Looking for a good kettle without dropping $100+

[elbajista]

Anyone know a good source for a large, full-boil kettle that's relatively affordable? I've tried ebay/craiglist/message boards, but without much luck.

I don't really need tons of gadgets like spigots and thermometers, just a large enough pot to have a full 5 gallon boil, with a lid. (7.5 Gal minimum for 5 gallon boil, right?) I would buy used, too....

If you guys have any suggestions for online sources or a non-HB store (due to the high prices I've seen), I'd really appreciate the help. Thanks!

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I would go the 1/4 barrel keggle route. I know my LHBS sells them pre-fab. Or you can do it yourself. There are a plethora of posts about how to kegglize a keg.

You are going to want a valve for a full boil... trust me.

You can probably do this, with valving and thermo for ~100.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Otherwise just search for aluminum stock pots on Google. Should be about o find a 7.5g for under $70.

 

[mrkristofo]

I've got this one:

http://www.kitchencollection.com/Te...re&CatType=N&SCatType=Y&SCategory=Stock Pots&

Study construction, works quite nicely.

 

[Bobby_M]

As soon as you do a few full boils in a 7.5g pot, you'll probably want to try all grain. That's when the 7.5g pot becomes obsolete for all but heating water. You would do much better with a 40qt (10 gal). I THINK some turkey fryer kits come with a 40qt.

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

I've been eyeballing this 60 qt from instawares for a while for 5/10gallon batches. Instawares comes highly recommended by myself and others on this forum.

Price is $40 + $5 handling + shipping = ~$55.

 

[McKBrew]

Outdoor stoors like Cabellas and Sportsman's Warehouse usually carry aluminum stockpots at a reasonable price.

 

[Bobby_M]

I've been eyeballing this 60 qt from instawares for a while for 5/10gallon batches. Instawares comes highly recommended by myself and others on this forum.

Price is $40 + $5 handling + shipping = ~$55.

It's a really wide/shallow pot though 20" wide by 11" high. This is really tough for boilovers. If you put 12 gallons in there, you're 4/5ths of the way to the top giving you 2" of headspace.

 

[Beerthoven]

I've been eyeballing this 60 qt from instawares for a while for 5/10gallon batches. Instawares comes highly recommended by myself and others on this forum.

Price is $40 + $5 handling + shipping = ~$55.

You want a stock pot, not a sauce pot.

 

[iamjonsharp]

I recommend at least a 10 gallon pot for 5 gallon batches.

with a 15 gallon pot, there's even less worries of boilover

 

[jdoiv]

Check used restaurant supply shops. I bet you could find something pretty cheap that way.

 

[beergears]

I've been eyeballing this 60 qt from instawares for a while for 5/10gallon batches. Instawares comes highly recommended by myself and others on this forum.

I bought an Instawares stockpot via their eBay store, 10 gal, 43 bucks delivered. Quality item.

I did not believe naysayers... but I (almost) did boilover 7 gal ...

Note: the ebay order system and confirmation they have is quirky, wait for the email confirming everything, then pay, instead of paying right away.

 

[Moonshae]

It's a really wide/shallow pot though 20" wide by 11" high. This is really tough for boilovers. If you put 12 gallons in there, you're 4/5ths of the way to the top giving you 2" of headspace.

They also have an 80-quart stock pot for $65.

 

[elbajista]

I would go the 1/4 barrel keggle route. I know my LHBS sells them pre-fab. Or you can do it yourself. There are a plethora of posts about how to kegglize a keg.

You are going to want a valve for a full boil... trust me.

You can probably do this, with valving and thermo for ~100.

Where could I get a 1/4 barrel keg? Is there any online store that sells them? I have the tools to do it myself, or i'd buy new if the price isn't too bad. Does NorthernBrewer/AHB/Midwest sell anything like this?

 

[neo82087]

I have a 60 quart aluminum stock pot from instawares. It was the cheapest one they had, but it's very sturdy and I haven't had a boilover yet.

 

[Jekster]

I have this exact same pot in 44 quart size and it's very nice. Sturdy, holds a good boil and it's stainless.

http://www.divine-mercantile.com/Bayou-Classic-36-Qt-Stainless-Steel-Stockpot_p_9-774.html

 

[RadicalEd]

I also have the 60qt stock pot from instawares. Very good quality; the only way you could damage this thing would involve bulldozers and high explosives. Seriously, it's like 1/4" thick. Very happy with my purchase.

And I have yet to see a boil that was so bold as to even threaten boiling over .

 

[cd2448]

i don't want to hijack here but i was interested in what bobby_m said about 7.5 being no good for all grain - except to heat water for the mash/sparge. what kind of size would i need for 5 gallon all grain batches, and likewise for 10 gallon all grain batches?

apologies for the hijack - but i think the info might be generally useful!

 

[FlyingHorse]

i don't want to hijack here but i was interested in what bobby_m said about 7.5 being no good for all grain - except to heat water for the mash/sparge. what kind of size would i need for 5 gallon all grain batches, and likewise for 10 gallon all grain batches?

apologies for the hijack - but i think the info might be generally useful!

I think you'll find a lot of folks here do 5-g AG batches with a 7.5 gal pot, or at least have done it at some point.

I have both a 7.5 gal and a 9-gal. Most of my beers are 6.5 gal to the kettle, 1-hr boil, 5.5 gal to fermenter. I CAN do them in the 7.5 gal pot, but it's a lot less work in the 9-gal. If I'm doing anything with a gravity over about 1.070 (and thus a bigger sparge runoff), or a longer boil than 60 min for any reason, then the 7.5 gal won't work. I haven't made a 5-gal batch yet that didn't fit comfortably in the 9-gal though.

 

[Evan!]

I have a 60 quart aluminum stock pot from instawares. It was the cheapest one they had, but it's very sturdy and I haven't had a boilover yet.

+1!!!! I have the 60qt from Instawares and it's the shiznickle. Heh, I almost filled the bastard up today, though...had an AG batch, trying to 1.094...2" from the rim!!! Had to boil for 2 and a half hours to get down to 5.5 gals. Whew! But yeah, that kettle is SWEET.