Moving outside

[Verde]

Hi,
I am a fairly new brewer and have been doing most of my work on an electric coil type stove with a 3 gallon brew pot. I have been pleased with every batch so far. Our stove broke and we bought one of those ceramic top types. Since I have already had one boil over I am going to move my brewing outside. I was considering one of those turkey fry setups (like at Lowes) and my question is the following:

Given I have been using extract kits, should I use my 3 gallon pot on the gas burner as I have been doing or use the bigger 7.5 gallon pot for full boils if it can produce better results?

The kit I am doing next is an IPA. Here is the recipe:
6.6lbs plain light malt extract
1lb crushed crystal malt 60L
8oz crushed victory
2oz northern brewer
1oz cascade (finishing)

 

[Lil' Sparky]

Full boils. BUT - boiling 6-6.5 gals in a 7.5 pot doesn't leave much room for boil overs. People do it all the time. You just have to watch it close as it starts to boil. Keep a spray bottle handy to control the foam.

 

[bradsul]

Full boils would improve your beers, however you will need a way to cool that volume. Until you make/purchase a chiller you may want to stick with partial boils. Chilling a full boil with an ice bath would probably take all day.

 

[Mutilated1]

Actually I chilled 3 full boils ( 5 gallons ) in an aluminum turkey fryer pot in the sink with ice, and I dropped the temp from boiling to below 140 in about 10 minutes and to below 80 in about 30 minutes. On average it takes me four 10 pound bags of ice ( $5 worth ) to chill 5 gallons. I mean 30 minutes each, not all three boils in 30 minutes.

I put the plug in the sink, put in the aluminum pot and then pack ice around it like it was an icecream machine. Two bags of ice packs it to the top of the sink. I leave the thermometer in there and leave the stiring spoon in there too, and I stir it you can see the temp go down as the ice melts. When the ice is gone, I pick up the pot and set it in the other side of the sink. Move any leftover ice thats not melted yet and pack with the other two bags of ice.

It works really well.

 

[cubbies]

Before I purchased my IC, I used that method as well. Well, a similar method. I got one of those plastic storage tubs like you see at target, filled it with 40# of ice, topped off with water and salt, then put my pot in and stirred occasionally. It was usually below 90 in 20 minutes. Time wise, my IC is not much faster, but those 20# bags of ice were like $4 a piece, so that was adding up pretty quick.

 

[Funkenjaeger]

Full boils. BUT - boiling 6-6.5 gals in a 7.5 pot doesn't leave much room for boil overs. People do it all the time. You just have to watch it close as it starts to boil. Keep a spray bottle handy to control the foam.

Yep, been there done that. Turn down the heat ASAP when it first starts to boil, and go nuts with the spray bottle. On my last batch in the 7.5g pot I used northern brewer foam control drops and even with little more than 2" headspace it didn't even threaten to boil over, without me lifting a finger. I love that stuff, it's also excellent for starters (both for boiling and fermenting)