But that seems like almost too good of a deal. I have no intentions of ever doing 10 gal. batches so a 9 gal. pot would be plenty for me. With the cost of a thermometer ~30 the kettle will cost like ~115$ total. Which seems like the price of a normal 8-10 gal. kettle without a spigot or thermometer.
Is this a good deal I should bite on? Not sure if anyone can actually help here or not.
Whenever I look at stainless kettles, I always want to see mention of the “sandwich” bottom. That is, the Stainless-Aluminum-Stainless layers that make the heat distribution much more even. This listing has no such mention.
Also, you may think 9-gal is plenty for 5-gal batches but I just managed my first boilover in my 10-gal Megapot with a 5-gal batch of Dunkelweizen.
It’s really hard to tell by looking at it. I look for specs like wall thickness and weight. Unfortunately you pay for what you get and my gut feel is that this kettle is exactly that. I would look for reputable dealers and take a look at any positive reviews. Recommendations are helpful.
Clad pots are nice, and reduce the hot spots. Blichmann kettles and converted kegs are 18 gage stainless. A lot of award winning beers have been made on converted keg systems.
As far as boil overs go, I have found a little Fermcap-S takes care of that. Bigger is better, but as pointed out, you can still get a boilover.
I’ve been brewing with a converted keg for years with great success. Rugged and durable at an affordable cost. I now have the cadillac of kettles… Blichmanns.
+1 - though with reservations. I’ve been using converted kegs for many years. great, inexpensive kettles. however, as I’m getting older & lazier, they are pretty heavy. the purpose-bought kettles are certainly easier on the back.
I definitely agree with the weight factor. My converted 1/2 keg is heavier than my 15gal Blichmann’s. Cleaning and maneuvering the converted kegs can be hard on the back.
I have bought one of those kettles from that ebay seller before. They are fine, but not what I would call high quality when compared to the likes of the B3 kettles or the Megapots. It is not as heavy duty as those kettles, but is perfectly functional. I used it for a while as a hot liquor tank and then sold it for $75 on ebay when I upsized my home brewery.
