Looking for a Kettle

[DuhokBrewer]

I'm new to brewing. So far I'm just using our normal cooking pots. I've only done 1 gallon batches so far, but might go to 2.5 eventually. I don't plan to ever do a 5 gallon batch as I simply don't need that much. I'd rather brew more often in smaller batches. That said I just did my first 1 gallon all grain/BIAB batch. My largest pot was too small to do it comfortably, although I made it work. I'm looking for a larger pot that could handle up to 2.5 gallon BIAB batches. I don't need anything fancy, just something that works. Any recommendations?

 

[hottpeper13]

My first one was a 20L stainless with a sandwiched bottom that was induction capable. It is my bone broth ,tomato sauce , and water bath kettle , so way good investment. I use it most for decoction and cereal mashing in my 3 V system.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I don't do BIAB brewing but if I were considering it I'd look for a used turkey fryer kettle with a basket. Preferably one with a bottom valve. Stainless steel is the material of choice if you can find one at a reasonable price and doesn't weigh a ton. You need to consider the weight of everything on a kitchen stove top.

Try to find one that is in the 4-5 gallon range to handle a boil without a boil over mess. The basket insert will help get you bag of grain out easier and safer.

Ditto on the induction capable kettle bottom so you can use it on gas fired, electric or induction.

Once your post gets noticed you'll be flooded with lots of ideas.

Oh, and welcome to the group and brewing!

 

[Zippy123]

I use the BIAB method. I have found that to avoid boilover and allow capacity for the total water and grains, the brew kettle should be twice the capacity of the final batch size. So in your case I would look for a 5-gallon stainless steel pot. If you're looking for "nothing fancy" then I would avoid one with a valve as that increases cost and complexity. If you add induction capability then the price goes up some because the pot will need a multi-layer bottom.

https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/5-gallon-stainless-kettleThis is about the most basic 5-gallon brew kettle you can imagine and it's under $30 US although NB shows "not in stock" at the moment. Many similar kettles are available on Amazon for similar price. Not induction capable.

https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/megapot-1-2-kettle-10-galThis is the one I bought recently. I've used it on a few batches and it has worked great so far. I do not use induction (yet?) but this one should work with induction because a magnet sticks to the bottom (multi-layer bottom).

 

[hotbeer]

The online beer suppliers have some decently priced basic kettles with no spigot. But you can find even less expensive large SS stock pots locally if you look around. Walmart, Target, Sam's and whatever else is around. If you have a restaurant supply store that also sells retail, then that will be a good place to look too. I got a good price on a large 18 quart stock pot from Costco just recently. But I don't think they are selling them right now.

If you think you might ever want to buy a induction burner to be able to boil the bigger volume of water, then be sure it's able to be used with a induction burner.

 

[Yesfan]

I'm new to brewing. So far I'm just using our normal cooking pots. I've only done 1 gallon batches so far, but might go to 2.5 eventually. I don't plan to ever do a 5 gallon batch as I simply don't need that much. I'd rather brew more often in smaller batches. That said I just did my first 1 gallon all grain/BIAB batch. My largest pot was too small to do it comfortably, although I made it work. I'm looking for a larger pot that could handle up to 2.5 gallon BIAB batches. I don't need anything fancy, just something that works. Any recommendations?

I ordered this kettle from Amazon yesterday, so I won't get it until after Christmas.

Vevor 5 Gallon Kettle

The links shows it should be induction capable. Considering it comes with a valve, thermometer, and false bottom for under $100, it should be perfect for small batch stove top brewing. Not a fan of that pot's "pointy" thermo, as that's just asking to shred a brew bag. I have a spare thermo I can use or may just plug that port and use a long stemmed thermo through the lid since the kettle is only a foot tall.

If that's overkill, then you should be able to find that 5 gallon stockpot @Zippy123 linked from NB at Walmart, Amazon, etc. Just add a 5 gallon paint strainer bag from Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. I still have my 5 gallon kettle from NB when I started brewing. There's a crack at the top of mine and the handles feel a bit weaker than usual, so that's why I upgraded. I've used that pot for over 10 years, so I got my money out of it.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

When Santa brings that kettle let us know how it looks, overall quality.

 

[DuhokBrewer]

Thanks for all the responses so far! this one from Amazon seems like it should work.

 

[Zippy123]

Thanks for all the responses so far! this one from Amazon seems like it should work.

Agreed, reasonably priced and it should last you a long long time. It also has riveted handles which I consider a must for any stock pot. Happy brewing!

 

[hottpeper13]

I regularly have the liquid above the rivets for the handles and prefer the spot welded kind.

 

[Zippy123]

I regularly have the liquid above the rivets for the handles and prefer the spot welded kind.

Hmmm. There should be no leakage through properly installed rivets. I prefer rivets on large stockpots because I believe them to be more sturdy and reliable than spot welds, especially if the stock pot is thin-walled. A spot weld that fails catostrophically is usually without warning. A rivet that fails catostrophically is usually preceded by many cycles (dozens or more) of "Hey, why are these handles wiggling?" YMMV

 

[IslandLizard]

I regularly have the liquid above the rivets for the handles and prefer the spot welded kind.

