What kettle is best for a new brewer

[nshort32991]

I jumped from the little 5 gallon kit kettle to a Bayou Classic 44 Qt stainless pot with a steamer basket that did brew in a bag with. 5 gallon paint strainer bags fit perfectly in the steamer basket and I could do roughly up to 1.060 OG 5 gallon. I have since ditched the steamer basket and just got a custom made BIAB bag which works even better (have done up to 1.070 without issue). I also got a 62 qt bayou classic to do 10 gallon BIAB batches with, and just use the BIAB bag made for Keggles.

I have been using these for about 5 years or so without any issues, and really like the quality, and you can find them for pretty good deals if you keep your eye out. I have also used a keggle with a false bottom that I found locally, and use it with the others in a 3 vessel set up on occasion, but I would avoid the keggles unless you get a great deal on one already built the way you want, they are just much heavier and harder to clean than they need to be, but that’s just me.

I purchased weldless valve kits, thermowells, and sightglasses to install myself, and customized them to fit my needs, but I really enjoy doing that kinda thing. I have seen a couple that come with at least a ball valve on the bottom.

Anyhow, thats my .02. I hope you find something that works best for you and will last you for years to come!

Cheers,
Nathan

[noiz2]

Wow a lot of replies in a short time…

First the guy has nothing and is asking about a kettle so “fermentation control” is crazy past where he is.  I have been brewing since the 1980’s and other than using a heat wrap to boost a bit in winter I have NEVER had any “fermentation control”.  Refrigeration only came in in the middle of the 20th century so most beer historically has not had fermentation control.  Not saying it’s a bad idea but just not pertinent to this topic.

Kettle wise you do not need a “fancy” kettle and I would not recommend one with a sight tube for wort, that will be a bugger to clean.

You need at least an 8 gallon for a five gallon batch but I would argue with others that you are better off with a 18+ gallon kettle.  The reason is you have room to expand and with 5 gallon batches you are pretty much boil over proof.  And it doesn’t cost a lot more.

Other than pride (and you should take that in to account) there is very little functional difference between the cheapest kettle you can find and the most expensive.  Thick bottoms are great for stews and such but you are boiling water (essentially) so very limited advantages.  I have a pair of 8 gallon pots I got on sale from my LHBS for ~$30.  I use them alternately for brew pots and fermentors.  I have a 18 gallon pot with a sight tube and a thermometer that I use for a HLT.  I got it for ?!$40- $50 bucks on sale, and it replaced an aluminum pot I got used for $25.  I replaced it because it was too small (7 gal), the aluminum scare has been pretty solidly debunked.  And I have a 6-7 gal pot I got at a Chinese grocery a long time ago.  It’s taller so less of a boil over risk.  All but the last I bought with a 1/2" coupling welded on.  The first pot I drilled a hone and added a bulkhead coupling and a valve, but I had brewed extract with it for years just as it came from the store.

BUT what I would do first is join whatever homebrew club meats closest to you and then ask about gear.  The chances are really high that someone has a pot they have out grown and would be willing to sell it to you for a lot less that a new one would cost.  That is how I got the aluminum HLT and it’s how I will pass it along.

The other thing is I would look at some of these all in one systems.  You were going to drop $200 on a pot but for $300 you can get a “mash and brew” and that will let you get off the stove and do all grain (save a lot of $).

Something like this
https://www.homebrewing.org/10-Gallon-1-Weld-Volume-Marked-Brew-Pot_p_6065.html
would work well for $60 or this
https://www.homebrewing.org/15-Gallon-1-Weld-Volume-Marked-Brew-Pot_p_6066.html
for $90

RoboBrew $350
https://www.homebrewing.org/Robobrew-All-Grain-Brewing-System-925-Gallons_p_7485.html
or Mash and Brew $300
https://www.homebrewing.org/Brewers-Edge-Mash-Boil-All-Grain-Brewing-System_p_7497.html

I just posted links to one of my LHBS so buy local if possible.  I have seen cheaper prices for some of these items but it was easy to use my LHBS links.  I don’t work for them and the links don’t put anything in my pocket, they are just for reference.

Hope that was enough disclaimers…
Your local Home Brew Club is the best place to start.

[noiz2]

@leejoreilly

I hear ya, and understand where you’re coming from. I don’t doubt that you’ve assessed the potential for harm against the effectiveness, convenience and cost. But I still recommend against glass for anyone just starting out.

