I'm about to start brewing again after a long hiatus. I'm gathering my equipment and adding what I need for all-grain. I've bought a rectangular cooler with a ball valve and bazooka screen. I'm going to get an SP-10 burner and now I just need a brew kettle. I saw a 40 quart Bayou Classic with a ball valve on Amazon and thought that this would be convenient. Any feedback? I'm going with 40 quart since I'll be doing 5 gallon batches and don't plan on larger than that for a while. Any help is appreciated.
Economical 40 quart brew kettle?
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Rethink the SP-10 burner. It says on Amazon it has 185,000 BTUs, but it most certainly does not.
I have a Blichmann Hellfire burner; it's 140,000 BTUs and measured to be that. It has a large banjo-style burner. The SP-10 has a smaller burner. You're probably able to get 50,000 BTUs out of that more or less. I had a King Kooker with a similar burner; it was rated at 54,000 BTUs.
Here's another consideration, depending on the money supply at your house: I've used both the short burners like the SP-10 and the tall ones like the King Kooker and the Hellfire. Hands down, the taller ones are better, IMO. You will have to pick up the kettle to rack from it if you have it on a short burner, but you can rack right from the tall one. It's also easier to work with, adding hops, stirring, using a chiller....no bending.
That's what I do--I have the ball valve on mine too and I just attach some tubing and it drains right into the fermenter. Easy Peasy.
You might also consider reading the reviews of the Bayou kettle on Amazon. I'm not sure I'd buy it after looking at them.
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Perhaps you might consider this one: https://www.morebeer.com/products/brewmaster-stainless-steel-brew-kettle-85-gallon.html
It's 8.5 gallons, not 10, but since you're not doing BIAB, that should be fine. It has welded fittings, not weldless (IMO a better value), and two ports. Morebeer is a good outfit, and they have free shipping if you spend more than $59.
I have a Blichmann Hellfire burner; it's 140,000 BTUs and measured to be that. It has a large banjo-style burner. The SP-10 has a smaller burner. You're probably able to get 50,000 BTUs out of that more or less. I had a King Kooker with a similar burner; it was rated at 54,000 BTUs.
Here's another consideration, depending on the money supply at your house: I've used both the short burners like the SP-10 and the tall ones like the King Kooker and the Hellfire. Hands down, the taller ones are better, IMO. You will have to pick up the kettle to rack from it if you have it on a short burner, but you can rack right from the tall one. It's also easier to work with, adding hops, stirring, using a chiller....no bending.
That's what I do--I have the ball valve on mine too and I just attach some tubing and it drains right into the fermenter. Easy Peasy.
You might also consider reading the reviews of the Bayou kettle on Amazon. I'm not sure I'd buy it after looking at them.
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Perhaps you might consider this one: https://www.morebeer.com/products/brewmaster-stainless-steel-brew-kettle-85-gallon.html
It's 8.5 gallons, not 10, but since you're not doing BIAB, that should be fine. It has welded fittings, not weldless (IMO a better value), and two ports. Morebeer is a good outfit, and they have free shipping if you spend more than $59.
So I am also thinking about a Bayou Classic KAB4 which is the same burner as the Blichmann Hellfire....just not stainless. I could get that and a 40 qt Aluminum pot and add a ball valve. Would that work?
Well, yes, it would. The burner is better, your pot choice is worse. Some people have a bias against aluminum. Some say it's fine. I personally would not use it. Not sure what the 40-quart limit is. I had an 8-gallon kettle and it worked fine with 5-gallon batches.
Sounds like you have a hard limit on spending. If it were me, I'd scrape up another $50 to get what you want, not cheap out on it. The trick is to ask yourself, six months from now what would you wish you'd done? But if I had to choose given a limited budget, I'd put the money into the burner. It'll shorten your brew day considerably. You could rack from the kettle using a sterile siphon and that'll save money too.
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One consideration with kettles is having a thicker bottom so the heat is spread more evenly. Thing kettles are more likely to scorch your wort.
tacks
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If you do go with an aluminum pot, I would endorse the one in the link below - Have had it for 3 years and have not had any issues with it. The bottom is fairly thick, I have not had issues with scorching my wort with the SP10 burner. Again, aluminum vs stainless is an argument that will go on til the end of time, but if you do get aluminum, make sure you do a prep boil to form aluminum oxide inside the pot - this hardens the inner layer of the pot and prevents aluminum from leaching into your beer. Another thing to remember with aluminum pots is that you shouldn't use metal tools to stir or otherwise agitate your wort because you can scratch the inside of the pot and give the aluminum a new surface to leach. Either way you go, best of luck.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X1MG1C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X1MG1C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
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I used an 8-gallon kettle when I started. If you're adding 7 gallons of wort to the kettle, that's too much. You should start with about 6.5 gallons and then boil it down to about 5.5.
