beginner worries

[DAV3]

Do i need to buy a 32 qt or bigger pot for brewing extract kits or can i use smaller? I can always get something bigger later after i graduate to all grain. What is the best thing to do here? Also some insight on what to heat it with would really help. Thanks in advance

 

[Ace_Club]

Do i need to buy a 32 qt or bigger pot for brewing extract kits or can i use smaller? I can always get something bigger later after i graduate to all grain. What is the best thing to do here? Also some insight on what to heat it with would really help. Thanks in advance

If you're just doing extract, then there is no need for that large of a pot. You can do partial boils with late extract additions and then dilute in the primary fermenter. This will allow you to use your kitchen stove to heat with.

A larger pot will allow you to perform full boils. However, this may require supplementing your stove element with a heat stick, or may require you to move to a turkey frier type setup. It will also require you to figure out a quick way to cool the wort down after the boil.

 

[jmlabeck]

If you can spare the cash, the best choice for right now would be a 8-12 qt. lobster or pasta pot. You can usually find one for $12-$15. Once you learn your way around extract brewing, you can use the same pot for doing partial mash, where you get part of your beer from extract, and part from the actual grain.
And, welcome to the hobby. I've been brewing for 22 years. Love it.

 

[Revvy]

If you're doing extract with grains on your stove top you can get away with using a smaller pot, I use a 5 gallon pot I paid 10 dollars for at dollar general.

Most stoves can only handle boiling about 3-4 gallons of wort anyway, (my stove can only handle 3.5 gallons anyway) there's no point in getting a larger one, unless you make a heat stick or something like that.

The magic of brewing is that there's no right or wrong way, and all it takes in a little ingenuity to brew beer.

 

[billf2112]

Exactly, the words of wisdom by much more seasoned brewers before me is right.

To add to it, in my case I ended up moving to all grain after only a few batches. Getting a larger brew pot to start and not "wasting money" on a smaller pot is something to consider. You can boil 3.5 gallons in a 9 gallon pot, you cannot boil 6 gallons in a 5 gallon pot.

Going to a full boil system isn't that expensive if you already have the pot, a bayou burner is about $60. If money is tight, just bringing left overs to work for a week will pay for it instead of buying lunch out.

Turkey fryers will be everywhere (7-8 gallon pots and burners) for about $45 with thanksgiving right around the corner.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Agreed that if you already know for sure that you will "graduate" to all grain then you might consider getting the equipment suitable for that right away. That way you are not paying for stuff that you will only use for a short while. Of course, it is up to you.

 

[unionrdr]

Gander Mountain has a good selection of turkey friers if there's one near you. When I 1st started collecting up equipment,I found a nested box of SS stock pots with lids & steamer trays for $25 at Giant eagle. 4 pots up to 5G,so I took the 5G as my BK. But my wife used the 4G one,& it got 2.5 gallons to a boil quicker on our old electric stove.

 

[DAV3]

thanks for all the responses. I wound up getting a 4 gallon pot at Big Lots for $17.00 and i am boiling on the kitchen stove right now. I think i will start working on welding up a custom stand for a nicer set up. You know, take my time and steal as many ideas for my personal "brew magic" if you will. Thanks again guys. Great site!

 

[DAV3]

I boiled my malt extract and hop pellets and cooled down in my handy dandy el-cheapo Big Lots SS 4 gal pot. When i emptied it into the primary, i noticed the scorched bottom in my pot. At least it was only $17.00. I won't be using it again and i hope my beer is OK.

 

[browncoat]

I boiled my malt extract and hop pellets and cooled down in my handy dandy el-cheapo Big Lots SS 4 gal pot. When i emptied it into the primary, i noticed the scorched bottom in my pot. At least it was only $17.00. I won't be using it again and i hope my beer is OK.

Why not? Scorching happens with every pot. It's fine to go ahead and brew with.

 

[unionrdr]

Soak it in some PBW for a while,then use a dobie to try & scrub it loose. Might have to use an SOS pad as well. You have to keep wort stirred up,especially LME's. You add LME's off the heat till completely stirred in. Then back on the heat. But you have to keep it stirred up,or it burns on the bottom.

 

[DAV3]

stir more, worry less. Got it. Thanks

 

[DAV3]

I bottled two cases of 12oz bottles of my first extract batch of Hefe.
I hope the carbonation goes well.
It smelled great! I tasted and thought it tasted really good too.
Now i have the carboy full of a blonde ale and can't wait to get it in the bottle.
I should be pretty popular with the brothers-in-law at Christmas this year!