Thoughts on size of 1st brew pot?

[azlane]

Received a Christmas gift of a brewing kit with a 20qt brew pot. I am told that the kits that the LBS sells all work with this size of pot, but it seems that many on the forum use bigger pots for their 5 gallon batches. I was also toying with possibly getting a pot with a thermometer.

I am curious if the majority of the 5 gallon recipes people brew will work with the 20 qt pot, or would I be better off with a somewhat larger pot (possibly with the thermometer)?

Thanks

 

[HexKrak]

Most all 5 gallon extract and partial mash recipes will work fine. I've done a 4 gallon boil in my 22qt pot with no problems, and most of the recipes I've been using call for 2-3 gallons. When you start to try to do All Grain (AG) batches you'll see most recipes call for a full boil, and you won't be able to accomplish this in less than a 6-7 gallon pot without making a big mess.

 

[JohnnyO]

The bigger the better! A five gallon (20Q) pot is fine to start with if you're just doing partial boils. However, if you stick with the hobby, you'll quickly want something bigger so you can do full boils.

I've been using a 7.5G aluminum pot that came with my turkey fryer for 1.5 years now. I want to upgrade to a larger pot, possibly a keggle so I can do 5 gallon batches without the risk of boilover. I'd also like the opportunity to do a 10G batch as well.

I started with a 20Q pot, and it still comes in handy, but not as a brew kettle.

 

[motobrewer]

biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig

20quart is smaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllll

i have a 30 quart and it succcccccccccccccccccccccccks.........

 

[msa8967]

I started doing extract kits using a 16 qt (4 gallon) stock pot. After starting to read this forum in more detail I read about doing full boils for 5 gallon recipes which meant I needed to move to a larger pot. I bought an 8 gallon size pot so I could do full boils with the idea of trying all grain once I had more time brewing with extract.

I would recommend starting with nothing smaller than 32 qt (8 gallon) and perhaps start with 40 qt (10 gallon) if your budget allows. You may also have to consider what heat source you will be using. A gas top stove usually has enough power to boil 6-7 gallon of water given enough time by an electric stove might come up short (it did for our move from a gas stove to an electric stove). Thus, I searched on craig's list for a used turkey fryer that used propane and was able to buy the burner and 32 qt stock pot for about $30. Since the traditional cooking holidays are soon to be over you might see if you can find one on clearance at Home Depot, Lowes, etc... If you do go this route see if the burner has built in timer that might shut it off every 15-20 minutes and perhaos you can bypass this. Many of these turkey fryers come with 32-36 qt aluminum pots for around $60-70 new if money for euipment becomes an issue.

 

[jaycount]

I've only done one brew and it was a 2.5gal partial boil. Did it in my 32 quart and it was so awesome. I don't think I could have made it boil over if I wanted it to... The downsides are that the pot was way too big for my burner, in fact it encompassed enough of two burners that I lit them both up (maybe an advantage?) AND it was too big to fit in my sink so it had to cool outside on ice.

 

[logan3825]

40 quart isn't a good size. To small to do double batches but an added expense over a 32 quart pot. Just keep an eye on the pot while it is boiling. You can boil over a pot no matter how much headspace you have if you don't watch it. I almost boiled over the 1/2 gallon yeast starter I was boiling in a 4 gallon pot.

 

[msa8967]

The reason I like using a 40 qt size is that I can easily make an all-grain 6 gallon finished recipe with it. Keg 2/3 and bottle 1/3 of this to give away. Many pots that are larger than 40 qt might not fit well on a stove top (especially if there is an overhead microwave).

 

[ToastedPenguin]

Received a Christmas gift of a brewing kit with a 20qt brew pot. I am told that the kits that the LBS sells all work with this size of pot, but it seems that many on the forum use bigger pots for their 5 gallon batches. I was also toying with possibly getting a pot with a thermometer.

I am curious if the majority of the 5 gallon recipes people brew will work with the 20 qt pot, or would I be better off with a somewhat larger pot (possibly with the thermometer)?

