Boil kettle sizing questions

[msjulian]

I am looking ahead to Christmas and thinking about getting a 15gal blichmann kettle for my boil pot. Does anyone have or have used a blichmann pot? It looks like a lot of money but buy the time you acquire a keg legally and do all the work...

Just thinking

[BREWsmith]

Not only is Jimmy Pore a Boilermaker, he also brews in one.

[sirgiovanni]

Mash in a 20 gallon. Without a tier, you don't need the auto-sparge unit. It was a strain on me at first to transition but I think I'm coming to an agreement with the pot. If you want to check it out, I will probably brew in the next few weeks, this should be my last weekend hunting if the damn deer ever go in rutt.

[msjulian]

I am looking to to swap out my boil kettle. I have read multiple post on different boards all complaining about the thermometer is too high in the 15 gal pot for 5 gal batch boils. I mainly do 5 gal batches but occasionally do 10 gal. I think I can deal with a 13-14 gallon boil in a 15 gallon kettle but I don't want the temp probe out of the boil on small batches.

Blichmann says they now sell a thermometer relocation kit to plug the hole and move the probe. It sounds like they buy their pots from China with the holes already in place.

Let me know when you brew and I will try to come buy and check out your system.

[john mills]

I've been considering this upgrade:
http://conical-fermenter.com/products/brew-kettles/

I like the whirlpool option.

[msjulian]

I have looked at the Stout Tank kettles as well but until you reminded me about them they had slipped my mind in this latest round of fantasizing about the perfect kettle.

The 15 gal stout kettle looks a lot closer to actual sanke dimensions then the Blichmann. The Blichmann is 15.7 x 18.9 with a flat bottom (15.84 gallons). My keggle is 15.7 x 18.5(15.5 gallon) to the top of the domed bottom and 20.0(16.75 gallon) to the bottom of the dome. It is a fairly constant arc on the bottom so I figure 16.125 gallon average. Taking in to account for the approximate 4% expansion of the wort when heated that makes a 15 gallon pre-boil volume about 15.6 gallons when heated. The way the foam comes to the top of the keg on my 10 gallon batches (actually 12 gallon to get the volumes I want in the fermentors) that all sounds about right. I don't know if I would be able to contain that size boil in a 15 gallon Blichmann and the 20 gallon would be way over kill on my standard 5 gallon batch boils.

It looks like the stout tank kettle is 15.75 x 20 (to the bottom of the dome) so very similar to the sanke. The stout tanks kettle is also 16 gauge stainless where the Blichmann(and most others I have looked at) is only 18 gauge.

It appears that the stout kettle is completely customizable as well (unlike the Blichmann).

I am sending an email today to get more info on the kettle and just what it takes to get one the way I want.

[BREWsmith]

I think you'll find Stout's quality to be outstanding. I got my first conical from them.

[sirgiovanni]

I don't know that I would spend all that for a boil pot. The only advantage I could think of would be the hop blocker but I have not used it myself so I don't know much about it's effectiveness. It would be awesome to get away from bags. I just wanted to see how the Blichmann did with a mash for myself.

[Chris Norrick]

The guys at Basket Case in Jasper are using these. They may have some experiences to share if you contact them.

[msjulian]

I had no idea that Bayou Classic has a 16 gallon kettle with a stainless ball valve. They even sell a false bottom...

http://bayouclassicdepot.com/1064-bayou ... spigot.htm

Looks to be only 20 gauge... too thin for me.

[sirgiovanni]

Brotha,
Saturday around 10 am if you are still interested. Making a 9.5%. I can PM address.

[msjulian]

Ok.. after looking at the cost of all the options and a little reality check from my wife I have settled on either the Mega pot or the polar ware. The mega pot has dimensions of 15"tall x 19" diameter (if the web site is correct) which puts it at 18.41 gallons to the tippy top. The polar ware is 13.75" x 18.75" for a total of 16.44 gallons. Score one for the mega pot. The polar ware has two welded 1/2" npt bungs installed where the mega pot has weldless fittings. Score for the polar ware.

Is any one using either of these pots? If so, any goods or bads with either?

[sirgiovanni]

Yes I have had both and still have the mega for a boil pot. The polerware made a good mash tun but is thin for a boil pot.

[BREWsmith]

Until recently, I used 10 gallon mega pots for both my mash tun and boil kettle. Because they are such a thick gauge of SS and have the tri-clad bottom, they hold heat much better than my new (Jimmy's old) 15 gallon polarware mash tun. As for using them for the boil, because of the dimensions, they tend to lose more volume than a taller, narrower kettle. I typically used a 15% loss in my calcs.

[msjulian]

Thanks for all the information. I just got off the phone with the folks at polar ware and the 601BP 60qt pot is 18 ga thick standard bottom (not try-clad) which I feel would be just fine for a boil kettle. I just not sure if either will be big enough for the occasional 10 gallon batch (usually 14gal or so pre-boil).

Jimmy what size boil kettle is your mega pot?