Until the spot welds give out some day...

 

[hotbeer]

Good that you made a decision on what pot to get.

But have you considered whether you will be able to bring that amount of wort to a boil in a reasonable amount of time on what you currently have? And also be able to maintain as hard of a boil as you desire to keep.

I've got a 17,000 BTU burner on my kitchen stove, It just barely gets 3 gallons of water to a slow boil. And it takes a long time to do so. So that is why I got a 3500 watt induction burner.

If you are going to need a different heating source, then maybe you should consider if that pot is really the right thing to get.

 

[Yesfan]

Thanks for all the responses so far! this one from Amazon seems like it should work.

Good looking pot. I agree with the others about the riveted handles. The one I bought has spot welded handles, but it came with a fb and thermo, so somewhat of a trade off for me. Yours had volume markers, so that's a plus (wished mine did).

Good that you made a decision on what pot to get.

But have you considered whether you will be able to bring that amount of wort to a boil in a reasonable amount of time on what you currently have? And also be able to maintain as hard of a boil as you desire to keep.

I've got a 17,000 BTU burner on my kitchen stove, It just barely gets 3 gallons of water to a slow boil. And it takes a long time to do so. So that is why I got a 3500 watt induction burner.

If you are going to need a different heating source, then maybe you should consider if that pot is really the right thing to get.

On my stove, I can get a decent rolling boil with 4 gallons if I partially cover the kettle on my glass top stove. It's not leaping out of the kettle boiling wert, but it's more than a simmer. My guess is a 3 gallon pre-boil volume should be attainable.

 

[hotbeer]

On my stove, I can get a decent rolling boil with 4 gallons i

But do you know if the OP can do that with their stove or what ever they are using to boil?

And covering your pot even partially while you boil might let steam condense on the lid along with some of the stuff that is intended to be driven off. And that will drip back into the wort and potentially leave some flavors in the wort that are not desired.

If you only cover it just to get it to boil, then that's probably no issue as long as it's uncovered for the boil.

 

[hottpeper13]

They don't leak I just hate scrubbing the crap that sticks to them.

 

[IslandLizard]

Thanks for all the responses so far! this one from Amazon seems like it should work.

The one thing that has me a bit puzzled is the kettle's "Multi Layers" feature (as shown in the little illustration in the bottom-right corner):

It may just be an illustration, a visual representation, having nothing to do with reality. Or... is indeed the whole kettle body built from 3 thin layers? I've never seen that before.

For reference, many (larger) pots and kettles have a tri-clad bottom. It's usually an aluminum disc, "sandwiched" between the kettle's natural (inside) bottom and a second, cladded-on outer stainless bottom. That "triple-bottomed" sandwich helps spread localized heat (from a burner or hot plate) over a much larger surface in an effort to reduce or prevent potential scorching.

 

[Broken Crow]

The one thing that has me a bit puzzled is the kettle's "Multi Layers" feature (as shown in the little illustration in the bottom-right corner):
View attachment 837106

It may just be an illustration, a visual representation, having nothing to do with reality. Or... is indeed the whole kettle body built from 3 thin layers? I've never seen that before.

For reference, many (larger) pots and kettles have a tri-clad bottom. It's usually an aluminum disc, "sandwiched" between the kettle's natural (inside) bottom and a second, cladded-on outer stainless bottom. That "triple-bottomed" sandwich helps spread localized heat (from a burner or hot plate) over a much larger surface in an effort to reduce or prevent potential scorching.

This is one of those 'pissed off by my brain-damage' moments... I remember the '3-ply' thing showing up in the late 80's in cheaper/lower-end cookware and some other products (I think fire-extinguishers were in there). My recollection is not reliable owing to what amounts to a bomb going off on my memory timeline in 2014, so while I don't recall the original data, I do have recollections of discussing it when I did have a clue, and I'm pretty sure it was similar in principle to plywood: Use thin cheap original material to produce a still cheap, but more physically resiliant object. It's probably very thin layer of the cheapest 300-series wrapped in the much cheaper 200-series.
(I'm hoping someone else can weigh in because until injury, I had a very close relationship with steel and I want it back!)

 

[mac_1103]

It's probably very thin layer of the cheapest 300-series wrapped in the much cheaper 200-series.

My guess would be sort of the opposite - two very thin layers of 304 sandwiched around a thicker layer of 200-series. But who knows?

 

[Broken Crow]

My guess would be sort of the opposite - two very thin layers of 304 sandwiched around a thicker layer of 200-series. But who knows?

if you take a very thin sheet of 200 series and fold it, make a 'starter notch' at the fold with a pair of sidecutters, you can then proceed to tear it down the fold with your bare hands. 300 series would likely crack just from making a sharp fold and unless you're extremely muscular, unlikely to tear. The harder one is always more expensive so you put as little as possible on the inside to make the cheap stuff hold up.....works out to be a pretty efficient compromize.

