Brewing Kettle for a noob

[steve denholm]

Hi all, just got my first Extract kit https://www.northernbrewer.com/deluxe-brewing-starter-kit and am itching to get started, but want to get the right stuff to future proof my self a bit (Chinook IPA).
It comes with primary and secondary fermentors and a bottling bucket, siphons etc.
I have ordered digital timer, spoon large measuring jug etc.

I've been drinking brewdog large bottles like mad for bottle stock but need a kettle.

I was thinking of maybe a megapot 1.2 or an SS brew kettle.
Has anyone used these and would they be suitable for extract brewing (possibly trying BIAB or AG later on).

Thanks loads for any advice that will help me not buying rubbish or just replacing later on

Steve

 

[Clint]

Choose carefully if you are using an external heat source like gas or induction as some don't work on induction.
I bought the 32litre with tap from malt miller and use it on the wok burner on my cooker..it works great!

 

[steve denholm]

thanks for the reply Clint, I just moved to a new house and it has induction (which i hate), i will be changing it eventually for my range which has a pretty savage wok burner

 

[Fil]

wow top shelf options there, unless your looking at induction heating many of us are more than satisfied using modified stainless steel catering stock pots. £30-£40 iirc for a 50l lidded pot tho its been a few years since i last bought a pot. and the thin skins of the pots make them a doddle to punch out holes for drainvalves and if needed elements with a cheap qmax punch. building a kettle is an easy afternoons job for anyone who can drill a hole, use an allen key, and if using elements wire a plug.

email [email protected] a german supplier on ebay.fr for a quote for delivery to the UK (often cheaper than ebay.fr listings due to no ebay fees, and if you accept pay via a paypal invoice(protected)

ps im sure your aware but a US gallon is only about 3 1/2 litres, so 5 us gallons is only 18-19l not the 23l 5 REAL gallons will give ya..

fyi the only other limitation of the cheap German sourced catering pots is the handles are not designed to lift full pots only for handeling when empty, not that anyone should be lumping about 5-6 gallons of boiling liquor, and if you can afford the kettles above you can also afford a hydrolic sicsor lift/trolley if you need to move full pots about

 

[steve denholm]

wow top shelf options there, unless your looking at induction heating many of us are more than satisfied using modified stainless steel catering stock pots. £30-£40 iirc for a 50l lidded pot tho its been a few years since i last bought a pot. and the thin skins of the pots make them a doddle to punch out holes for drainvalves and if needed elements with a cheap qmax punch. building a kettle is an easy afternoons job for anyone who can drill a hole, use an allen key, and if using elements wire a plug.

email [email protected] a german supplier on ebay.fr for a quote for delivery to the UK (often cheaper than ebay.fr listings due to no ebay fees, and if you accept pay via a paypal invoice(protected)

ps im sure your aware but a US gallon is only about 3 1/2 litres, so 5 us gallons is only 18-19l not the 23l 5 REAL gallons will give ya..

fyi the only other limitation of the cheap German sourced catering pots is the handles are not designed to lift full pots only for handeling when empty, not that anyone should be lumping about 5-6 gallons of boiling liquor, and if you can afford the kettles above you can also afford a hydrolic sicsor lift/trolley if you need to move full pots about

thanks for the advice I've been saving my pennies but i was looking at US as Uk gallons so that might rack the price up a bit
S

 

[-Bezza-]

I'm struggling to see where that $180 has gone. Presumably it's the two glass carboys that have absorbed most of the cost? The crown capper in the kit might be seen as a waste of money too - a lot of people on here prefer bench cappers.

For starting out, plastic fermentation buckets are fine. Get two of those, both with taps if possible, and you can ditch the separate bottling bucket. I assume you're actually in the US, but to give a comparable in the UK, this kit is £45 so $60: https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Equipment-Only-Starter-Kit-5-Gallons.html

You don't need a brew kettle for an extract kit, so that $60 setup will get you making beer (once you've added the kit in). You can then move on to extract brewing, BIAB or All Grain by adding in the kettle but for the money you're suggesting plus the saving on the fermenting kit, you might be better thinking about one of the all-in-one jobbies? Alternatively, with a powerful wok hob, just a simple stainless steel pan and a digital thermometer.

 

[Beatsy]

I bought a 30 litre Buffalo Boiler.

https://www.nisbets.co.uk/buffalo-manual-fill-water-boiler/gl348

You can usually get them cheaper via Nisbets ebay discount store - i got mine for £50 close about 8 months ago. The good thing about it is that it has it's own heating source and you can control the temp. The bad is that it is a bit difficult to get a rolling boil, as the thermal cutout happens when it reaches 100 deg c. I'm currently only doing extract brews, so doesn't affect me too much but, if I was going AG I've heard it can give off flavours. Going to be a wee project disabling the cut-off when I progress.

 

[steve denholm]

I'm struggling to see where that $180 has gone. Presumably it's the two glass carboys that have absorbed most of the cost? The crown capper in the kit might be seen as a waste of money too - a lot of people on here prefer bench cappers.