I would agree with this.  I have used “glass” but it turned out it wasn’t (it was a 7 gallon pyrex carboy!), a very different beast.  But even with out the emergency room issues it is a PITA because they are just a PITA.  Ale Pails are good.  I use them with cling wrap over the top and a giant O ring to seal (I use the O ring that is in 5Gal bucket lids).  I also bought some 8 gal. stainless pots on sale and use the same seal (it’s a bit more work to stretch the O ring over the pot but it works).

[noiz2]

Oh I will plug something.
Basic Brewing.com (it’s a pod cast) is worth listening to.  I would start with the early days and go forward if you can.  They have been at it for like ten years and it is a fantastic resource for new brewers.
http://www.basicbrewing.com/

They are pretty experienced now so some of the shows are not as “basic” as they used to be but it’s fun and informative.  They also do some short video casts but the meat of the show is the audio podcasts.

There are other good shows but I think they are the best for new brewers.  I’m pretty experienced and I still listen every week.

[epierce7]

You mentioned the Vigor from WebRestaurant.com early on.  I got the 60qt five years ago and I gotta say I love it.  it’s been my BIAB workhorse.  Great quality.  I like the thicker base.  Less of a scorching hazard.  It’s wider than the usual brew pot which benefits in less boil over but has a higher boil off rate (I get 1.25g/hr on slow rolling boil). I got a high quality step drill bit and installed my own ball lock valve. I have a cheaper pot I usually use for heating mash water and drilling the thinner pot was harder than the thicker one because at the end you can get some buckling in the thinner stainless steel.  If you go that route make sure you get a good quality bit that is rated for stainless steel.  But, you don’t have to.  Unless you are planning on recirculating/whirlpooling or using a pump for transfers, spend the money on a good chiller and use an auto siphon to get your wort into the fermenter.

BTW, that 15 gallon pot from homebrewing.org that was mentioned looks like a really good deal.  As for Craigslist, I’ve got half of my brewing stuff that way.

Cheers!

[Bilsch]

@noiz2

Refrigeration only came in in the middle of the 20th century so most beer historically has not had fermentation control.  Not saying it’s a bad idea but just not pertinent to this topic.

Mechanical refrigeration came in the early 20th but before that there were a lot of holes dug in the ground and uncounted tons of ice used to control beer fermentation and lager temperatures. So I have to take issue with your assertion that most beer historically has not had temperature control.

[Robertestein05_gmail.com (Robert)]

Mechanical refrigeration actually began in the 18th century,  but was fully developed in its modern form in the 19th century by Carl von Linde, specifically for the brewing industry.  Bilsch is right.  Brewers always had temperature control.  Deep cellars, tons of ice, and failing that, prohibitions against brewing when temperature could not be held low enough by these means.  So brewing was historically a limited, seasonal activity, and mechanical refrigeration simply allowed us to brew year round. Thus temperature control has always been paramount in brewing. And if you are enjoying air conditioning or fresh food from your fridge, thank a brewer.

[hopfenundmalz]

Mechanical refrigeration actually began in the 18th century,  but was fully developed in its modern form in the 19th century by Carl von Linde, specifically for the brewing industry.  Bilsch is right.  Brewers always had temperature control.  Deep cellars, tons of ice, and failing that, prohibitions against brewing when temperature could not be held low enough by these means.  So brewing was historically a limited, seasonal activity, and mechanical refrigeration simply allowed us to brew year round. Thus temperature control has always been paramount in brewing. And if you are enjoying air conditioning or fresh food from your fridge, thank a brewer.

Hey, I was going to bring up Carl von Linde. The first commercial application of mechanical refrigeration was at the Spaten Brewery in 1873.

Block ice was cut from lakes and rivers to store and lager beer before refrigeration. The brewing museum in Bamberg is in an old brewery. There is a large room in the cellar that was lined with ice to keep the beer cold.

I have been in one cellar in Bavaria that is naturally at 3 to 3.5 C year round, not bad for lagering temps.

[Robertestein05_gmail.com (Robert)]

That is nice and cool.  Deep down, temperatures will hold steady year round at about the average annual surface temperature, of course.  I recall that at Burton on Trent, they cleverly took advantage of this to control fermentation temperature by running water from deep wells through piping inside the fermenters, bringing deep cellar temperatures to any desired location.  Maybe the first applied geothermal technology? So many advances came from brewing.