Brew Kettle Selection Basics for a Good Homebrewing Experience

The brew kettle is one of the most fundamental elements in a brewer's collection. All the magic of the brewing experience is realized in the wort, where all of the brewing ingredients come together in the brew pot before being sent off to meet its destiny with the fermentation hunger of the yeast. Whether starting out with malt extracts or all-grain brewing, the brew pot is a primary brewing equipment.

Multiple considerations exist for choosing a good brew kettle that will grow with your homebrewing experience while keeping costs in mind. Those include size, material and accessories.

The first item to consider is size. Most beginning homebrewers will opt to follow readily available recipes that reflect a standard 5 gallon brew. A common mistake is to purchase a 5 gallon brew pot, but even the most careful brewers will inevitably have some boil over (bubbling wort overflowing out of the rim), and there is never enough space for extra desired materials, like megadozing on my favorite Amarillo hops.

At a minimum, 8 gallons will do well for most 5 gallon batch needs. The main recommendation is double the brew pot size for the intended batch. But even a 10 gallon batch could be done with a 15 gallon brew pot since a 14 gallon boil would be used to compensate for boil off, transfer loss and cooling contraction. As long as you have about 1 gallon of clearance, you should be good.

For a brew kettle to grow with your experience, smart homebrewers start off with a 15 gallon pot. This size is perfect for 5 to 10 gallon batches and, while stretching its capabilities, does well on a stove top without having to purchase a propane burner. If you decide on a propane burner, any size thereafter becomes a matter of choice and preference, including how much beer you love to drink.

These are recommendations though, and I'm always sensitive to price, so my wish list will contain an eight gallon brew pot for now, and might get a larger one if I find a decent one at a good price.

When shopping, keep in mind that 1 gallon equals 4 quarts. Listings can be detailed in either gallons or quarts, so just keep that conversion in mind. Standard sizes include 20 quarts = 5 gallons, 24 quarts = 6 gallons, 28 quarts = 7 gallons, 32 quarts = 8 gallons, 40 quarts = 10 gallons, 60 quarts = 15 gallons, 80 quarts = 20 gallons, 120 quarts = 30 gallons, and 220 quarts = 55 gallons.

Material choices for brew kettles are simple: Aluminum or Stainless steel. Aluminum has a very specific advantage over stainless steel: it's much cheaper! Another advantage is that it will heat the wort a bit quicker than stainless steel. But stainless steel has greater advantages which include keeping its shape, being easier to clean and disinfect, and it will last a very long time. For the price difference, it makes good sense to start off with stainless steel.

On a similar note to materials, shape might be something to consider. Two basic brew kettle shapes exist: short and wide or tall and slim. If it's small enough to heat over a stove top, match the shape and size of the gas or electric burner which will result in a slimmer and taller brew pot. If you're considering larger batches and plan at some point to get a gas burning bayou, wider and shorter pots will allow the wort to boil more evenly and a bit quicker.

Accessories will end up driving your initial investment quickly, but they're all desirable and valuable features in a brew kettle. False bottoms are good for all grain brewing (or even partial grain brewing) and not necessary for most extract kits, so this makes it convenient to save for later as you grow your home brewing skills. 3/32 inch holes are standard for keeping most grains in the pot while being large enough to avoid clumping from high wheat malt recipes.

A Bazooka Screen For brew kettle or mash tun will do a decent job at straining hops and malt mashes from your wort and can be a cheaper option to the false bottom.

Brew kettle valves and thermometers tend to really raise the price of brew pots, but I think they're worth the initial investment. Both can be purchased separately and installed later, but you'll need to know the temperature of your wort from the very first batch, so a thermometer is a necessity. And a valve at the bottom of the pot will immensely improve your home brewing experience. Imagine trying to pour out 5 gallons of boiling wort from your stove top. With a valve, your making the process much simpler and safer, so both of these accessories are worth buying right up front.

Recommendations

For a good combination of price, size, material and accessories, I like the 32 QT Stainless Steel Kettle with Valve & Thermometer At 8 gallons it is big enough for solid recipes and experimentation, it is the preferred stainless steel material, and it comes with a valve and thermometer, which I feel are crucial elements of a good brew kettle.



For the exotic sports car of brew kettles, the Stainless Steel Home Brewing Kettle with Ball Valve and Sight Gauge: 602BPSG 60 Quart comes in at the high end of selections. 15 gallons allows you to create large batches for some serious home brewing, is made of premium 300 gage stainless steel and comes with a valve and a sight gage. Sadly, the thermometer is optional and it doesn't come with a false bottom - so for its price, it is strictly a premium product.

Still at the high end but with all the right combinations, my Top Choice for big spenders and serious home brewers is the 20 Gal Stainless Steel Brewing Mash Tun w/ False Bottom, Valve & Thermometer. This 20 Gallon badass monster is made of long lasting 1.2mm Stainless Steel, comes complete with a thermometer and a valve, and also includes an 18-gauge stainless steel false-bottom features a perforation of 3/32 holes on 5/32 centers. With all the necessary accessories, it is 5 gallons larger and about 25% less expensive than the prior choice, making it an exceptional value and selection for the home brewer looking to seriously commit to the craft.


At the super cheap end of the spectrum is the 5 Gallon Stainless Steel Stock Pot with Lid. It's has the vary basic minimum requirement of 5 gallons, is the cheaper material selection of aluminum, and it has absolutely no accessories. This might be good if you're just tinkering with home brewing and you don't mind spending a few bucks to give it a try. It might also be worthwhile if you're experimenting with a crazy recipe, like my san pedro cactus black IPA (theoretical) recipe.

Thanks for reading and I hope you found my brew kettle recommendations helpful! Whichever brew pot you choose, I wish you well on your home brewing adventures and hope you make some kickass beer!



Once you've selected your brew kettle, click here for more brewing supplies information.

Or Visit my Home Page for more exciting Beer Topics!

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.

despise me on facebook

ignore me on twitter

Top Choice and Best Value

Good Size/Price/Material/Accessories

The Cheapest Option for you Cheap Bastards!

Other Good Selections and Accessories

Top Choice and Best Value

Good Size/Price/Material/Accessories

The Cheapest Option for you Cheap Bastards!