Ok my buddy just gave me a 2.5 gallon pot. So can I use that?
You can but I'm not sure what kind of beer quality it will make it you attempt to make 5 gallon batches since you could only boil about 2 gallons and then have to add over 3 gallons in the fermenter to end up with 5 gallons of wort.
Personally if a 2.5 gallon pot is all I had I would boil 2 separate batches that end at 1.5 gallons each and then combine them in one 5 gallon fermenter and add top off water at the end.
Here's what could work out for you to make a 5gal batch with only a 2.5 gallon pot:
Boil size 2.0 gallons per batch.
Each batch will use the following ingredients:
- 3 lbs of Extra Light Liquid Malt Extract
- 8 oz of Crystal 60 malt (milled) - steep
0.25 oz Magnum bittering hops at 60 minutes
0.5 oz Cascade flavor hops at 15 minutes left in boil
1.0 oz Cascade aroma hops at flame out
1 packet of Nottingham Dry Ale Yeast
1. Add 2 gallons of water to your brew pot
2. Heat water to 150F and steep your Crystal Malt in steeping bag for 30 minutes
3. remove grain bag and bring to boil.
4. stir in half of your extract (1.5 lbs)
5. Bring to boil and add bittering hops
6. boil for 45 minutes and add your flavor hops
7. boil another 15 minutes and then turn off heat.
8. Stir in the other half of your extract (1.5 lbs)
9. Stir in your aroma hops as you begin to cool the wort in an ice bath.
10. Cool the wort to 65-75F and then add to fermenter.
11.
repeat for second batch. You should end up with about 3 gallons of wort in the fermenter, then you can top off with bottled spring water to the 5 gallon mark, mix or stir and then add your dry yeast.