HLT, MT, and Boil pots

[centex99]

I currently have a 7.5 gallon(alum) and 4 gallon pot(ss)
I just picked up a 10g cooler for mash tun... I'm looking at a deal on 9g as pots with 0,1 or 2 ports...
What do you recommend?
I was thinking two port on hlt (drain plus temp) and one on boil for drain with perhaps a bazooka filter to drain straight to carboy after cooling ...
Thoughts?

 

[Golddiggie]

Get a 10 gallon kettle. Get it fitted for a 1/2" (full port) ball valve too. A sight glass and thermomemeter are also very helpful to have. I would forget about the bazooka screen in the boil kettle. If you want to leave more stuff behind, or have it not get into the wort, look at making a hop spider. Of course, you don't need to filter the wort at all (unless you plan on using either a cfc or plate chiller) letting it all go into the fermenter.

IMO a 9 gallon kettle is about a gallon shy of being sized right. With it being short a gallon of space, you'll be more limited in what you can do for batches. I've had batches where I've had almost 9 gallons at the start of the boil. That's really tight for a 10 gallon kettle (fermcap is your friend) and would be impossible in a 9 gallon kettle. I have a batch coming up that will have about 10 gallons at the start of the boil. I'm making a 1/2 barrel keggle for that batch.

 

[centex99]

9 gallons preboil for a 5 gallon brew?
I liked the 9 gallons cause I found them w/ 1/2" ports for $54 (no ports), $63 (1 port), or $72 (2 ports)...

 

[flips]

9 gallons preboil for a 5 gallon brew?
I liked the 9 gallons cause I found them w/ 1/2" ports for $54 (no ports), $63 (1 port), or $72 (2 ports)...

Where is this??

 

[centex99]

Adventures in homebrewing...
One Weld 9 Gallon...
But back to the discussion... so should I spend tons extra for bigger for the boil pot and just buy one for HLT? For HLT would it be beneficial to have the second weld for thermometer?
I'd almost be inclined to just make slightly smaller 4-4.5G batches if I'd likely end up with a > 8G preboil....

 

[Golddiggie]

I put about 6.5 gallons into primary/fermenters with each batch. That way I can get a full 6 gallons (using two 3 gallon kegs)... I primary [my beers] in 1/4 barrel sanke kegs, so space isn't an issue for me. :rockin:

 

[centex99]

I'm kegging... but with standard 5 gallon kegs... so don't need batches with end results > 5G...

 

[Golddiggie]

My brew fridge can contain four 2.5 or 3 gallon kegs. I have the CO2 tank outside of it (fed through a pair of bulkheads) to give more space for kegs. I have two 2.5 gallon kegs too, for when/if I end up with 5 gallons of brew. Or, if I end up with a short fill in one of the 3 gallon kegs and decide to transfer to the 2.5 gallon keg. It's easy since you just use a jumper and it's done.