 

[Yesfan]

......I've got a 17,000 BTU burner on my kitchen stove, It just barely gets 3 gallons of water to a slow boil. And it takes a long time to do so. So that is why I got a 3500 watt induction burner.

If you are going to need a different heating source, then maybe you should consider if that pot is really the right thing to get.

But do you know if the OP can do that with their stove or what ever they are using to boil?

And covering your pot even partially while you boil might let steam condense on the lid along with some of the stuff that is intended to be driven off. And that will drip back into the wort and potentially leave some flavors in the wort that are not desired.

If you only cover it just to get it to boil, then that's probably no issue as long as it's uncovered for the boil.

Your 1st post sounded like OP should've gotten a better burner vs a new kettle. Re-read his post. His largest kettle wasn't enough for a 1 gallon biab. I think he was stuck with having to get the bigger kettle first regardless, especially if he's wanting to do 2.5 gallon batches in the future.

I agree every stove is different. I also agree about covered pots and off flavors. I cover to get to boiling faster. I can leave it uncovered if I have 3 gallons of preboil. 4 gallons is my max and I have to have the lid on half way to keep the boil going or settle for a strong simmer if uncovered. I've only done one 4 gallon brew day and that was the last stove top brew day I mentioned in my last reply. I wanted to see the max volume my stove could do, so I rolled the dice that day and the beer came out fine.

 

[hottpeper13]

To bad he can't just go to Fleet Farm.

 

[odie]

BIAB? 3x rule. get a kettle 3 times your batch size and it will cover anything. Even super high gravity beers at full batch size.

 

[hotbeer]

Your 1st post sounded like OP should've gotten a better burner vs a new kettle. Re-read his post. His largest kettle wasn't enough for a 1 gallon biab. I think he was stuck with having to get the bigger kettle first regardless, especially if he's wanting to do 2.5 gallon batches in the future.

I agree every stove is different. I also agree about covered pots and off flavors. I cover to get to boiling faster. I can leave it uncovered if I have 3 gallons of preboil. 4 gallons is my max and I have to have the lid on half way to keep the boil going or settle for a strong simmer if uncovered. I've only done one 4 gallon brew day and that was the last stove top brew day I mentioned in my last reply. I wanted to see the max volume my stove could do, so I rolled the dice that day and the beer came out fine.

Actually that was my second post. Since the OP had made a decision, I just wanted to ensure that they realized that boiling larger volumes might require more heat output.

Many stoves that get thrown in a spec home or apartment aren't too spiffy at bringing two or three gallons of water to a boil.

 

[mac_1103]

OP is in Iraq. I have no idea what his stove top is capable of, but I'm pretty sure that US standards for spec home appliances are irrelevant.

 

[Yesfan]

OP is in Iraq. I have no idea what his stove top is capable of, but I'm pretty sure that US standards for spec home appliances are irrelevant.

* slaps forehead *

I thought he was in the US.

 

[hotbeer]

OP is in Iraq. I have no idea what his stove top is capable of, but I'm pretty sure that US standards for spec home appliances are irrelevant.

My response was not to the OP when I made that comment.

 

[marx2k]

I'm new to brewing. So far I'm just using our normal cooking pots. I've only done 1 gallon batches so far, but might go to 2.5 eventually. I don't plan to ever do a 5 gallon batch as I simply don't need that much. I'd rather brew more often in smaller batches. That said I just did my first 1 gallon all grain/BIAB batch. My largest pot was too small to do it comfortably, although I made it work. I'm looking for a larger pot that could handle up to 2.5 gallon BIAB batches. I don't need anything fancy, just something that works. Any recommendations?

I have the 10 gallon Megapot and am pretty happy with it.

They also offer the 2 gallon version ( 2 Gallon MegaPot Brew Kettle ) and the 8 gallon version ( 8 Gallon MegaPot Brew Kettle ) - For some reason I thought they did have a 4 gallon with thermometer and spigot but I'm not seeing it. 2 gal is probably too small for your use case and it also doesn't come drilled for spigot or thermometer, which you may or may not care about. The 8 might overshoot your use case but is pretty nice.

I first bought the Brewer's Beast ( https://www.amazon.com/Brewers-Beast-Gallon-Kettle-Port/dp/B01NBTFDAU) from a local wine/hop store but could not find any thermometer/valve to fit the welded ports, so I took it back. I even contacted the company to see if they had a solution. They told me to talk to where I bought it from since they're just a wholesaler. The place I bought it from also couldn't figure out a solution. I do see that the local place is still selling them :/

 

[DuhokBrewer]

OP is in Iraq. I have no idea what his stove top is capable of, but I'm pretty sure that US standards for spec home appliances are irrelevant.

Yeah, the stove should be fine. It's run off a gas bottle like a propane burner would be. It can boil a large amount of water in a giant rice pot we have. Much more than I'd need for brewing. The problem is the rice pot is super wide and short (width is something like 2x the height) so it's not great for brewing. Unfortunately, all locally available pots are like this. I may have to wait until I can get a bigger one brought in.