For starting out, plastic fermentation buckets are fine. Get two of those, both with taps if possible, and you can ditch the separate bottling bucket. I assume you're actually in the US, but to give a comparable in the UK, this kit is £45 so $60: https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Equipment-Only-Starter-Kit-5-Gallons.html

You don't need a brew kettle for an extract kit, so that $60 setup will get you making beer (once you've added the kit in). You can then move on to extract brewing, BIAB or All Grain by adding in the kettle but for the money you're suggesting plus the saving on the fermenting kit, you might be better thinking about one of the all-in-one jobbies? Alternatively, with a powerful wok hob, just a simple stainless steel pan and a digital thermometer.

the wife already brought it for me ;P
the tutorial video has them adding hops at various stages of the boil?

 

[steve denholm]

thanks bea

I bought a 30 litre Buffalo Boiler.

https://www.nisbets.co.uk/buffalo-manual-fill-water-boiler/gl348

You can usually get them cheaper via Nisbets ebay discount store - i got mine for £50 close about 8 months ago. The good thing about it is that it has it's own heating source and you can control the temp. The bad is that it is a bit difficult to get a rolling boil, as the thermal cutout happens when it reaches 100 deg c. I'm currently only doing extract brews, so doesn't affect me too much but, if I was going AG I've heard it can give off flavours. Going to be a wee project disabling the cut-off when I progress.

thanks beatsy an all in one is something I'd thought of

 

[-Bezza-]

the wife already brought it for me ;P
the tutorial video has them adding hops at various stages of the boil?

I didn't read your post clearly - blame the lack of caffeine! If I can backtrack slightly, some nice big carboys are a step up from plastic brew buckets so you're already more 'deluxe' than most people would be at the start!

Sounds like the kit is a full malt extract brew rather than a pre-hopped malt kit. There might be a regional difference here but you can get a lot of kits in the UK that come with one or two cans of ready-hopped malt extract that you essentially dilute down and add yeast to. The next step up is to take an un-hopped malt extract and boil with hops added along the way to get the right flavour profile although I've not seen many of these in kit form in the UK (but that might just be me). Either way, does sound like you need a brew kettle!

If you've not already found it, you can have a read of http://howtobrew.com/book/section-1

 

[Fil]

Ha am glad i added that gallon note now, almost everyone falls for it though usually when building a recipe and not buying hardware..
the other metric that can cause some confusion especially if diy kettle building, is the BSP standard, for example the 1/2" bsp sized fitting popular for drain valve holes and other fluid movement ports and perhaps temperature probes and or thermowells is closer to an inch in diameter.. check out bsp on wikipeadia for all you need to know ..

the wife already brought it for me ;P
the tutorial video has them adding hops at various stages of the boil?

hops add both bitterness and aroma to the brew, and how those added at the earlier stages of the boil will be contributing to the beers bitterness ibu, and those added later on in the boil will add more aroma qualities, the volatile hop oils that provide aroma get destroyed with too much boiling.. so your pint of hoppy ipa will have had a heavy late hop addition to provide all that aroma..

 

[steve denholm]

I didn't read your post clearly - blame the lack of caffeine! If I can backtrack slightly, some nice big carboys are a step up from plastic brew buckets so you're already more 'deluxe' than most people would be at the start!

Sounds like the kit is a full malt extract brew rather than a pre-hopped malt kit. There might be a regional difference here but you can get a lot of kits in the UK that come with one or two cans of ready-hopped malt extract that you essentially dilute down and add yeast to. The next step up is to take an un-hopped malt extract and boil with hops added along the way to get the right flavour profile although I've not seen many of these in kit form in the UK (but that might just be me). Either way, does sound like you need a brew kettle!

If you've not already found it, you can have a read of http://howtobrew.com/book/section-1

thanks that sites saved me a few questions :)

 

[steve denholm]

Ha am glad i added that gallon note now, almost everyone falls for it though usually when building a recipe and not buying hardware..
the other metric that can cause some confusion especially if diy kettle building, is the BSP standard, for example the 1/2" bsp sized fitting popular for drain valve holes and other fluid movement ports and perhaps temperature probes and or thermowells is closer to an inch in diameter.. check out bsp on wikipeadia for all you need to know ..



hops add both bitterness and aroma to the brew, and how those added at the earlier stages of the boil will be contributing to the beers bitterness ibu, and those added later on in the boil will add more aroma qualities, the volatile hop oils that provide aroma get destroyed with too much boiling.. so your pint of hoppy ipa will have had a heavy late hop addition to provide all that aroma..

thanks fil I'll double check the conversions pre brew day

 

[steve denholm]

thanks for the replies all, you've been very helpful

 

[steve denholm]

Just a little update i went for midrange https://www.brewbuilder.co.uk/mk2-high-end-brew-pot.html a 50L one in case I try BIAB later (if its big enough)
It's massive, and i quote the "Steve are you bloody joking?" :)

 

[Fil]

better get a grain bag then enjoy..