help me choose the best brew kettle

[bigskygreg]

I currently have an economy 5 gal pit. I have done about 8 partial boil extract recipes, I have also done 3 partial mash recipes using a 3 gallon rubbermaid cooler for MT, I want to upgrade, My biggest dilemma is buying crap that doesn't get used long term. I want to have the most effective equipment I =can have, I don;t want unused equipment in 6 months or whatever,

So I;m thinking of a 10 gallong pot with ball valve? I brew indoors. That is currently my only option. I can boil 5-7 gallons on my stove for sure,

I'm still experimenting, but batch sparge seems the way to go for me?
BIAB occasionally?

Not sure, trying things out. However, I know I need to make some upgrades.

Thanks for the feedback!\
Greg

 

[Nagorg]

If you don't mind drilling and adding a weld less ball valve, I'd point you to the Bayou Classic 44Qt SS kettle. It's great!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VXHKMC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

If you would prefer welded ball valve fittings, take a peek at Spike Brewing.
http://spikebrewing.com/collections/10-gallon-stainless-kettles

Blichmann kettles are nice but too much spend for me. Spike Brewing kettles are great too, I have a 20G from them.

 

[stevedasleeve]

Kitchen brewing for 5 years here. Finally found the perfect pot: Bayou 10 gallon with ball valve. Here's why it works for me:

- Induction ready for my 1800w induction plate
- Quart measurements on the kettle
- Ball valve works fine
- 10 gallons means any 5 gallon batch has plenty of headroom

FWIW These days I use my induction plate in combination with a heatstick with a 1500W element which gets my wort boiling in 25 mins from mash out temps. Switching from siphoning the wort into my carboys to using the ball valve was an eye opener!

I can't see ever upgrading this pot unless I go for 10+ gallons, which is unlikely since I brew way too much to ever run out.

Cheers!
Steve da sleeve

 

[Glynn]

10 gal kettle and a 10/12 gal tun. then your good to go

 

[brew_ny]

http://www.provantage.com/bayou-classic-1064~7BAYC001.htm

I have one of these came with the ball valve, I do 11.5 gallon batches in it boiling about 13 gallons with no problems

alls I did was add a pickup tube

good luck

S_M

 

[Nagorg]

Nice find on that BC kettle with spigot! I may get one of those for my HLT.

 

[brew_ny]

Nice find on that BC kettle with spigot! I may get one of those for my HLT.

they had them on sale awhile back for 110 should have bought two just to have a second one

they are nice pot for the price and the spigot is a plus, very good quality

shipping was like 14 dollars

all the best

S_M

 

[grathan]

The "best" brew kettle? Probably a Stout 9.2 gallon stainless pot, a rounded bottom for trub collection, a tangetial inlet for whirlpooling (futureproof), a optional electric element port (futureproof), 2 welded sanitary tri-clover ports and sight-glass. $500

 

[pumpkinman2012]

I use a Bayou Classic with spigot/ball valve as well, I love it, and the quart measurements on the kettle are a very useful bonus!

 

[nutty_gnome]

The "best" brew kettle? Probably a Stout 9.2 gallon stainless pot, a rounded bottom for trub collection, a tangetial inlet for whirlpooling (futureproof), a optional electric element port (futureproof), 2 welded sanitary tri-clover ports and sight-glass. $500

While everyone's needs are different... I can't deal with a sub-10 gallon sized pot. It needs to be 10-12 gallons or more. If you ever try to BIAB a 1.070 5 gallon batch in a 9.2 gallon vessel... well you'll be wishing you had the extra room.

 

[bigskygreg]

So, should I get a valve and thermometer or just valve? What is the best way to use the valve to prevent excess kettle trub from getting into my fermentor. Do you use dip tubes? Also, how often do you need to disassemble the valve for cleaning?

Thanks for the feedback

 

[Nagorg]

I like a thermometer mainly because it helps when chilling wort post boil. I can generally tell when the wort has reached boiling temps without a thermometer..

A dip tube (side pickup for me) with a screen attached helps a lot with reducing trub in your fermentor.

 

[eric19312]

I like my sight glass a lot. Hitting your numbers is all about keeping an eye on volumes. You can do that with a stick or with etchings i suppose but I like my glass.

The spigot is pretty useful for lots of transfers, these pots get heavy when full.

The thermometer is useful for immersion chilling.

10 gal+ is good plan. I normally start with 7 to 7.5 gal in my kettle for 5.5 gal into the fermenter and almost always come close to boil over in my 11 gallon pot. Have to watch the hot break carefully.

 

[bigskygreg]

I like a thermometer mainly because it helps when chilling wort post boil. I can generally tell when the wort has reached boiling temps without a thermometer..

A dip tube (side pickup for me) with a screen attached helps a lot with reducing trub in your fermentor.

Thanks for the photo!

Do you whirlpool? Do you have problems with your screen clogging? Are your dip tube and screen of the shelf or dyi?

Thanks!

 

[Nagorg]

I have been faux whirlpooling so far. (stirring with paddle) I just ordered a chugger pump and will be adding a whirlpool arm to a 3rd welded coupler than isn't visible in that photo. I ordered my kettle from Spike Brewing with 3 welded couplers.