Thanks

Pot size is sort of dictated by how you intend to boil and how large the final batch will be. Full boils will require a pot larger then the final volume of wort to allow for boil off and not having to top off with water that was not in contact with the wort during the boil. Partial boils don't require such a large pot since you will be topping off anyway.

But like most people will tell you, buy the largest pot you can afford because what quantity/method you start brewing with probably won't last long (partial boils) having to buy a new pot on your 4th batch will hurt.....

You can add stuff to a pot after you purchase it and it will be cheaper. There are plenty of weldless options and drilling a hole in a pot is not as difficult as you might think.

David

 

[JRDroid]

I haven't done any batches yet, but I'm starting with a 21 quart (5.25 gallon) enamel stockpot.

 

[ILuvIPA]

azlane, you will quickly see people on this board brew different size batches. Many brew 10, 15, or more gallons. . . But a lot of homebrewers started stovetop with a 3-5 gallon pot. (Go to the library and check out "How to Brew" by John Palmer.)

I recomment brew some beer with what you have. Read through the instructions and post back with questions if you're not sure how to make your current equipment work. There is plenty of time to upgrade. For now, put that xmas gift to use and brew some beer!

 

[Frank99]

I'd recommend a 10 gal pot at minimum. If you're doing a full boil for the typical 5 gallon batch, you'll start off with about 7 gallons of pre boil wort + the hops and this will be too much for a 5 gallon pot.

 

[Runyanka]

I used to use a 10g (40qt) pot to due my 5g batches. For Christmas I recieved a 20g (80qt) pot. with that size pot, I can nearly do 15g batches! She's a beut' clark

 

[BMan1029]

What you have will certainly get you going and will be more than adequate for doing partial boils for extract/partial mash. That being said, if you have an opportunity to pick up something larger on the cheap, why not go for it. Expanded capabilities are nice to have.

 

[azlane]

Thanks everyone for the great feedback. That is one thing that is really special about this forum in that there are so many people eager to help out newbies like myself. I am going to give my 20qt pot a go and see how things go. I have a "first born ale" that came with the kit that is first up and then a Cream Ale that I purchased this week that is slated for my second batch. I will be sure to let everyone know how things go.

Thanks again.
Azlane

 

[Steelers77]

I would say at least a 30qt, a 36qt might be better for big beers that need a 2hr boil.

 

[bighoss]

I would have to agee with Steelers, but only if you can afford it. I myself am going to go as big as I can afford. I may try to go with a sanke keg though. Found some on ebay for $80 or so shipped.

 

[mixedbrewer]

I would stick with the 20qt until you are comfortable. That is plenty big to do extract and partials. Its easier to wash, cool in the sink, and fit somewhere when not in use.

 

[JonK331]

Thanks everyone for the great feedback. That is one thing that is really special about this forum in that there are so many people eager to help out newbies like myself. I am going to give my 20qt pot a go and see how things go. I have a "first born ale" that came with the kit that is first up and then a Cream Ale that I purchased this week that is slated for my second batch. I will be sure to let everyone know how things go.

Thanks again.
Azlane

The 5 gallon will work fine for partial boil extract brews. I used one on my stovetop for my first 25 batches or so. A larger pot will most likely (depending on your stove) require an outdoor propane burner to get the extra wort boiling. I moved up to a 32 quart later on and it works fine but is a bit small. When you are ready to upgrade, definitely go with at least a 40qt. I still use the 5 gallon every time I brew to heat up my strike water on the stove top. I also use it to boil a small portion of the wort at the beginning of the boil to prevent boil overs in my 32 qt. The 5 gallon is a great way to start and will come in handy later on. Just read up on doing late extract additions rather than adding it at the beginning to cut down on caramelization. Welcome to brewing and good luck!!!

 

[thethirsty1]

Where you are boiling your beer depends alot on what pot your going to use if you doing extract kits on the stove than a 4-5 gallon stock pot of some sort will work just fine.