Cedar Rapids Brewing Society

Toying with upgrading my brew kettle to at least 8 gals to be able to do full 5 gal boils. Since I still have to do my boils on the kitchen stove, I am size restricted, in particular height (<18"). While a 10 gal pot (16") is feasible, it's pushing the envelope.

I've looked at the MegaPot 1.2 with ball valve and thermometer (Northern Brewer), the 8 Gallon Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Brew Kettle with ball valve and thermometer from Midwest Supply, the 8 Gallon Stainless Brew Kettle with ball valve and thermometer - Heavy Duty from More Beer, and the BREWER'S EDGE 32 QUART BREWKETTLE (ball valve only) from Williams Brewing. Sorry, but the Blichmann's are a tad out of my price range.

Currently torn between the MegaPot and the Midwest supply kettles. They seem to be heavier duty than the others.

Looking for feedback, folk's random thoughts, especially if you own (or have owned) any of these kettles. Or, should I just say f-it and splurge for the Blichmann because they are that much better?

Blichmann recently added a 7.5 gallon Boilermaker recently if that helps.

I went with a 15 gallon pot with ball valve and thermometer from amazon that I found one homebrewfinds.com and it has been working great so far. I have had it since last august.

Just to throw in another option: I got an 8 gallon Tall Boy kettle that I really like. 12.25" by 15" tall. You have to install your own ball valve but this pot is fairly cheap and is heavy duty. For a boil kettle you don't need a thermometer.

I will second a recommendation on Randy's pot. That sucker is solid. Took us some time to get the holes drilled. Good buy.

When we switched from a regular electric range to a smooth top range I could no longer do full batch boils... That is when I moved to a gas burner. Just something to consider.

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Thanks for all the feedback. I really do appreciate the info. Keep it coming.

Matt F wrote:Blichmann recently added a 7.5 gallon Boilermaker recently if that helps.

That's the one I looked at, still almost $300, about a hundred dollars more than the other 2 options.

JimF wrote:When we switched from a regular electric range to a smooth top range I could no longer do full batch boils... That is when I moved to a gas burner. Just something to consider.

I have a gas stove already that will easily handle a 14" diameter pot. If I bought a separate banjo burner and propane tank to accommodate a large diameter pot (>14"), I'd have to brew outside/garage, not a good option for me right now.

carrisr wrote:Just to throw in another option: I got an 8 gallon Tall Boy kettle that I really like. 12.25" by 15" tall. You have to install your own ball valve but this pot is fairly cheap and is heavy duty. For a boil kettle you don't need a thermometer.

They are sold out at Northern Brewer. And, I'm really not eager to start drilling and welding on equipment yet. I'm willing to pay for pre-fab. Yeah, don't really need the thermometer, but it's a cheap add-on and might prove useful in the future, if I transition to all grain one day.

I like the thermometer on my kettle since I chill with a whirlpool immersion chiller.

This is the kettle I have. It's nice and solid. It is a 10 gallon, but doing full boils, I'm not sure I'd want anything smaller. As a plus, it is only 15.5" tall


http://spikebrewing.com/collections/10- ... l-couplers

Pat

Thanks, Pat. This one looks promising.

Went with the MegaPot because of the smaller diameter. The Midwest kettle was a bit sturdier wall thickness and a tad cheaper, but the diameter was a touch big for my stove burner.

Congrats on your new toy! I'm still boiling 5 gal batches in a 7.5 gal kettle. Fermcap S is a lifesaver.

Yeah, I have to watch my boil like a hawk when I do 10 gallon batches in my 14 gallon kettle. I usually start with 12.5 gallons leaving little headspace. I wish I had a 20 gallon. Works great for 5 gallon batches though.

Steven P wrote:... Fermcap S is a lifesaver.

Sounds like I'll be adding Fermcap to my brewing tool kit!

Fan blowing top of the boil helps too.