Kettle and burner to start with?

[MAN99]

I have just about everything but a brew kettle and a burner to get me going. I've been scouring Homebrew Finds but can't seem to pull the trigger on anything. I'm looking at probably a stainless, here's a couple i'm thinking about recently...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...veASIN=B000VXD94A&linkCode=as2&tag=more038-20


http://morebeer.com/view_product/11854?a_aid=hbf

Is it worth getting the kettle with couplers already attached? or does it not matter so much? I've heard to go a bit larger when choosing a kettle so you can grow with your kettle as your learning.

http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-SP10-High-Pressure-Outdoor/dp/B000291GBQ/ref=pd_sbs_lg_1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...veASIN=B0009JXYQ4&linkCode=as2&tag=more038-20

Here's a couple burners i'm looking at too, also when you are doing your boil, where exactly are you doing it? I was initially thinking of doing it in the basement, but it seems unsafe, is this something to be done in the garage or is it ok in the basement?

Bottom line is what size kettle and what btu burner should I be shooting for?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Jayhem]

I had this same question about 1 year ago!

bottom line was a 20 gallon (80 qt) kettle is the way to go. Why? Because one day you will want to make a double batch of a good recipe (10-11 gallons) and a 15.5 gallon kettle is not large enough to do a full boil of that size without risking boil over.

I bought my brand new 80 qt stainless off Ebay and it is good quality and decently heavy gauge Stainless. This is the one I got...LOVE this kettle! http://www.ebay.com/itm/80-Qt-Quart-20-Gallon-Stainless-Steel-Brew-Stock-Pot-w-Steamer-Rack-Lid-BA79-80-/360532222596?pt=Cookware&hash=item53f1652284&_uhb=1

It works well for 5 gallon batches as well and I like that it's nice and wide which is more efficient of propane.

I went with this burner and it is VERY efficient and I have no problem boiling my 13-14 gallon full boil starts for my 11 gallon batches

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bayou-Classic-SQ14-Outdoor-Patio-Burner-1-x-Burner-Cast-Iron-Burner-/330858091038?pt=Barbecues_Grills_Smokers&hash=item4d08add21e&_uhb=1

You really must do your boils outdoors or covered patio or deck for ventilation...those fumes could kill you indoors!

If you use sheets of aluminum or tin around your burner and kettle it really helps it heat up faster!

 

[LandoLincoln]

1) Do you think you'll drink your beer pretty regularly? If yes, add 5 gallons to your batches.

2) Do you have friends or family that would like regular homebrewed beer? If yes, add 5 gallons to your batches.

3) Do you have any brew buddies that will brew beer with you and will split costs with you? If yes, add 5 gallons to your batches for each brew buddy.

For 5 gallon batches, you'll probably want a 10+ gallon pot.
For 10 gallon batches, you'll probably want a 15+ gallon pot.
For 15 gallon batches, you'll probably want a 20+ gallon pot.

Now you should choose your burner according to your batch sizes. For five gallon boils, you could probably get away with any old turkey fryer. Bigger ones will require more BTU's. I have a Bayou Classic KAB6 which outputs 210,000 BTU's and I could easily do 15 gallon batches with that thing.

If you're the do-it-yourself type, you can save some money and get plain pots and then buy the extra pieces yourself and then drill the holes wherever you want and all that jazz.

Using propane burners in a basement is a really bad idea. Not only are the fumes bad for you in an enclosed space, but you also have to think about all of the steam that you're going to generate and where that steam is going to go. If you don't have some serious exhaust going on in the basement, that's going to be almost as bad as nearly killing yourself with the fumes.

 

[MAN99]

Cool, that is the burner I have been looking at too. Looks like you've made a lot of progress in a year! Hope to be in the same spot next year, thanks!

 

[RM-MN]

Are you going to start out with extract kits or going right to all grain? What size batch do you want to make, a gallon, 5 gallon, 10 gallon? How much beer do you drink and how much time do you have available to brew. Have you ever looked at a mathmatical table called "Future value of Money"? How sure are you that you will still be brewing in 5 years?

If you have money to burn, go for the best quality and biggest you can get. Most of us brew on a smaller budget and have learned that the biggest isn't always the best and that we can make the same quality of beer on much cheaper equipment.

 

[MAN99]

Some of these questions I won't know until I get going with it, but I am starting with extract kits and probably 5 gallon batches. I do feel like once I get going I will be doing this a while, I still have a lot of homework to do (got "how to brew" about a week ago and plan on reading that cover to cover first.) But i'm looking forward to the challenge, thanks for all the advice so far guys!

 

[RM-MN]

Some of these questions I won't know until I get going with it, but I am starting with extract kits and probably 5 gallon batches. I do feel like once I get going I will be doing this a while, I still have a lot of homework to do (got "how to brew" about a week ago and plan on reading that cover to cover first.) But i'm looking forward to the challenge, thanks for all the advice so far guys!

This is a good idea but you might want to read the first half again, then brew a batch, then read the first half again. I found that it made more sense after the first brew.

What I was suggesting is that to start with you don't need to dump a pile of money into this obsession, uh, hobby. I bought a basic kit when I started about 5 years ago and since I already had a 5 gallon stock pot and a bunch of empty bottles, that set me up to start. After a few brew sessions and a lot of time on brewing forums I added more little things but kept using most of what came in the basic kit. Since then I started all grain BIAB and needed to upgrade the 5 gallon stock pot to do full volume boils, and I added more fermenter buckets. Once you have 10 or 20 brew sessions behind you the extra equipment needed will be obvious and you can go all out or piecemeal it together. I still use my 5 gallon stock pot for small batches so even that wasn't wasted money.