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How Big Of A Pot Do I Need To Brew Beer? The size of pot required for brewing beer is largely dependent upon the size of the batch you are brewing and how you are brewing, using extract, or doing an all-grain batch. The most common batch size is around 5-gallons and most beginners to intermediate brewers use extracts to brew so let’s start there.
When brewing a 5-gallon batch with extract you require a 5-gallon brew kettle, as you will produce around 2-3 gallons of wort in the process. For a 10-gallon batch extract, you will need an 8 or 10-gallon pot. The kettle needs to be a few gallons larger than the volume of wort being boiled to avoid overflow.
When brewing 5-gallon all-grain batches it is generally recommended that you use an 8 to 10-gallon pot as the volume of wort need is higher than in an extract batch. For a 10-gallon batch, a 15-gallon pot is recommended.
However, when considering what kettle to buy it is important to check the dimensions of the pot before purchasing as I have seen comments on forums indicating that some brewers decided to go for the larger pot without considering whether the pot would fit on their stove.
The other important consideration with brew pots is understanding the limitations of using your kitchen stove burners. Kitchen stove tops only have sufficient heat capacity realistically to heat a 5-gallon pot. If you are using an 8 or 10-gallon pot or larger you are in for a very long wait to get the pot to boil if it is going to build at all. So it is necessary to get a separate burner if you are going to go for a really large pot, a recommendation for a burner is provided at the end of the article.
What Are The Pot Options Available?
There are several different types of Pots/Kettles available the pot to chose is largely dependent upon where you are in your brewing journey and where you want to go.
For Brewers With No Experience
If you have searched this query because you are a complete novice that is wanting to get into home brewing for the first time and are just working out what you need. The easiest way to get the pot you need and all the other bits and pieces you need to just get going is to purchase a starter kit from Northern Brewers click here to see the latest price on Amazon. We recommend this particular starter kit because it contains a 5-gallon brew kettle along with the ingredients to make your very first batch of beer which is ideal for someone that is starting out, to read more about this click here.
It is important to note that not all starter kits include a brewing kettle so if you are going to go down this path make sure you check what is included in the kit.
For Brewers That Have Made Batches Of Beer
For those that have brewed before and are searching this query it usually means that you are either using all-grain extracts which essentially are beer flavor bases and you are wanting to step up to batches that use a combination of extracts and grains or you are have been brewing grain/extract batches and you are wanting to make the leap to all grain-brewing. In either case, you will have most of the equipment you need already and just require a brew kettle.
In terms of the available brew kettles, there are basic models which are essentially similar to stove top pots and have a capacity of 5, 7.5, or 10-gallon models that are made of stainless steel construction and are relatively light. This makes them most suitable for transferring the entire pot into an ice bath to cool down the wort. However, I generally would recommend this only be done with 5-gallon pots.
These types of pots are primarily are designed for use on gas stovetops and designed for people who want to brew extract batches only. These types of products are available on Amazon and a specialist homebrew store such as Northern Brewers, however, they are generally cheaper on Amazon. Click the links for Amazon (5 Gallon, 8 Gallon and 10 Gallon) and Northern Brewers to see the latest prices.
For Those Wanting To Start All Grain Brewing
The intermediate-level models that are available have a higher quality of stainless steel and are often clad with aluminum. The cladding improves the distribution of heat. Additionally, the intermediate models feature a built-in temperature gauge that allows you to read the temperature without the need to remove the lid, which allows the heat of your boil to be maintained.
The other key features of these models are that they have a ball valve at the base of the pot which allows you to transfer the wort out of the pot without the need to lift it which invaluable when using larger pot sizes. These pots are also far more suited to all-grain brewing as they are suitable for use with a false bottom which is useful when working with the mash tung. To see the latest price on Amazon click here.
The premium-level kettle that is on the market has been designed specifically with the serious all-grain homebrewer in mind, an example of this type of product is the Blichmann Boilermaker product line. These kettles, like the intermediate pots, feature a 3-piece stainless ball valve and a brewing thermometer and they are made of polished stainless steel which makes cleaning easier. To see the latest price on Amazon click here.
They can also be customized to suit the installation of an auto sparge which makes dealing with the mash tung easier as it allows the inward and outward flow rates to be matched precisely. To see how the autosparge works see the video below, to see the lastest price on Amazon click here.
What Pots Are Recommended?
For those brewers that are not interested in progressing to all-grain brewing are really only want to brew on their kitchen stove, a 5-gallon entry level pot is more than adequate.
For those more serious brewers that really want to take their brewing to the next level and want to do all-grain brewing, I would highly recommend you go for a large pot size of 15 gallons. The main reason for this is that most brewers that start making all-grain batches quickly discover that there is very little difference in the level of effort required to make a 5-gallon batch versus a 10-gallon batch. To achieve a 10-gallon batch size a 15-gallon pot is required.
However, whether you chose to go for a 10-gallon or 15-gallon pot you will need to also purchase a burner as the heat output of your kitchen stove will not be sufficient.
What Burners Are Recommended?
The heating output on the largest burner of a typical residential cooktop typically ranges between 10,000 to 18,000 BTUs. (British Thermal Unit) which, as mentioned early in the article is suitable for heating a 5-gallon pot. However, when going to larger pot sizes the heating output is simply not enough and it will be necessary to upgrade your heating capacity.
Many homebrew stores offer burners that produce around 65,000 BTUs which will do the job however, for a similar price on amazon there are burners available that have a heat output of 200,000 BTUs. These units will run off a standard propane bottle and feature an adjustable heat setting that will allow you to have a greater degree of control of the amount of heat applied.
The frame itself is made of cast iron which means that the unit is highly durable and will last for years. Additionally, the frame is wide enough to suit any pot you are likely to chose for homebrew. An image of the unit is shown below, to see the latest price on Amazon click here.
