Ideal brew pot sizing - school me

[86turbodsl]

Fellow brewers,
I'm fairly new at brewing, but already I know I like it enough to build an all-grain setup. I'm doing partial mash batches now with steeping crushed grain, with some malt extract.

I'm a fairly cheap sucker.

I have a large amount of 304 stainless sheet. I have a TIG welder. I've got a fair amount of time, and not a ton of spare cash this year. I'd like to build my brew pots from my stainless sheet. The sheeting is off of an old 500 gallon milk tank I bought at an auction for not very much. I'd like to build an all grain setup, and maybe have enough left for a conical fermenter or two.

I'd like to hear some discussion on ideal pot sizing.

I'm doing 5 gallon batches now, but I'm going through them faster than I think is reasonable. I think maybe 10 gallon batches make more sense. Not sure. It's mainly the wife and I drinking, but we have occasional guests.

Thoughts?

 

[H-ost]

10 gallon batches you want at least a 15 gallon BK and I wouldn't go less than a 15 gallon MLT and HLT. Depending on what you brew you may want to go with 20 gallon size for the HLT and MLT but the BK at 15 should be plenty.

 

[86turbodsl]

Ok, how about the dimensions of the pots?

Large diameter or small diameter is better?

I use a really large diameter pressure cooker for a brew pot right now, and it seems like I never have boilovers. Is there something to that?

 

[Markd27]

Click here, then click the "sizing guide" tab.

 

[rossi46]

15.75" diameter by 19" tall is about 15.5 gallons.

 

[86turbodsl]

Thanks, that sizing guide at Blichmann is confusing. They don't label a lot of the fields.

 

[richbrew99]

Which fields aren't labeled? First number is the HLT size second number is your mash tun third number is your boil kettle.

 

[heckels]

I've used both and there are pros and cons for both. A wider kettle should come to a boil faster but you have more boil off. It also allows for a more vigorous boil which helps with hot break and releasing DMS.

Also, a wider kettle typically leaves more wort left over in the bottom.

It's kind of six in one pot and half a dozen in another.