Want to upgrade to All Grain but have questions!!

[kproudfoot]

I have been brewing 5 gallon extract kits for almost 2 years now and have participated in a few All Grain Brews and definitely want to move in that direction at least part time (would love to do it all the time but too many family commitments). Also, I will probably primarily stick to 5 gallon batches. It was suggested to just do 10 because of the time commitment but I like having different beers available to drink and don't want to have kegs of beer not refrigerated.

So here is what I am thinking. Initially I was just going to buy a Economy priced (Bayou Classic) 10 gallon kettle and do BIAB and then eventually move up to the 2 cooler type system and continue to use the same pot as my boil kettle.

My question really is am I wasting my money on a cheap kettle? Should I look more at the tri poly bottoms and kettles made specifically for brewing like SS Brewtech, Anvil, Blicmann, etc or will a "Economy pot work" ? I also have access to a Keggle I could use but am afraid for 5 gallon batches it would be too much pot.

One guy a know has the big brewing rig with 3 keggles which I would love but don't have the space so anything I am doing to do it going to be a little Redneckish.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[myelo]

A 10 gallon aluminum pot works fine for 5 gallon BIAB. 15 gallons is even better if you do really big (high gravity) beers. Of course the stainless steel stuff is really nice too. It's going to come down to personal preference -- where do you want to spend your money. But it's not going to make any difference in how your beer tastes.

 

[NeoBrew]

An economy priced 10 gallon works for 5 gallon batches. You might find yourself adding a sparge step if you want to do high gravity brews with it. It will work just fine.

Now, the question is...where do you think you will go in the future? I found myself to be an infinite tinkerer. I did extract for about a year, then moved up to BIAB. It worked great! But still I always wanted to try one more thing....first temp control of the mash, then recirculation, then wanted to control the crush so I got my own mill, built a custom temp controller....etc. Eventually I decided to move to three vessel brewing with RIMS.

My original 10 gallon pot is a Megapot, which is still serving me well as my boil kettle. I've added two others for the hot liquor tank and the mash tun. Did I need to buy that first Megapot? Probably not. But over the years it has been a quality item that I have drilled holes and soldered in fittings to. I've no regrets about that purchase.

Hope that helps you think about your purchase. Let us know what you decide to do!

 

[woo_pig]

You know you can brew 10 gallons and have 2 differnt beers at the end of it.

 

[troypolla]

I use a keggle for my 5-6 gallon batches. It is big, but works just fine. When boiling 7 gallons it's only about 1/2 full. Have you thought about mash tuns? I converted a square cooler and it works just fine. Just my

 

[Murphys_Law]

My first kettle was a cheap 8 gallon SS doing partial. I started doing BIAB so I bought a 15 gallon Bayou (a night of drunk amazon). I thought it was too big, actually, so I got a 10 gallon Spike and love it. One thing I really recommend is a port so you can drain the kettle. Lifting is dangerous and I'm not crazy about using an autosiphon (one less thing to worry about sanitizing).

If I do a bigger beer I add a small sparge step after pulling the bag so I can make up my volumes.

I shoot for 5.5G in the fermenter

 

[kproudfoot]

You know you can brew 10 gallons and have 2 differnt beers at the end of it.

Not sure what you mean.

 

[kproudfoot]

I use a keggle for my 5-6 gallon batches. It is big, but works just fine. When boiling 7 gallons it's only about 1/2 full. Have you thought about mash tuns? I converted a square cooler and it works just fine. Just my

After BIAB I thought about using the two cooler type systems

 

[kproudfoot]

My other concern is he doing. I have two different options right now I have my original turkey fryer that doesn't seem to put out as much heat. I also have a bigger bayou classic heat source I bought from somebody who brewed 10 gallon all grain badges. The problem is it's pretty hot when I try to do my extract kits and has burned my aluminum pots. I'm concerned that if I bought a 10 gallon aluminum pot that it would burn the grain in the pot. I'm assuming to try poly bottom pots with illuminate this as well as the KEggle.

 

[kproudfoot]

And I do like the higher gravity beers that's why I'm thinking of just using a Cagle as my boil pot whether I do the BIAB or more advanced techniques in the future

 

[Dcpcooks]

I'd suggest you focus more on fermentation control than construction of the hot side equipment. Any kettle will allow you to boil wort.

 

[eadavis80]

I do 5-gallon BIAB batches with an 8-gallon Tallboy. I have to sparge and I have to be VERY CAREFUL at the hot break/hop additions to avoid boil overs, but I have it down. That being said, I wish I had bought at least a 10-gallon kettle, but this system works for me.

 

[doug293cz]

I do 5.5 gal BIAB batches (6.5 - 7 gal pre-boil) in a 15 gal Bayou Classic. It's not too big, and I can push an 11 gal batch if I want to (done one so far.) It's a single ply bottom, and I use a Blichmann burner. No problems with scorching wort. But it is a banjo (large area) burner, rather than a jet burner. If you want a pot that lasts, get stainless. And, don't skimp on the size. I have extra pots because I thought I could get by with smaller ones when I started. A keggle is not ideal for BIAB because the bag tends to hang up on the rim, which increases the chance of spilling. A straight sided pot is much better.

I highly recommend BIAB for starting all grain. It's a simple process, you don't need as much equipment, and the expensive piece (kettle) is transferable to 2 or 3 vessel, if you decide to go that way in the future. I also highly recommend rigging a pulley to lift the bag out out the pot. They really make BIAB a cinch.

Brew on

 

[MrBJones]

So here is what I am thinking. Initially I was just going to buy a Economy priced (Bayou Classic) 10 gallon kettle and do BIAB and then eventually move up to the 2 cooler type system and continue to use the same pot as my boil kettle.

My question really is am I wasting my money on a cheap kettle? Should I look more at the tri poly bottoms and kettles made specifically for brewing like SS Brewtech, Anvil, Blicmann, etc or will a "Economy pot work" ? I also have access to a Keggle I could use but am afraid for 5 gallon batches it would be too much pot.

I've never done BIAB so can't speak to that one way or the other. But I use the 10gal Bayou Classic, with ball valve, for all grain. Can tell you that it's just fine in terms of construction, it's large enough for 5 gallon batches, and - well - it has no trouble boiling wort. It may be less expensive than the others you mentioned, but it isn't cheap.

Definitely agree with the comment regarding coldside temperature control. If you're going to spend extra money, that where you want to do it. Has a definite, noticeable, and sometimes very substantial, impact on the quality of the finished product.

 

[kproudfoot]

Ok thanks. Definitely leaning towards a 15 gallon pot of some sort so I can either do larger volume or higher abv.

 

[woo_pig]

Not sure what you mean.

You can do 5 gallons of what the beer is supposed to be. And the other you can and fruit oak spices differnt yeast or just age it longer. I actually felt the same about having a wide selection of beers. But it makes it easier to try differnt things. If you screw up one you still have the other to drink.