The side pickup tube I bought from bargianfittings.com.
http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=45&product_id=159

The screen is DIY; a toilet hose from Lowes that I removed the SS braid from. I used SS worm clamps to attach to the tube and to crimp the loose end.

This setup usually works great with minimal to no clogging. When it does clog, I can unclog it by scraping my mash paddle along the length of the screen. This happened the worst when I used all pellet hops "commando" one time. Wont do that again.... When I use my hop spider, minimal hops wind up in the wort. Whole hops don't clog it at all!

Here is a pic of the setup post boil. Note all that trub that isn't in my fermentor!

 

[USAFSooner]

I'll throw in another vote for the 44QT SS Bayou Classic. Perfect size for a 5 G batch. Weldless fittings are easy to install.

 

[Nagorg]

I'll throw in another vote for the 44QT SS Bayou Classic. Perfect size for a 5 G batch. Weldless fittings are easy to install.

That's what I have heard and its good to hear again. I just ordered weldless fittings and a step bit from bargianfittings.com. Figured it's time to bite the bullet and just do it. Hopefully I'll have a good experience; it's a great kettle as is and I don't want to ruin it.

 

[USAFSooner]

Go slow and use lots of pressure. Vegetable oil makes a good lubricant for the bit.

 

[eric19312]

Check out the video at homebrew hardware.com ... Good info even if you did buy from his competition...

 

[Nagorg]

Just found these... This guy is even using the BC 44QT Kettle!

BobbyFromNJ Part1 Brew Pot Build Project -
BobbyFromNJ Part2 Brew Pot Build Drilling Stainless -
BobbyFromNJ Part 3 Brew Kettle Build - Install components and wrap up -

 

[bigskygreg]

I truly hemming and hawing. I'm pretty new to this and exploring what is going to work for me. I just haven't decided which steps i want to use most.

Thanks for all the feedback. It gives me lots to think about.

Cheers!

 

[Nagorg]

To keep it simple:

- You should really get a 10 Gallon kettle for your 5 Gallon batches.
- If you don't think you want a valve right way, the Bayou Classic 44Qt Kettle is about the best bang for the buck. (IMHO)
- It's easy to add weldless fittings later if you want. There's plenty of information online that helps with the Howto.
- If you know you want a valve on the cheap and don't want to drill anything, that Bayou Classic 1064 (16Gallon kettle w/spigot) looks like a great find for the price. The extra capacity is nice plus you can brew larger batches if desired. (Split batches with someone interested in the hobby even..)
- Spike Brewing has affordable kettles with welded fittings if that is your preference.

 

[eric19312]

Here is my bayou classic with the fittings from brewer's hardware. As previous poster pointed out you could always get the kettle and add the fittings later. I initially thought the sight glass was somewhat frivolous "bling" but in retrospect I use it constantly.

 

[USAFSooner]

My set up is identical to the one above. Works great!

 

[bigskygreg]

Anyone have experience using both a tri-ply bottom and standard thin bottom kettle? Do you have a preference?

 

[brew_ny]

Anyone have experience using both a tri-ply bottom and standard thin bottom kettle? Do you have a preference?

when it is time to cool what is in the pot down tri-ply bottoms hold the heat better

I have Bayou Classic 64 quart with a ball valve which isn't tri-ply heats up fast, cools down fast

I do 13 gallon boils in it and it works great for the price

good luck with your search

S_M

 

[ICWiener]

I'm an economical brewer (read: broke) so when I went looking for a new kettle, a $300 for a bitchin' piece of Blichmann gear wasn't an option. I went the converted keg route.

$35 for the keg
$5 for the lid cut out
$30 for the coupler + weld (the right way: stainless, TIG welded, etc)
$15 for a SS ball valve

So, $85 total for a stainless steel beast that can handle a 10 gallon batch with no problem. It's not the prettiest piece of equipment and it's heavier than your mom but it's going to last me forever, so I'll take it.

That being said, if you got the money, spend it!

 

[Nagorg]

Anyone have experience using both a tri-ply bottom and standard thin bottom kettle? Do you have a preference?

To answer your question, I do not have any experience with the tri-ply bottoms. For a boil kettle, it really isn't needed. Both my kettles are the standard thin type and I have yet to scorch a batch. And I have had plenty of vigorous boils between both my SQ14 and Blichmann burners!

I'm thinking that a tri-ply might not be bad to have on a mash tun that you apply direct heat to. Again just a thought; I don't think its really a must have.

In other words I wouldn't pay extra for tri-ply especially if this will just be a boil kettle.

 

[nutty_gnome]

I think that if you BIAB and you don't keep the bag off the bottom, a tri-ply pot would minimize bag and grain scorching. I have a nice, wide, tri-ply SS Royal 10 gallon pot. I BIAB with 8 gallons of strike and a lil' over 11 pounds of grain, so it is a full pot. If I had the thin bottom, I would be much more concerned abut scorching, but with the tri-ply I haven't had any trouble at all.

I have used thinner aluminum pots in the past when I was doing a mash-in-a-cooler process. I didn't burn wort with that either...

