How Big Is Yer Pots?

[Chickpeanut]

Hi guys.

I've done a few kits now, and have an extract brew I'm planning. Soon hoping to attempt all grain. I'm about to purchase a large stock pot, what size should I buy?

I understand the bigger the better idea, but realistically I need to think of the money involved. I've seen one for sale that's 37.5 litres, will this do for a 23 litre brew when i go all grain?

 

[artyb]

they can never be too big...
it depends on how your gonna heat it

mines 76l but i use it on a gas ring outside

 

[31bb3]

mine are 70 L and can do 10g batch easy enough

 

[Chickpeanut]

Guys that looks and sounds awesome!

I don't have any outside gas burning equipment yet. What do you think of a 40 litre size for using on my gas cooker at home? Will this allow me to go all-grain and get close to 23 litre batches?

 

[WelshPaul]

I use a 60l food grade plastic barrel with 2 Tesco Value 1kW elements for my boils and they can easily do 30+ litre batches. There's a guide in the forum on how to remove and use these elements for a boiler.

 

[chastuck]

I use a 50L boiler and a 50L thermopot mash tun. This size works fine for me for batch sizes up to 7 gallons.

 

[PD]

I upgraded and probably went OTT, but hey ho its only once !

100 litre boiler and hlt with an 80 litre thermopot for the mash. All contained on a purpose built metal bench build by my nephew.



extra electrics put in place which means each element of the system can bu used on a boil, ( all at once if necessary )

 

[Chickpeanut]

Piddledribble... you are my God.

 

[rpt]

Are you going to do BIAB? If so, then your pot will be a bit small for higher gravity brews at 23L. But you can work round this with a sparge or adding water to the boil.
But if you are doing 3V then I would have thought that was a good size for a boiler.

 

[alanywiseman.]

I will hopefully be doing my first extract batch using a converted mango chutney barrel from the back of an indian resturant (beggers cant be choicers!). It fits 30L with a couple of inches spare to will probably boil a bit short and top up in the FV.

 

[pittsy]

I have a 33l pot for 23l all grain with mash tun . I would get the 37.5 litre :thumb: however you'll be struggling with a gas hob most won't do it , some will . My pot is a tiny bit small but 37 and upwards will be ideal.

 

[maistrobrew]

Hi chickpeanut, I think I am in exactly the same position as yourself. I have just returned to brewing after a 30 year break. I have done a few brews using Woodforde's extracts, which have been in my opinion really good but would now like to go to AG brewing probably using the BIAB method. I have read up lots about it but have a question or two. I have 3 King Kegs and a 5 gallon fermenter bucket so will be buying all new brew kit:

Should I go straight to stainless, or should I try it first by converting a plastic FV to put heating in it

And if I go straight to stainless should I go large enough to brew 10 gallons in one batch, but the question here is about the head space if I only brew a 5 gallon batch, at which stages is oxygen a problem?

 

[mattrickl06]

How easy / difficult would it be to fabricate a multiheight stainless bench such as yours piddle??

 

[PD]

My nephew stated it was very easy to do. Its basically a fishtank frame construction made.
6 foot long by approx 2 foot ( or width of pots ) the raised piece at the end is a separately constructed tower that fits onto the lower frame and can slide along to any position. Theres some photos of it on the forum in my old thread PD's brewery.
A local steel manufacturer quoted me £420 approx to built one. My nephew did it for me at cost of materials only £90...
States he will make as many as wanted for the homebrew forum members at £420 each....
If you know a friendly welder........ go bearing gifts of beer......

 

[mattrickl06]

Cheers PD - will he make as many as wanted for the £90?? :clap:

I have started to notice the theory of beer gifts saving money - my plumber came round on an emergency call out on Sunday night, replaced a pipe and a valve all for the princely sum of 8 bottles of Stout

 

[PD]

and my contribution to the build hose parks to clamp onto the frame to....er park the end of the hoses on... :grin: