looking to buy a new pot.

[ashleyd205]

hey guys, I am looking to buy a new brew pot. i know there is a sticky in the equipment thread but i wanted to post in here cause im still a newbie. the pot i am looking at is a 24 qt aluminum stock pot from a local restaurant supply store. here is the link for the pot

http://www.brescoinc.com/product/VOLL-7306.html

any thoughts on the pot?

or anything i need to know about aluminum?

Thanks guys.

 

[urbanmyth]

I would spend the extra twenty dollars or so (if you can) to get at least a 30 quart pot. You will thank yourself down the road for upgrading big early. 40 quarts would be better if you plan on moving to AG at all.

 

[lumpher]

should be fine, if you stay with small batches. just make sure you temper the aluminum before you use it

 

[urbanmyth]

Craigslist usually has pretty good deals on turkey fryer sets (especially after the holiday season). Around me, there are usually a few 32q + burner combos in the neighborhood of $60

 

[Andrewjl]

For that price I'd go with what I just bought the other day. Aluminum 40qt pot off of amazon. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CHKL68/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

$48.10 with free super saver shipping.

My first pot for brewing was a 20qt aluminum pot from a restaurant supply locally. I boiled water in it for around an hour before I used it for brewing to build up the oxide layer on the interior. Do this before using any fresh aluminum .

My opinion on going with the larger pot is this: I started off doing extract with steeping grains 9 months ago, and then bought a 30qt stainless steal pot from a local store on sale for $40, which enabled me to go to full boils. Then I moved to all grain two months ago and having only a 30qt pot doesn't quite cut it. For just about the same price you can save yourself some money and buyer's remorse on wanting something bigger later.

HAPPY BREWING!

 

[ashleyd205]

should be fine, if you stay with small batches. just make sure you temper the aluminum before you use it

ok so im probably gonna sound stupid but, how do i temper it?

 

[Andrewjl]

oh yea! Turkey fryer stuff is also a good route. I forgot about how exactly you're heating the pot. Stove top? Or outside gas burners? Or any other combination. I'm doing on top of an electric stove with a heat stick as an aid.
I saw at lowes the other day,and on their website, they have some good deals on gas turkey fryers. I plan on keeping it electric, but if you're doing gas then getting a combo might be good.

 

[Andrewjl]

boil water in it for about an hour or so until a blackish oxide layer builds up

 

[lumpher]

ok so im probably gonna sound stupid but, how do i temper it?

like andrew said

 

[brewinbarry013]

Im also new to brewing but i just bought a 40qt. pot and turkey fryer so i can start AG and i am COMPLETELY happy that i went ahead and bought a 40qt pot instead of a 20 or 30 qt. Also i believe with bigger pots you can do "full boils" even with extract recipes.

 

[ashleyd205]

i have used a outdoor propane burner from a fish fryer but found the gas stove top is easier for me to control the temp.