Looking to upgrade to a pot large enough for a 7 gallon starting volume. I like the northern brewer 8 gallon megapot with valve and thermometer. I am concerned it wont be big enough for a 7 gallon boil. Any recommendations?
It’ll work with Fermcap S. Otherwise you’d be better off with a 10gal pot.
It can be done, but it is not fun.
I’d go with at least a 10 gallon pot, but you need to consider if you will go to larger batches in the future. I was doing full wort boils in a 7.5 gallon pot with Fermcap-S and a spray bottle of water. I then moved to a 10 gallon pot since I doubt I will ever do more than 5 gallon batches.
Yeah, I’d recommend you definitely step up to at least a ten gallon. I’ve got the ten gallon MegaPot from NB and it’s just about perfect - no thermo nor valve though. If you can install your own thermo and/or valve, you can get the identical pot for a lot less here…
http://www.instawares.com/stainless-steel-stock-pot-sps-40.upi-sps40.0.7.htm?view=list
…or here…
http://www.waresdirect.com/products/Restaurant-Supply/Update-International-/Stainless-Pot168823
I’ve got a 10 and start with 7. I’ve only had one tiny boilover and that was from really not paying attention. There have been plenty of times when I thought it would go over, but 10 seems to be the right size for a 7 gallon start.
I was just in this same position (see my thread at http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=10373.0 for the post I put up. I ended up getting a 10 gallon pot off Amazon and definitely don’t regret it. I did a buddy brew day with two friends and they both had boilovers with their 8 gallon pots. Meanwhile, I was boiling away with no problems at all. So while I know budget fits into it a lot, you’ll save yourself a ton of headaches if you save up a little more and get the bigger 10 gallon kettle.
With kettles, bigger is definitely better. I have a 7.5g, 12g, and 25g. I haven’t actually used the 7.5g kettle in years now. I use the 12g for my 5-8 gallon batches, and the 25g for 8-15 gallon batches.
I have a 7.5 gallon Brewpot that I got with my turkey fryer. If I go over 6 gallons into it, I am almost guaranteed a boilover. One of my next purchases is going to be a 15g pot so I can do either 10g batches or long boils for some of my 5 gallon batches.
10 gallons would be an absolute minimum for a 7 gallon boil. I went with 80qts and rarely have problems, though for many a 60qt would be ideal.
Not big enough and you run into problems. Buy too small and you’ll end up regretting it.
My 12g kettles works really well. Even with the extra space it stills boils over now and then. (See earlier comment made about not paying attention. 
)
Paul
Thanks for the advice guys, 10 gallon NB Megapot w/ therm and ball valve looks good…or maybe the blichmann…that guys makes some great looking gear. Anyone have any?
On my 7.5 gallon kettle, a gallon of volume is 2 inches of vertical space. When I start at 6.5 gallons it seems really close to the top. Now I have a 15 gallon kettle. Much better.
If you have the ability to do it, either buy or build a keggle. That way you’re not buying a pot now and another pot later when you decide you want to do 10 gallon batches.
The only downside that I see with bigger pots is they weigh more. I have a 15g aluminum pot and it’s really easy to lug around and scrub out, although batches smaller than 5 gallons are kind of awkward.
I use the 10 gallon mega pot for 7-8 gallon boils with no problem. If you get the valve and thermo, I would also recommend a site glass.
General rule of thumb is a BK that has twice the batch volume.
Example: 20 Gallon SS BK for 10 gallon batches.
However, the higher the gravity (e.g., 1.090 versus 1.050), and the larger the pre-boil volume, the greater the likelihood of a boil-over.
It won’t boil over (well, usually) if you keep the lid off while the flame is on. Having the lid partially on is fine (usually) if you’re trying to sanitize the lid before Knockout–just rotate the lid every 5 minutes, but leave plenty of room for the steam to escape.
FermCap-S is good insurance, too.
What - I have been doing it wrong! Big beers in my half barrel kettle. Usually start with 13-13.5 gallons, end with 10.5.
I have learned to keep one eye on it, skim the foam, and have a spray bottle handy. A quick hand on the propane valve helps too.
Ah hell a 1/2 bbl keggle is just fine for doing 10g’s. I like a solenoid controlled propane system though.
On group brew days, it is always fun to stand around the guy whose BK is filled nearly to the rim and make the occasional comment about boil overs.
Using an undersized BK means an hour (or more) wasted on each brew day stressing out about boilovers.
Use a BK with twice the capacity as your batch size, and a few drops of FermCap-S, and you’re not going to have to worry as much, i.e., you can walk away and use your hour much more productively.
FTFY. Though I do like to have ample room in my kettle, there’s no problem pushing it to its limit for a big batch ;D