Preboil volume doesn't fit my pot

[Carmer]

Hi there!

I did my last batch of extract lately and aiming to make all grain from now on. Since my biggest stainless cauldron has 12 or 13 liters capacity, I realised that my 5 gallon carboy wasn't fit for my situation, so I bought a 3 gallon on Kijiji. You may already see my problem here The preboil volume must be higher than that. I red somewhere that it would be something like 4 gallons for a 3 gallons batch (I know there's a more precise way to evaluate this).

My question is : Is there a "workaround" for my situation or I'm just doomed and have to buy a 100-200$ 5 gallons pot? Can I just add water afterward ? I guess not.. Any magical tricks?

Thanks

 

[ncbrewer]

Topping off with water isn't the norm, but it's possible. Efficiency will be lower since there will be less sparge water. If you decide on a larger pot, make sure your burner can handle it. And IMO a 5 gallon carboy should be ok for a 3 gallon batch. I use a 7.9 gallon bucket for 5 gallon batches.

 

[Carmer]

I red on another blog that it would not necessary be a problem, but it would affect the efficiency.. I guess I'll have to read more before brewing this.

 

[bucketnative]

You can go aluminum for a cheaper alternative to stainless steel. I think I got a 4-mm thick, 10-gal aluminum pot for about $40. Keep in mind that the capacity is the "brimfull" capacity, and you need to leave room for expansion of the liquid and for potential boil-overs during the process. I normally hit a pre-boil volume of 6.5 to 7 gal in my 10-gal pot. That keeps the froth from going over the top.