Buying your "last" kettles.

[jekeane]

I have been thinking a lot lately of my ideal setup and have decided I don't really want to spend any more money on things that aren't going to be used for the rest of my brewing years. Most things on this list are pretty easy decisions for me but kettles not so much. I currently have a Keggle setup that is not my favorite. They weigh a ton, retain a lot of heat when cooling, and mine which i got on the cheap are terribly welded.

I like the idea of a manufacturer drilling holes and welding things in place for me rather than searching for someone who knows what they are doing locally. So that does have a monetary value for me. However, I have a hard time seeing the real brewing differences between the high end and lower end of the price scale.

How are you deciding whether to buy Blichmann, Stout, Spike vs Bayou Classic, Polarware, etc...?

 

[Transamguy77]

Oh I thought you were talking about size when I read your heading, I have keggles to and I wish they were bigger. If I was doing it again I would look for a bigger pot and buy the one that met the needs I was looking for, (stainless vs. aluminum, welded vs. weldless, keeping price low but paying for extra if it matters) I think buying a pot is just like building your brewery you need to know what your ultimate goal is and focus on that. Doesn't really answer your question but hope it helps point you in the right direction.

 

[lpdjshaw]

Obviously everyone's gonna have their own opinion but I'll throw my two cents in. I had some really nice keggles that I built but wanted something lighter. I did a lot of research and ended up opting for 15 gal Blichmann's. I absolutely love them! The weldless fittings are pretty much as solid as welded ones, so that's a non-issue. Having sight gauges is something that I didn't think I needed on all 3 vessels but I wouldn't want to brew without them again. AFAIC the Blichmann false bottom is by far the best on the market. And although I have been brewing for two years with mine and haven't taken the 3 piece ball valves apart it's nice to have that option.
Depending on your burner set up you may find that there is more heat wash up the sides of the kettles than keggles, due to the tappered bottom. I bought heat shields from Bobby and no more problems with the ball valve and sight gauge overheating. The new valves are awfully nice but this could be an issue with them. The only thing I don't like about them is I think the sight gauges are too high.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I went with stout because I wanted 30-gallon kettles. Looking back that wasn't a good idea. They are overpriced for the chinese quality they deliver. They work but aren't the best.

I didn't buy them with the intention of keeping them forever. I plan to move things to a 1bbl brewhouse eventually so these will go out the door and get replaced by 40-gallon kettles.

The triclamps are great to clean but sometimes a pain to use. Overall I like them. I'll have my hands on some brugear kettle soon so I can comment on their quality shortly. I hear spike is making great stuff.

The two features that were most important to me were bottom drain mash tun and whirlpool/boil kettle combo. Looking back I should have ordered my kettles so that they all had bottom drain. Then I could CIP everything and never have to lift them. Oh well.

FWIW, I brewed with keggles for a while. They definitely work but they are heavy. Hard to break them!!!

 

[govner1]

I'd love to have all Blichmann based just on my purchase of their burner w/ legs. Outstanding product that I readily endorse. BUT, the kettles are "bling@ I cannot justify.
I've decided the Update International SS line is best for my set up. Great price & quality. Plus you can easily add accessories(ball locks, thermometers, sight glasses, recirc valves, etc. You just need a good drill & bit.
I've had several as I've expanded my system as my brewing system needs have grown.

 

[JLeuck64]

When I started looking for a 10 gal kettle I kept running into posts about the weldless fittings leaking. So... I started looking at kettles with welded fittings and ran across the Spike website. It really looked good to me and purchased one of their brew kettles with a drain valve. It worked really well after several brew days and I started to tinker with designing a 3 tier gravity stand. Then I bought another 10 gal kettle with everything! Drain valve, thermometer and sight glass. I just use it for a HLT and consider it a luxury but it works so nice... especially since it is up high. I can stand on the ground while filling it up. I can tell when the temps are ready for draining into my cooler. I feel like it will be a very long time before I get bored with making 5 gal batches

 

[brewbama]

I have an El cheapo kettle with one handle broken off sitting on a '90's Turkey Fryer burner. A new Kettle is a dream for me. I till brew great beer ...but...

 

[Nagorg]

My "last" two kettles are Spike. The first of the last is a 20G. Didn't take me long to want bigger so the last "last" is a 30G. Ben@Spike worked with me on the coupler placements so that the thermometer is low enough that I can still do 10G batches in my 30G kettle if I want. I use the 20G as an HLT now. No sight-glasses; I just don't see that in a boil kettle but I know a lot of folks love them. I can see one being handy on the HLT though...