 

[eric19312]

I scorched my think bayou classic pot first time out. That was partial mash / full boil with about 7 lbs LME and 4 lbs grain. Added about 5 lbs of the LME at 15 minutes left to boil. Got a patch about 2" x 5" scorched on. Took a long time to scrub it off and I adjusted my technique to increase stirring and/or turn off heat for late extract/sugar additions. Knock on wood but haven't scorched since that batch.


Here is what Blichman says about clad bottoms:
Clad bottoms are great for cooking viscous foods like spaghetti or gravies, especially on an electric stove. Because these foods don't convect like thinner liquids (such as beer wort), scorching is more likely. With the full rolling boil of a wort boil, and the use of a gas/propane burner, scorching is not an issue, even on the lightest worts. Our research and development team has thoroughly tested the BoilerMaker™ pots on high-BTU burners with very light beers (Koelsch, Pils, etc.) and experienced no discoloration or scorching whatsoever. While the clad bottoms look impressive, they add cost, but no real benefit, to the brewer. Because we designed the BoilerMaker™ from a clean sheet, we added cost only where it added specific benefits to the brewer. The stepped bottom, quality level gauge, adjustable BrewMometer™, and snap-in dip tube are a few examples. - See more at: http://www.blichmannengineering.com/products/boilermaker™#sthash.3ZDjAaeD.dpuf

 

[grathan]

I gotta imagine a 5 mm bottom is the same temperature as a 1 mm bottom, it's just when you change the amount of heat applied, how quickly the change takes place.

I wonder why my starters always turn dark when I turn the burner up though...

 

[bigskygreg]

Okay guys, so I have been really looking at my options and here are my latest thoughts:

I was thinking of getting the heavy duty kettles from more beer. The reason I like them is that A, they are welded, B, the are wider and shorter. I know being wider is usually less desirable, but I am thinking since I will be using them indoors on my stove, they will fit better under my hood and I may be able to stradle 2 burners.

That brings me to my next question. They have an 8 gallon pot which would not quite cover 2 burners on my stove(close). The 15 gallon pot would stradle 2 burners very well, but I really only plan to do 5 gallon batches.

I was looking at the northern brewer mega pots (thinking of the 10 gallon), but they just changed their line to the taller 1.2 Megapot, and it looks like they discontinued the older style. Plus they are weld less.

So thoughts:

1. Weldless vs. welded
2. short and wide vs tall and skinny
3. 10 gal vs 15 gal when 95% of batches will be 5 gallon

Thanks in advance for all your help!

 

[Crito]

I like my tribottom brew kettle.

It has an inner layer of aluminum to help transfer heat. The side walls are thicker.

Had a smaller spike kettle then upgraded to a megapot. I like the mega pot a lot better. No more scrubbing and using bar keepers friend on the bottom. I might buy the megapot 1.2 if it has a smoother, mirror like inside.

Just my two cents. Either way both types can be used go make good beer.

 

[grathan]

The megapot is neat with the gallon markers on the inside of the pot.


I vote:
15 gallon pot (not much more $ and as pointed out it is required for BIAB 5 gallon)
Welded (unless you feel comfortable with weldless, some people aren't capable of fixing leaks)
tall and skinny (mainly because it's a 15 gallon pot and you are doing 5 gallon batches, also consider immersion chiller shape if you use one.)

 

[Nagorg]

My thoughts:

1. Weldless vs. welded
[Nagorg] Welded. It's just better IMHO. (though I am about to add some weldless stuff to my 11 gal Bayou Classic..)
2. short and wide vs tall and skinny
[Nagorg] I wouldn't put too much emphasis on this. Boil off rate is technically higher with the wider kettles. But, you should test to see what your actual boil off rate is and plug that into a BeerSmith equipment profile. Volumes will be adjusted to compensate accordingly.
3. 10 gal vs 15 gal when 95% of batches will be 5 gallon
[Nagorg] 15 gal. You will appreciate the additional headspace with your 5 gallon batches and be able to brew larger if desired. I commonly split batches with my brother and other friends on occasion.

 

[Nagorg]

...And I just finished adding the weldless stuff to my 11 gal Bayou Classic kettle.

 

[bigskygreg]

I ended up getting a 10 gallon megapot with ball valve. Just ordered a side pick up tube.

I'm debating making a whirlpool arm similar to Jamil's. I have a standard immersion chiller now.

How do you all do your whirlpools?

 

[Nagorg]

Well... Just added my whirlpool "arm" in my 20G kettle. I haven't brewed with it yet but it does a great job of circulating boiling water! Next weekend will be the real test.

 

[mjohnson]

Well... Just added my whirlpool "arm" in my 20G kettle. I haven't brewed with it yet but it does a great job of circulating boiling water! Next weekend will be the real test.

Which kettle is that, Nagorg? Looks nice.

 

[Nagorg]

Which kettle is that, Nagorg? Looks nice.

That's the 20 Gallon Kettle I bought from Spike Brewing. I bought it with 3 welded couplers cause I knew I would eventually want the whirlpool arm. That third coupler had a plug in it until now.

http://spikebrewing.com/