 

[truebe]

I have a 8 gal pot and dealing with the break sucks. Wish it was bigger.

 

[MrSmug]

MrSmug:

I've not used that pot, but for a couple years I used a 9 gallon pot for 5 gallon batches, and now I have a 10 gallon system with 15 gallon pots that I almost always brew 5 gallon batches on. No worries on the pot being too big, it just gives you more breathing room for boilovers, which is a good thing.

The fact that the pot is a bit shorter and wider doesn't hurt anything either. In general you are going to see a slightly larger amount of wort boil off with a wider pot as you have more surface area exposed to the air. After a couple brews you will know your average boil off amount, and then you just tweak your volume a bit to compensate.

Thanks for the info. I just remember reading somewhere that you would generally want a taller thinner pot over a short and wide one. I couldn't quite remember why that was but now that you mention it I think it was due to excessive evaporation. I'm guessing though it couldn't be that much more being only slightly wider (~2inches) than the thinest diameter I could fine for 10 gallons. Also good to hear about 10 gallons being the correct size for 5 gallon batches.

 

[MrSmug]

I have a 8 gal pot and dealing with the break sucks. Wish it was bigger.

Great. That sounds like 10 gallons is almost perfect then. Thanks for the input