I might have bought Stout; I really wanted their 30G with tangential inlet. But for me it was their freight that killed the deal. It was crazy timing that Spike wound up with a 30G at that time and Ben also added a whirlpool port.

So the big things for me were:
1) SS
2) Welded fittings
3) A whirlpool port on the boil kettle.
4) Cost
5) Custom coupler locations with batch size flexibility in mind.

 

[electrolight]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2055692701/bru-gear-stainless-steel-brewing-kettles-and-ferme

Not just the classics to consider anymore.

 

[Nagorg]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2055692701/bru-gear-stainless-steel-brewing-kettles-and-ferme

Not just the classics to consider anymore.

Maybe the Kickstarter is over?

http://www.bru-gear.com/

Looks a lot like the stuff from SSBrewTech.com to me...

 

[jekeane]

Looks a lot like the stuff from SSBrewTech.com to me...

They do look similar but the Brugear stuff is all triclover and comes with some things (thermometer) that the ssbrew doesnt. Hadn't really looked at those guys before. Looks similar in price range to spike stuff. Sarcastic hooray for more options to have to ponder.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Fwiw, I shipped my stout kettles to the local brewery and cut the freight in half.

I have sight glasses but they are poorly designed. I can't see the level on my bk until I hit 10 gallons. I can see the level at only 7 gallons in my hlt.

I am interested to see these bru gear kettles because they have volume measurements etched inside. That would be the best deal. Less to clean and less to fail.

 

[OG_IBU_Bunghole]

They do look similar but the Brugear stuff is all triclover and comes with some things (thermometer) that the ssbrew doesnt. Hadn't really looked at those guys before. Looks similar in price range to spike stuff. Sarcastic hooray for more options to have to ponder.

For Bru Gear definitely budget more money to fix the design flaws... buying a diptube (1.5gal wasted on my 15gal kettle) and a fitting to replace the way too large thermowell for the thermometer... then there's the gigantic, unsightly advertisement on the front that wasn't pictured in the kickstarter (unless you're the kind of guy that wears brand name shirts with huge logos, but I call that getting swindled and pimped https://youtu.be/QK8mJJJvaes).

Budget more of your time, too, since you'll get a prompt response before you pay and then you'll have to email every couple weeks for months asking when you'll get your kettle before you get an excuse response followed by you needing to email every couple weeks for several more months before getting another excuse, rinse repeat.

 

[jekeane]

I went with Spike Kettles (15g/15g/20g) and got them welded for my future HERMS electric setup. For the time being I will be using them on propane sq14's. I got 2 on "scratch and dent" but I cant see any flaws and the third I got at normal price. So far I have only cleaned and attached all the fittings etc... I did a test of the pumps today and will be brewing tomorrow assuming its not raining or over 100°.

After testing my 20g for boil off rate I did not a few small rust spots that I scrubbed with BKF afterwords and they came off. I will be keeping an eye on this tomorrow after their first brew session.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Two of my three kettles are Italian kettles from Brewer's Hardware. I like the tangential inlet on the boil kettle and the upper return on the mash tun. Their valves with the pickups work great, as does the false bottom. Their thermometer ports also easily accept temp sensors for automation, but I just use the standard analog dial...

(Full disclosure: Derrin is a member of my homebrew club and I'd call him a friend, so I'm obviously biased )

 

[Nagorg]

I did a test of the pumps today and will be brewing tomorrow assuming its not raining or over 100°.

Any day over 100 is still a good brew day in Texas!

 

[Cyclman]

I have 2 15G blich's and a 20G BK. I love them. Blingy, yes, but the sight gauges, valves, false bottom, diptube, burner, all are highly functional and IMO make for better brewing.

Could you fab your own and get just as much function, yes, but I was willing to spend to not have to deal with fabbing.

I have a 3-tier wire 18" shelving unit, and recently a 1/2" 50' immersion chiller and now a pump to recirc during mash and chilling.

Couldn't be happier, and while I do look jealously on some of the Brutus systems, I like my 3-tier's natural simplicity.

Now,it's up to me. Gotta master water, pH, and fermenting the huge beers I occasionally enjoy (I did a clone of Utopias and adore Quads).

The best thing about homebrewing is you get to do it your way, so pick what fits your desires and personality.

I spend on my kettles / burners, but ferment in carboys (SS fermentation vessels are sexy but I don't value the benefits vs. cost).

Best of luck working on your dream system!