Kettle - Go expensive, or go cheap?

[acidrain]

I'm gonna say go cheap, but big enough to do at least some BIAB AG's.
I just got a 36qt SS pot with lid and steamer basket for $79 at Cabelas. That's after buying a 20qt. from my local brew store for $50 that really wasn't big enough to move up. I wished I would have just started with the Cabelas pot.

 

[david_42]

I've got a 40 qt kettle that came with the turkey burner and a super heavy-duty 60 qt pot. Can't tell any difference in the beer, but the bigger pot has never boiled over.

 

[tnsen]

ok I just got to put in my 2 cents....I bought a 10 gallon polar ware brew pot ss...it has an xtra thick bottom.....it put me back 130.00....perfect for biab...love it...and I added ball valve from bargin fittings.... I would do it againe in a heartbeat

 

[Golddiggie]

I would also suggest a cheaper alternative to the Blichman Burner. In my opinion, that's a luxury pick. I picked up a Bayou burner for less than $50 that does the job well.

I had the Bayou KAB4 burner first. Even though the burner element appears identical to the one in the Blichmann burner, performance is NOT the same. On the Bayou burner my brew-buddy uses, you have to crank it way up (sounds like a jet) to get it to come even close to the performance. I'm getting more wort to a boil, faster, than him.

We've been brewing Saturday evenings over the past ~1-1/2 years. So getting to a boil faster is far better than not.

For the thermometer in the kettle, I've gotten to the point where I won't use them. There's one installed in my Blichmann BoilerMaker, which I'll leave installed. I'm not about to install one into any other kettles moving forward though. Especially when I have the thermometer setup with sensors I can drop into the water/mash to get an accurate reading. Plus, I don't need to worry about getting the thermometer (installed in a kettle) up to the level needed to get an accurate reading. I also don't need to worry about calibrating the thermometer and hoping it doesn't get skewed.

I probably won't use the thermometer in the BoilerMaker for temperature readings. Simply because the Fluke 52II has two sensor ports, and I have enough thermocouples to use where I need/want without issue.

 

[724b]

The kettle...
http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2012/09/top-find-9-gallon-stainless-kettle-2.html

9 gallon stainless steel kettle with two ports already ready to go. At $90 shipped it's... a great deal!

 

[passedpawn]

To the OP, maybe you can get in on this deal? Assuming there is room for negotiating, I'll bet you could get it all for $300. 2 kettles, burner, bottling gear, small carboy, pump, etc.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f16/cl-ag-setup-st-augustine-fl-400-a-354486/

 

[SpikeBrewing]

It really depends on your budget and future brewing plans.

If you can afford it go stainless. It will last a lifetime and doesn't need the special conditioning the the aluminum needs.

If you plan on sticking with the hobby we recommend going bigger than you think. We have many people pick up our 10gal kettle and a couple weeks later ask if they can exchange for a larger one. Why make 5 gallons of beer when you can make 10!!!

-Ben

 

[squeekybobo]

I went from a 7.5 gallon aluminum pot to a 15 gallon SS pot with ball valve and another port for a thermometer for $100. Thanks to a member of my brew club. My suggestion is watch Craigslist for someone selling either a keggle or a larger SS pot for cheap. Spike brewing does have some good deals, as well. I don't regret the bigger pot, since I have the option of doing a 10 gallon batch if I so desire. Go bigger than you think you need, you'll thank me later!