Brewing Master

Question:

I had to throw out my kettle after screwing it up making chili, so now I need a new one. I would like a 5 gallon (20qt.) kettle.  Has anyone come across reputable vendors on the net?  Does it have to be stainless or will aluminum suffice? Chris Davis "Goin’ where the wind don’t blow so strange…"

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I had to throw out my kettle after screwing it up making chili, so now I need a new one. I would like a 5 gallon (20qt.) kettle.  Has anyone come across reputable vendors on the net?  Does it have to be stainless or will aluminum suffice? Chris Davis "Goin’ where the wind don’t blow so strange…"Don’t use aluminum, tha acid from the hops may eat into it.  I got a 5

gallon stainless kettle for $16.00 at the local Ames, which is cheesier than k-mart, try the local chains beause shipping will add alot to your price, i’m trying to find a local 10-15 gallon kettle but nobody hasd them, so i looked to mail order and shipping adds $20. anyway i hope that helps.

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Davis) writes: I had to throw out my kettle after screwing it up making chili, so now I need a new one. I would like a 5 gallon (20qt.) kettle.  Has anyone come across reputable vendors on the net?  Does it have to be stainless or will aluminum suffice?

Hi there Chris I am a new brewer ( January 1996 was my first batch ) My girl friend told me she was buying me a kit for Christmas plastic buckets, racking tubes, hydrometer, ETC… Not wanting to have boilovers I was on the prowle for a bargain kettle I found it at Montgomery Wards a 20qt stainless steel pot rivited handles and lid. It might be a little thin for some people’s taste but I got it on sale for $19.95 was $24.00 the closest price comparison I can find to date is a almost identical pot at a home brew store for about $40.00. Happy bargain hunting!! Dakiv

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I had to throw out my kettle after screwing it up making chili, so now I need a new one. I would like a 5 gallon (20qt.) kettle.  Has anyone come across reputable vendors on the net?  Does it have to be stainless or will aluminum suffice? Chris Davis "Goin’ where the wind don’t blow so strange…"Don’t use aluminum, tha acid from the hops may eat into it.  I got a 5 gallon stainless kettle for $16.00 at the local Ames, which is cheesier than k-mart, try the local chains beause shipping will add alot to your price, i’m trying to find a local 10-15 gallon kettle but nobody hasd them, so i looked to mail order and shipping adds $20. anyway i hope that helps.

I use aluminum, it has never corroded on me.

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I had to throw out my kettle after screwing it up making chili, so now I need a new one. I would like a 5 gallon (20qt.) kettle.  Has anyone come across reputable vendors on the net?  Does it have to be stainless or will aluminum suffice? Chris Davis "Goin’ where the wind don’t blow so strange…"

Chris: Sorry, I don’t know where you can get a 20 quart kettle.  But if you go with something that size it’s probably advisable to go with stainless — aluminum is a VERY poor transmitter for heat and many believe that it imparts some metal taste or reacts badly with the wort. I have brewed with both aluminum and stainless; I will not go back to aluminum. The Walmart near me carries a 16 & 20 quart kettle for a reasonable price. — Todd Ruffaner —   ***     MOMENTUM TECHNOLOGY   /*/*/*/     …getting you going so no one can stop you 2201 Castle Bay Drive League City, TX 77573-6651 phone: 713-334-1035 Company Specialties:         Internet web site design and consulting.         Project coordinators for cutting edge technologies. Member: Greater Houston Partnership         Better Business Bureau

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: and replace 5 or 6 of them before you spent as much money, but what : the heck, the Vollrath gave my brewing buddies severe pot envy. <sniff I’ve got pot envy, too. We have a local producer who makes similar pots in their Paderno and Chaudier line, but the 39 quart version costs about $350 CDN.  I’m currently saving up for one, and using the enamel pot in the meantime. It works fine, but the real heavy guage SS pots just look so much better, and last so much longer (Paderno has a 25 year warranty, Chaudier has a lifetime warranty), that it’s well worth the money to me! -Alan —             What has four legs and an arm?  A happy pit bull. http://www.acadiau.ca/cc/alan/

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Sorry, I don’t know where you can get a 20 quart kettle.  But if you go with something that size it’s probably advisable to go with stainless — aluminum is a VERY poor transmitter for heat and many believe that it imparts some metal taste or reacts badly with the wort.

1) Aluminum is an EXCELLENT conductor of heat, much better than stainless steel.  If there was a CRC handbbok within arms reach I would quote you just how much better.  This is why the higher grade Vollrath pots have an aluminum plate on the bottom to help distribute heat. 2) The metallic taste issue has been beaten to death and pretty much debunked. 3) On the other hand Aluminum does tend to etching and corrosion with acidic solutions.  Anyone who doubts this should lay a piece of aluminum foil on top of some tomamto sauce and leave it for a few days.  (I learned this lesson by leaving a batch of lasagna in an aluminum baking pan for a couple days! 8-0 ) It’s not really an issue with wort boils, or reasonable length mashing schedules though. I have brewed with both aluminum and stainless; I will not go back to aluminum.

To each his own. The Walmart near me carries a 16 & 20 quart kettle for a reasonable price.

This size pot aggravated so much that I finally broke down and bought myself 38.5 qt SS Vollrath pot.  A 33 qt enamel (COS) pot can be had for about $20, and you could use, beat the heck out of, throw away, and replace 5 or 6 of them before you spent as much money, but what the heck, the Vollrath gave my brewing buddies severe pot envy. Tom

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I have on hand two jacketed SS 40 gallon (not quart, GALLON) vessels … you would need a steam-producing boiler to heat the thing(s). They go for 4 digit prices. Email me an offer, if you are interested. $500/BO. You’ll give the guys with the Volrath 10 gallon SS pots kettle envy .. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : and replace 5 or 6 of them before you spent as much money, but what : the heck, the Vollrath gave my brewing buddies severe pot envy. <sniff I’ve got pot envy, too. We have a local producer who makes similar pots in their Paderno and Chaudier line, but the 39 quart version costs about $350 CDN.  I’m currently saving up for one, and using the enamel pot in the meantime. It works fine, but the real heavy guage SS pots just look so much better, and last so much longer (Paderno has a 25 year warranty, Chaudier has a lifetime warranty), that it’s well worth the money to me! -Alan —            What has four legs and an arm?  A happy pit bull. http://www.acadiau.ca/cc/alan/

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 DI but I got it on sale for  DI $19.95 was $24.00 the closest price comparison I can find to date is a  DI almost identical pot at a home brew store for about $40.00. That’s what I payed for mine, and I’m beginning to think it was a waste of money.  The darker ales I brew come out fine, but the lighter ones tend to have a slight metallic tang to them, which might be ions thrown off during the boil. I suppose it could also be esthers due to the *hot* summer we’ve had this year, but I’ve been eyeing a big Vollrath at the local restaurant supply store, as well as an old refrigerator that’s just been sitting in a friend’s driveway for a week now.   "Honey, I think I know what I want for Christmas!"   — |Fidonet:  Rick Hansen 1:103/585 | | Standard disclaimer: The views here are the user’s own.

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