Certainly a 10-gallon kettle reduces that chance, but there are a couple things you can do to minimize boilovers with an 8-gallon kettle:
1. I have a couple of spray bottles of water at the ready. I get them in the travel size/sample size aisle at WalMart. When I add hops of course there's a tendency to boil up. When that starts I spray the foam, cooling it and dropping it back down. It also helps me wash the debris stuck to the side of the kettle back down into the wort, where it can add its goodness to the boil.
2. You can use some Fermcap-S to limit foam formation. Couple/three drops of that will help. I don't use it in my kettle as I've found the spray bottle technique works just fine.
Once you get past about the first 15 minutes you're unlikely to have much problem w/ boilovers. Just be careful when you add hops that you're ready with the spray bottle.
So do you think I should start with my 32 quart pot and go from there? I might drill it and add a ball valve for easy racking to the fermenter.
Also what do you think of the SP-10 vs KAB4 for an aluminum pot of this volume?
BigJoeBrew
Well-Known Member
This is the pot that I have. You have to buy the lid separate, I have had it for a couple years with no issues what so ever.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PZBEKE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PZBEKE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
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jekeane
Well-Known Member
Amazon prime
Bayou classic 1044 $53
Bayou classic sq14 $50
I don't see any reason to use aluminum when decent stainless is so inexpensive.
Bayou classic 1044 $53
Bayou classic sq14 $50
I don't see any reason to use aluminum when decent stainless is so inexpensive.
jrgtr42
Well-Known Member
As others have said, with an 8-gallon kettle, it's pretty close to a boil over. 7 gallons in is usually too much. Of course, I don't follow my own advice and I use a 32-qt (8 gallon) Graniteware pot as my boil kettle. it works well, and as long as I keep the volume in under 7 gallons AND watch like a hawk as it's coming to a boil, it works well enough.
I plan to upgrade pretty soon - going with an induction burner and new 10-gallon kettle.
I have my eyes on this one from Willams Brewing - https://www.williamsbrewing.com/BREWERS-EDGE-40-QUART-BREWKETTLE-P2366.aspx
Pretty economical at $100 with lid and valve and the reviews are good.
I plan to upgrade pretty soon - going with an induction burner and new 10-gallon kettle.
I have my eyes on this one from Willams Brewing - https://www.williamsbrewing.com/BREWERS-EDGE-40-QUART-BREWKETTLE-P2366.aspx
Pretty economical at $100 with lid and valve and the reviews are good.
My advice (remember free advice is sometimes worth what you pay for it
) has been coming at this from the point of view of best value, not the cheapest.I'm just saying that a 32-quart pot will suffice; I brewed with one my first 24 batches, and I easily controlled any propensity to boil over. I only had one even get anything over the rim of the kettle, and that wasn't much, and it was before I learned about spray bottles.
The boil you want isn't a huge rolling boil, it's closer to a simmer. You want some roiling, but not a ton. But you also want to heat the water and the wort in a reasonably quick fashion. The KAB4 is better for that. I wish it had longer legs, but maybe you can make a stand for it out of 2x4s or something.
It sounds like a money tradeoff here. I'm thinking to myself, what are you going to wish you had done 4 months from now? A bigger kettle that takes much longer to heat, or a smaller kettle that will still work well but heats up much faster?
My choice would be the KAB4.
In the end, we all have different values, different needs and wants, and you need to choose what makes you happy, not what would make me happy. I don't get upset if someone doesn't do what I suggest. All you can do is gather information and make as informed a choice as you can--which is what you're doing.
Good luck!
My advice (remember free advice is sometimes worth what you pay for it
I'm just saying that a 32-quart pot will suffice; I brewed with one my first 24 batches, and I easily controlled any propensity to boil over. I only had one even get anything over the rim of the kettle, and that wasn't much, and it was before I learned about spray bottles.
The boil you want isn't a huge rolling boil, it's closer to a simmer. You want some roiling, but not a ton. But you also want to heat the water and the wort in a reasonably quick fashion. The KAB4 is better for that. I wish it had longer legs, but maybe you can make a stand for it out of 2x4s or something.
It sounds like a money tradeoff here. I'm thinking to myself, what are you going to wish you had done 4 months from now? A bigger kettle that takes much longer to heat, or a smaller kettle that will still work well but heats up much faster?
My choice would be the KAB4.
In the end, we all have different values, different needs and wants, and you need to choose what makes you happy, not what would make me happy. I don't get upset if someone doesn't do what I suggest. All you can do is gather information and make as informed a choice as you can--which is what you're doing.
Good luck!
Ordered the KAB-4. I feel like it will be annoying to kick myself later over the burner, and the KAB4 can grow with me. As far as the kettle, I'll try one batch with the 32 quart. Do you think it's worth drilling and putting a ball valve in? Would be nice to just open the valve right into the fermenter after I chill.
If you think there's a good chance you would want to go to a 40 quart, don't drill it until after your first batch. You'd have a kettle w/ a hole in it, or you'd have to buy a second ball valve.
So see if you're comfortable w/ the 32 quart; if you are, then drill it for the ball valve.
So see if you're comfortable w/ the 32 quart; if you are, then drill it for the ball valve.
